He even reveals the one unicorn bottle he’s been searching for. Minnick remains conversational throughout, injecting his opinions and personal experiences. However, this format shines as a reference source and allows for entertaining skimming while waiting for the next pour of whiskey. Occasionally the chapter is interrupted mid-sentence by a multi-page insertion, which takes a little getting used to. Fred’s signature style reads like a magazine, with beautifully detailed side windows that include historical photos, documents, advertisements, facts, timelines and more. # BourbonRebirth is a much deeper dive: where it came from, how it evolved, what nearly killed it (several times), and how it roared back to life. Last year’s Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinkergave a decent short history of bourbon, but the majority of the book focused primarily on how to enjoy it. In his fourth book (due in October), Bourbon: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of an American Whiskey (# BourbonRebirth, using his hashtag ), Minnick traces the entire tumultuous history of bourbon from the dawn of our nation to the present-day boom. Without question, his face belongs on any Mount Rushmore of bourbon experts. He is a bestselling whiskey author, a judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and World Whiskies Awards, a bourbon ambassador for the Kentucky Derby Museum, a contributor to Whisky Advocate, a photographer, and a guy willing to talk bourbon with literally anyone on Twitter. Fred Minnick needs no introduction, but he deserves one anyway.

Fred minnick bourbon of the century