Bourbon doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky. In fact, bourbon is now made in every state and some U.S. territories. And while it’s probably a stretch to call bourbon “America’s native spirit” — that title could equally go to apple brandy or rye whiskey — it’s certainly a distinctly American product anyone in the U.S.A. can make, provided they follow the rules, of course.
Since the whiskey boom in the mid-2010s, some states are practically neck deep in craft bourbon. Others lean heavily toward more emergent spirits categories, like American Single Malt. And while there are active bourbon makers in all 50 states, some boast only a handful of active producers (or in some cases, a single one).
So instead of listing our outright favorite bourbons from the bunch, we tried something new: 50 of the best bourbons to bring back from each and every state in the union. In this case, “best” comes with some caveats.
These are the best bourbons to procure and take home in each state based on quality, flavor, uniqueness, rarity, and a sort of “wow” factor. Many of these bourbons are as fun to talk about as they are to sip — the ultimate conversation starters after returning home.
This list is biased toward bourbon distilled on-site at in-state distilleries. That’s not to knock blenders and rectifiers, but we wanted to highlight liquid distilled and aged within a state’s borders.
That said, while as of our research each state contains at least one
