Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey Bourbon Whiskey Black Label

American's don't need to be lectured on Bourbon, but still, let's put it in record like all other spirits. A Bourbon in American spirit is a barrel-aged distilled liquor made primarily from corn. The name might have been derived from the French Bourbon dynasty, or from Bourbon County in Kentucky, or Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both named after the French Dynasty.

Technically, most whiskey made in America are legally classified as Bourbon, although Bourbon is in spirit a Southern Whiskey with special connection to Kentucky. Note than although Tennessee Whiskey is classified as Bourbon, Tennessee distilleries do not prefer their whiskey to be unique and referred to as Tennessee Whiskey only.

Distilling came to Kentucky in the late 18rth Century with the Scots, Scot-Irish and other settlers including English, Welsh, German and French, and they brought with them their distilling techniques and ageing processes in charred oak barrels. The charring is what gives the Bourbon the brownish colour and distinctive taste.

To be a legal Bourbon, a whiskey has to meet the following criteria

Produced in the United States and Territories (Puerto Rico) and the District of Columbia
Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
Aged in new, charred oak containers
Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume)
Entered into the container for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume)
Bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)

Anisette

Anisette is as the name suggests, an anise flavoured liqueur most commonly consumed in the Mediterranean countries. It is a colourless, sweet liqueur and the sweetness comes from the added sugar, which is in contrast with dry anise flavoured spirits like Absinthe.

Anisette have two distinct production variations, one is a distilled drink, created by distilling fermented anise, and the other is a simple maceration of anise filtered to Anisette.

Note that often Pastis liqueur is confused with Anisette but Pastis is different and it uses Licorice and Anise.

Note: To substitute Anisette in a cocktail, if absolutely necessary, either steep Anise Extract and Anise Oil ( preferably Green Anise, since Anisette is created with Mediterranean Green Anise ) in neutral Vodka for a few days and add sugar syrup to finish, and use, or use Anise Seed and follow Home Recipes for Anisette to create your own.

Ginger Ale

Ginger Ale is a non-alcoholic carbonated soft drink with a distinct ginger flavour. it is drank on its own and as a mixer. There are two types of Ginger Ale, the classic Golden developed by Irish Doctor Thomas Joseph Cantrell, and the dry pale style with milder flavours. by John McLaughlin of Canada.

Traditional Ginger Ale is fermented using ginger, yeast (or ginger bug), water, sugar and other flavourings. Sugar is added to speed up fermentation since Ginger's sugar content is lower than needed for fermentation. In classic Ginger Ale the carbonation is not artificial but comes from the fermentation of sugar by yeast into ethanol and carbon dioxide.