Why is Bourbon only made in Kentucky?

Bourbon is a type of whiskey that is considered an American-made product.  Much of Bourbon-labeled products are also made in Kentucky making people believe that all Bourbon is from Kentucky.  Technically, though, not all Bourbon is made in the state of Kentucky.  It just so happens that the majority of Bourbon is produced in this southern state, and its name is also taken from one of its counties named Bourbon.

It is also common for people to see most Bourbon products to have labels that they are made in Kentucky.  This is mainly due to two reasons.  One reason is that more than  90 percent of Bourbons are made in various parts of Kentucky, and so it is also very likely that people from other parts of the U.S. and the rest of the world will get a Bourbon product from Kentucky rather than from any other U.S. state or anywhere else.  Another reason is that only Kentucky has the legal right to label Bourbon products as their own.  This is part of making Bourbon an official American product, and this gives relevance to the origins of Bourbon in this southern state.  With these instances, whenever people think of Bourbon, they would always associate it with the state of Kentucky in terms of its name, origin, and manufacturing site.

As a type of whiskey, branding a product as Bourbon has certain legal requirements. This especially applies to the U.S. and Canada who have common standards in classifying spirits or beverages as Bourbon.  Some of the requirements include using corn as the majority ingredient, and this should comprise at least 51 percent of the mixture.  Aging should also be done only in new, charred-oak barrels at a maximum of 125 proof. There are also other requirements in terms of bottling and labeling Bourbon as straight or a blended variety.