It's boom time for bourbon
How bourbon got its groove back to become tipple of choice for discerning drinkers
Bourbon is having its moment in the sun. For many years, American barrel-aged corn whiskey – to give it its correct definition – seemed out of step with the times. The spirit favoured by Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack and the drink of choice of cowboys, outlaws and rock stars everywhere was being left on the shelf. But today it is enjoying a sophisticated revival as bars the world over embrace its smooth, smoky flavour, incorporating it into cocktails and stocking up on hard-to-find bottles.
Even the most ardent Scotch fans have had to concede the nuanced pleasures of the small-batch bourbons coming out of the American South.
Hong Kong’s drinkers and bartenders are, as usual, hot on the heels of the trend. The days when a Hong Kong watering hole’s only American whiskey was a bottle of Jack Daniel’s are well behind us. Bourbon has arrived.
The classics
Duddell’s, Central’s modern Cantonese restaurant and arty members’ club, has never been a slouch when it comes to trendy tipples. Bar manager Mark Jenner was quick to notice the growing desire for bourbon and got to work sourcing rare bottles and putting together a list of 18 or 19 bourbons.
“It’s definitely something I wouldn’t do unless I saw a huge potential for it,” he says.