It started with European farmers distilling corn whiskey in late-1700s Kentucky. Today, bourbon is beloved worldwide and anchors a multi-billion-dollar industry — though its rise was a slow burn. From the spirit’s beginnings through much of the 20th century, bourbon saw important innovations and huge leaps forward, yet the category largely retained a modest, everyman image. That changed after the category rebounded from the bourbon glut of the late 1900s. The landscape has shifted dramati...
