American whiskey is made throughout the USA, with Kentucky and Tennessee the biggest whisky-producing states, home to much of the nation’s rich whiskey history. More recently, craft distilleries have been popping up in Texas and California, while American whiskeys are also distilled across the Midwest, from Arizona to Wyoming, and from Montana to Colorado. 

By law, Tennessee whiskey can only be made in Tennessee, but Bourbon can be made anywhere in the USA - despite this, most of its production is still concentrated in Kentucky.

American whiskey is made from a fermented grain mash - each mash must be made of at least 51% of its named grain, whether that’s corn, rye, barley, or wheat. The remaining 49% of the mash can be made from a variety of different grains, which are known as ‘small grains’.

The grains are ground before being mixed with water to form ‘grist’. This mixture is then heated to extract enzymes and encourage the starch to break down into fermentable sugar. 

American whiskey is usually matured in oak barrels, which gives it that distinct taste we all know and love. 

There are some subtle differences to the way each type of American whisky is made; for example, Jack Daniel’s is filtered through charcoal from sugar maple trees as part of its production process, in what’s known as the ‘charcoal mellowing’ method. This helps to remove contaminants, and gives Jack Daniel’s its beautifully smooth flavour.

Each whiskey brand has its own production story and ethos, so explore our full collection to find American whiskeys that excite you.

Each type of American whiskey has its own unique taste, but there are a few similarities each variety tends to share. Most American whiskeys are aged in oak barrels, so there tends to be a slightly oaky taste, as well as notes of vanilla. You can expect hints of spice and caramel too.

Typically, corn whiskeys are spicier, while rye whisky is quite fruity. Bourbon is sweeter, while Tennessee whiskey often has smoky notes. Find your perfect-tasting American whiskey and discover new favourites at The Bottle Club.

American whiskey is best enjoyed neat, at room temperature. Drinking it at this temperature allows more of the subtle flavour notes to come through. Some like to add a little bit of water to their whisky to not only make it more palatable to drink, but also to open up the flavours further. Others prefer to drink a small amount of water in between each sip. How you choose to drink American whiskey is down to you - just make sure you enjoy it.

American whiskey shares a lot of similarities with Scotch whisky - especially single malts. However, Scotch is typically made from barley or a combination of grains, while American whisky is produced from a fermented grain mash, which can include barley, rye, wheat, and corn.

Similarly, Irish whiskey is made from barley, and it’s also distilled three times, but American whiskies are only distilled twice. Whiskies from Ireland tend to be a little smoother too, and each type will of course have its own unique taste. 

Here are some of our favourite cocktails that are simply delicious made with the best American whiskey you can get your hands on:

• Bourbon Old Fashioned 
• Manhattan
• 1870 Sour
• Eggnog
• Tennessee Mule
• Mint Julep
• Kentucky Mule
• Bitter Temptation

Browse our full collection of whisky cocktail recipes, and stock up on all the cocktail essentials you could ever need.

Yes - Lyre’s American Malt is a 0% ABV whiskey alternative that’s divine served with a cola. This alcohol-free American whiskey has notes of vanilla, roasted nuts, and subtle herbs.