Boozy Book Review: Bourbon 101 By Albert W. A. Schmid

When getting into bourbon, accessing relevant and accurate information can be a daunting. There are plenty of blogs, podcasts, books, and magazines that claim to have all the answers, but without the context of the basics it’s easy to get lost. Fortunately, there’s a new book in town written by a Kentucky native with a culinary and teaching background that breaks down the basics in a fun and easy-to-understand way.

Bourbon 101 by Albert Schmid (published May 2, 2023, University Press of Kentucky) is the perfect primer for anyone just becoming acquainted with bourbon. It’s full of full-color photos, step-by-step instructions on various topics, and tests and quizzes at the end of each chapter that aren’t as easy to pass as you might expect.

Bourbon 101 starts off with notes for all the things you’ll need to begin your bourbon journey: glassware, notebooks, and a lineup of standard Kentucky Bourbons. Schmid lists bourbon options by flavor profile so readers will have options when building their basic core collections depending on budget and availability. Next up is a section with definitions for words you may see on labels or in tasting notes, which makes an easy reference to which to refer later.

One of the best things about this book is that Schmid says several times throughout it that you like what you like, and you should take expert opinions with a grain of salt. This is the very advice that many of the experts will give you in a tasting situation, as well. Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t taste marzipan if someone says you should taste marzipan, especially if you have never had marzipan before!

Bourbon 101 and Elijah Craig, known as the father of bourbon

Schmid interweaves his own personal experience with culinary and bourbon traditions throughout the book. Perhaps the most relatable story is the oyster story, which we won’t spoil by telling it here. The most important personal story he shares is when he learned that his allergy to corn wouldn’t prevent him from enjoying bourbon — a lesson he learned from none other than Woodford Reserve alum and Angel’s Envy co-Founder Lincoln Henderson.

Throughout the book there are great resources like definition sections, cocktail recipes, and illustrations of tasting wheels to help readers visualize what flavors they should expect to detect when they begin their tasting journey.

The quizzes and assignments are designed not only to help readers test their knowledge retention, but also to understand the types of information they may be expected to learn or know as a Bourbon novice. The tests are especially detailed, and even Bourbon experts would have difficulty getting a perfect score.

Overall, this book is a great crash course for those new to the bourbon world as well as a great refresher for those who need to brush up on their terminology. Other bourbon basics books include Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage by Michael R. Veach and Bourbon Curious by Fred Minnick. Veach’s book is more of a deep dive into the history of the bourbon industry in Kentucky, and while Schmid’s book does cover some of that, Bourbon 101 is a more balanced approach of everything new bourbon lovers will need to know in less depth. Minnick’s book is also more in-depth and more for intermediate Bourbon lovers than the intended audience for Schmid’s book. Richard Thomas’ American Whiskey has a similar context but covers all American distilleries and whiskey styles instead of Bourbon, particularly Kentucky Bourbon. Carla Carlton’s Barrel Strength Bourbon covers far more of the culture surrounding bourbon.

Aside from some of the great cocktail recipes in this book, it would not be an especially great fit for bourbon aficionados. Fortunately, Schmid has plenty of other books for them, including The Old Fashioned and The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook.

Bourbon distillery rickhouse photo credit Josh Collesano

The only faults I found with this book came from the fact that it was very Kentucky-centered. Schmid stated that the boiling point of alcohol is 173F, but he neglected to mention that that is only true at sea level. Higher elevations have different boiling points for water and ethanol, which distillers in states like Colorado know all too well. Some definitions, like the one Schmid gave for flavored whiskey, were not quite clear enough for his intended audience.

But even as a bourbon expert, there were things that I learned from this book, including the history of The Presbyterian cocktail and the reunification of the Presbyterian church, which is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky for symbolic reasons.

Bourbon 101 came out on May 2, 2023 and features 272 pages with 143 color photographs and images. The MSRP is $27.95.

Albert W A Schmid

There’s always something more to learn about bourbon, no matter where you are on your journey. We recently caught up with Schmid to learn more about what he learned during his research and what he wants readers to take away from this book:

What inspired you to write this book?

There are many people who love to drink bourbon but know very little about the product and the process. As we moved we found a lot of people who want to know more about bourbon. This book is for bourbon lovers!

Did you have a particular bourbon you sipped on while writing this book?

AS: I usually sip on coffee or tea when I am writing. I write early in the morning. There are bourbons that I dream about and reward myself with at the end of the day after writing but I try to mix up my bourbon selection because life is short and there are so many bourbons to enjoy.

Was there anything during your research that you were especially surprised by?

Yes! I thought that I was very “well read” when it came to bourbon. I was surprised with how many brands I have never sipped before writing this book. I started a list, and I am still working through it to make sure that I can comment on those bourbons.

What are some of the most common misconceptions about Bourbon that you hope to dispel with this book?

The most common misconceptions that I run across are: 1) bourbon must be made in Kentucky, and 2) bourbon must be made in Bourbon County. As you know bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States.

What do you think is the most important takeaway for readers?

The most important takeaway is: enjoy the bourbons that you enjoy! Bourbon lovers know what they enjoy and that is what they should be drinking. Another takeaway is enjoy exploring bourbon - if you have never heard of the brand, you should try it to see if that is one of your new favorite bourbons.