Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man’s Life

Food writer Minnick (Bourbon Curious) intertwines in this mixed-bag outing an account of overcoming PTSD with a history of bourbon, a uniquely American type of whiskey. After returning from a tour of duty in Iraq in 2005, the author suffered from debilitating trauma until a therapist helped him unravel it. At the same time, the author, already a food and beverage writer, discovered how focusing on food could help him shift his focus from Iraq to “my taste buds.” After being assigned a story about bourbon, Minnick became obsessed with the spirit, and set about learning the trade from Kentucky distillers and reading up on its history, from its popularity with the founding fathers to its role in shaping Kentucky’s economy. He also unearthed the saga of a bottom-shelf brand of bourbon, Old Crow, a once “sublime” spirit that had become “rotgut swill” after being bought by Jim Beam in the 1980s, and the life of its namesake James C. Crow, a Scottish immigrant who’d revolutionized the bourbon industry in the early 19th century. Unfortunately, this history is bogged-down in dry details; more captivating are Minnick’s candid reflections on dealng with the aftershocks of war and how a new hobby can help one recover. Still, for bourbon lovers, this has its moments. (Feb.)