Whiskey and Bourbon Documentaries Worth the Watch

This is a Guest Post by Maria Ramos, a TV and Film blogger. She has noticed a trend in documentaries about craft beer and whickey and bourbon and offered this article. Since I have been a little busy lately, I took her up on her offer.


Bourbon is more than a drink for people who live in Kentucky - it's a way of life. Now it’s a lifestyle that's rapidly gaining popularity not only in the United States, but worldwide. New, whiskey-themed bars are opening in cities around the globe, reflecting an international interest in the era of smoky bars and speakeasies. Gone are the days of Prohibition gangsters, but today's (legal) speakeasies seek to recreate a similar aura of excitement. If you haven’t heard yet, bourbon is the next big thing in alcoholic beverages. Here are a few films charting its rise to modern-day fame.


Great Scotch Whisky (2006)
Great Scotch Whisky, produced in 2006, encourages viewers to appreciate Scotch and see it for the art form that it is. The documentary primarily concerns itself with single malts and peaty-style spirits. It takes viewers on a journey around Scotland from Islay to Speyside and back again to learn about legendary whiskies including Bowmore, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Lagavulin. The spectacular scenery and rugged Scottish landscape fill the documentary with imagery fit for a Robert Burns poem - perfect for connoisseurs of all things Scotch.


Addicted to Pleasure: Whisky (2012)
Whisky, for all it’s done to benefit Scottish culture, also presents it’s own set of problems.
While it remains one of the biggest growth industries in the United Kingdom, it is also a highly addictive substance, often claiming the lives of those who becoming dangerously infatuated with it.  Addicted to Pleasure: Whisky, a 2012 BBC production, explores the early days of whiskey in the British Empire. The documentary also strives to explain how whiskey became the national drink of Scotland, leading to high rates of alcoholism. Unique in it’s candid discussion of the issue, it highlights the differences between “problem drinking” and “social drinking”, and ways in which viewers can enjoy the spoils of Scotland responsibly.


Bourbontucky (2015)
More than 200 years of bourbon history is shared by bourbon aficionados, master distillers, and historians in Bourbontucky. Currently airing on Direct TV’s AUDIENCE channel, it has already received praise from members of the Kentucky whiskey community. Against the spectacular backdrop of Kentucky’s bluegrass country, viewers will learn about how bourbon is made, from the oak barrels used to age the spirit to the myths and legends associated with it’s sale and consumption. This one will leave you thirsty!


Made and Bottled in Kentucky (2003)
Made and Bottled in Kentucky was originally produced in 1992 for the state's bicentennial, and is a unique documentary in that it traces the history of bourbon going back to its early days in the 18th century. Viewers learn to gain an appreciation for Kentucky's favorite drink through tours of some of Kentucky's most famous distilleries - even including the ruins of distilleries past. Charles K. Cowdery, the producer of the film as well as its writer and director, has been inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame for his work on this documentary and similar projects.


Rumrunners, Moonshiners and Bootleggers (2002)
Rumrunners, Moonshiners and Bootleggers is a History Alive production that explore the love and hate relationship with alcohol that's manufactured and sold illegally. It chronicles how bootleggers, moonshiners, and rumrunners helped to build the United States. The documentary explores the history of bootlegging and making illegal alcohol from the Colonial era and John Hancock, who was a smuggler, to the present day. Viewers learn about fishermen who became rumrunners in the 1920s, and gangsters who made their millions from bootlegging. One segment of interest to racing fans is about how moonshiners helped to make NASCAR what it is today.


As bourbon continues to grow in popularity, more programs exploring its unique history are sure to reach audiences. Bourbontucky, the latest to the list, only further proves that films exploring the nature of finely-crafted alcoholic beverages can not only entertain but elucidate, giving us a deeper sense of appreciation for some of our favorite spirits.

Master of Malt - Buy Whisky Online

I'm a beer guy.  Having said that, there is always at least one bottle of whiskey around the house, usually three, depending on how things are going at work.  Back in November, I was contacted by of Master of Malt, who asked if they could send me a sample (The answer is always yes) in exchange for a review of the service (ditto, as long as you know I will be honest).  Naturally, I said "Hell, yes!"

I checked out the Master of Malt site, and realized they are in England!  I figured the whisky would get caught up in customs, and I would never see it.  Imagine my surprise when just a couple of days after Christmas, a box from England appeared on my front door step.

I opened the box to find an air-filled bottle carrier with five individually bubble-wrapped dram samples of whisky.  If this is any indication of the care with which they package their product, I am already hooked.

I carefully unwrapped the drams, and sorted them out.  Each sample bottle was wax dipped, and labeled with the brand and the proof.  Most were names I was unfamiliar with.  I am not a whisky guy, after all.  But there was one name I recognized: Johnny Walker Blue Label.  And it brought back a memory.

When I was 24, I was an exchange student in Japan.  Stop me if you've heard this before.  A few weeks into the year, the school transported all the exchanged students from Isahaya (near Nagasaki), across the penisula to Unzen, a hot spring town at the foot of volcanic Mount Unzen.  We stayed at a resort for the weekend.  The bar was sponsored by Johnny Walker and it is all they served.  I got druuuuuuunk!  I remember trying to sleep and the room spinning.  I had to put my foot on the floor.  And I was sleeping in a futon!

I had planned to sample the drams over the Christmas weekend, but a head cold thwarted me.  It's only within the last week that I've been able to taste properly.  So I will be tasting the drams soon.

Now, again, I'm not a whisky guy.  I like whisky, and I drink the occasionaly whisky, but I'm a beer guy.  After perusing the Master of Malt website, if I ever find myself looking for a particular bottle of whisky, this is the place I would go.  The packaging was incredible.  My only complaint with the service is that it would have been nice to have a little flyer with notes about each of the samples.  But that's a minor complaint.  So if you're looking for some hard to find whiskys, check out Master of Malt.