The Ultimate Summer Bourbon & Book Pairing List

The Ultimate Summer Bourbon & Book Pairing List

Summer, Beaches and reading go together like Wheat, Barley, and Corn (and sometimes Rye). Long Summer days are made for Staycations and Vacations – Newport Beach or a rooftop Tar Beach, it matters not. It’s time away from co-workers who drone on about absolutely nothing and reading quarterly reports that are as dry as The Empty Quarter.


And with that time away, a book or tablet can help rinse stress away and give Bourbon fans (of every level) a chance to broaden their knowledge, lose themselves in a bit of history and enjoy their favorite Spirit.

Below are some Summer Bourbon reading pairings that will educate, enlighten and amuse anyone who enjoys Whiskey.

The Bourbon Tasting Notebook by Susan Reigler and Michael Veach

Learning about proof, age, type, style, color, mash bill, and the price of Bourbon is the best way to begin a Summer of Bourbon Reading. Susan Reigler and Michael Veach have crafted a well thought out journal that allows the reader to learn from all they experienced. It’s Waze for Bourbon lovers without an annoying voice pointing out construction every five miles.


Pair Susan and Michael’s Notebook with Treaty Oak’s Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon Whiskey and the Summer reading adventure begins. After a few sips (neat or on the rocks) and reading a few pages- picking out the Dark Stone Fruit and Soft Oak notes will be easy as looking at fish in a barrel. This Bourbon at 47.5% ABV is a great investment to learn about an exciting well-crafted Bourbon.

Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey Book by Fred Minnick

Women are unsung heroes! That sentence should be shouted from the rooftops and texted to Moms everywhere. That said, Fred Minnick chronicled some amazing stories about the Women who saved a Trinity of Brown Spirits. Each tale gives credit to smart savvy Women who had an eye on the future and flask close to their hearts.


On the subject of time lost and forgotten Bourbon heroes – the best Bourbon to pair with Fred’s book would be Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey. It’s a great way to learn about one of the best Whiskey makers the world almost never knew, Tennessee distilling legend, Nearest Green. Reading Fred’s book while sitting on the beach and sipping some 1884 Small Batch beats sitting around watching The HIStory Channel.

Hacking Whiskey by Aaron Goldfarb

This is an absolute treasure for anyone who loves Bourbon and wants to know everything about improving the tasting experience. Goldfarb goes into detail on how to infuse smoke (Don’t try this indoors!) with Bourbon and how to do bone marrow luge shots for a kickass flavor experience.


Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon is an open, ever inviting Bourbon that won’t break a vacation budget and is perfect for bone luging. With woody notes and tasty accents of Spice, Smoke, and Nutmeg Elijah Craig pairs to Hacking Whiskey like a Pixel 3 to a Bluetooth speaker – flawlessly.

American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye: A Guide to the Nation's Favorite Spirit Book by Clay Risen

If the Tasting Notebook is Waze for Bourbon, then Clay Risen’s Guide is Google for Bourbon lovers. The book is packed with spot on knowledge about bottling, including details on age, proof, nose, color, body, price, as well as an overall rating for each of the Spirits.


A book that has collected more data about Bourbon than Amazon has from every person reading this article should be paired with a Bourbon that has it all. Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Hits all the right notes with a subtle sweetness, a great age, a good nose, excellent color and body that would make a Nun sin – (KIDDING!). It is a well-rounded, smartly made flagship Bourbon that doesn’t disappoint.

Thirsty for More?

With that said there are a pantheon of books about Bourbon:

- The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes by Robin Robinson
- Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler
- The Bourbon Bible by Eric Zandona
- The Bourbon Bartender: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the American Spirit by Jane Danger & Alla Lapushchik
- The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book by Joy Perrine & Susan Reigler

If the pairing strike accord let us know. We would love to know what you thought of the books and Bourbons mentioned. Do you have a favorite Bourbon book or author? Let us know!

And if all the reading about the Spirit made you thirsty check out our selection of best Bourbons under $50!

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