A FEW MONTHS ago, I did a virtual tour of the Cognac region of France. In that post, I discussed the best known brandy in the world -- cognac. I also discussed the fact that in order for this eau de vie to be called Cognac, it must meet a strictly-defined set of regulations while being produced in certain areas in and around the town of Cognac. If it doesn't meet these criteria, then it's referred to as brandy. If you're following me so far, then you understand that all cognac is brandy, yet not all brandy is cognac.

As a refresher, let's define brandy. Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. That means that the first step is to ferment fruit. There are three basic types of brandy: grape, fruit, and pomace. Unless otherwise specified, the word brandy usually refers to a distillate produced from fermented grapes. Fruit brandies are those that are distilled from fruits other than grapes: apples, plums, cherries, elderberries, blackberries, raspberries, and apricots. Some notable fruit brandies are Calvados, Kirschwasser, and Poire Williams made from apples, cherries, and pears respectively. Pomace brandy is produced by the fermentation and distillation of the skins, seeds, and stems that remain after grapes have been pressed to extract their juices to make wine. The best known pomace brandy is Grappa, a product of Italy.

IF YOU ARE a sports fan, then you are familiar with the phrase in someone or something's wheelhouse. In today's post, we are, without a doubt, in America's wheelhouse. Bourbon is as American as jazz, baseball, and skateboarding. Bourbon is America's Champagne in that the style can be reproduced anywhere, but unless it's made in North America, it cannot be called Bourbon. On May 4, 1962, the United States Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a distinctively American product. The scope of that proclamation has since been expanded to include all of North America.

So, what is Bourbon? Bourbon's name was gleaned from Bourbon County, Kentucky and it's been produced since the eighteenth century. There are other American-made whiskeys such as Rye whiskey, which is made from a mash that is at least 51% rye while corn whiskey is made from a mash made from at least 80% corn. Straight whiskey is derived from a mash that is less than 51% of any one grain.

Legend Brewery's Bourbon Barrel Porter has received an "A" rating from the aficionados at Beer Advocate. Take a look at what one expert had to say then click over and read more.

My friend SinistrSam and I had the pleasure of tasting this at the brewery and were both extremely impressed with it.

WHEN MOST OF us think of gin, we recall names like Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick's and Tanqueray. These are all excellent choices for those who enjoy martinis, but since we are still working on our imaginary home bar that only features American-made liquors, these choices don't fit our criteria. Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire hail from England while Hendrick's and Tanqueray call Scotland home. Does America produce gin? Let's have a look.

First, what is gin? Gin is a distilled spirit whose predominant flavor is derived from juniper berries. These days, gin is broadly differentiated into two legal categories: distilled and compound. Distilled gin is fashioned in the traditional manner by re-distilling a neutral spirit of agricultural origin with juniper berries and other botanicals. Compound gin is made by flavoring a neutral spirit of agricultural origin with natural flavorings without re-distillation. Compound gins are not highly regarded. In the U. S., the minimum ABV for gin is 40%. The name gin is derived from either the Dutch genever or the French genievre, which both happen to mean juniper. Juniper berries have been recognized since ancient times for their medicinal properties. By the 11th century, Italian monks were flavoring crudely distilled spirits with juniper. During the mid-1600s, there were at least 400 distilleries in Amsterdam alone re-distilling malt spirits with anise, caraway, coriander, and, of course, juniper.

I'VE RECEIVED QUITE a few questions over the past few weeks, so I thought I'd take time out from my American-made liquor series in order to answer some of them. Let's get started.

Who is Tom Bullock?

THIS WEEK, I want to continue to look at American-made spirits by discussing rum. Since it's February, the discussion of rum has a bit of irony attached to it. The trade of sugar cane and one of its by-products, rum, is tied to the slave trade which brought Africans to America. February is Black History Month, so that gives the story of rum a little more relevance. In essence, Christopher Columbus introduced sugar cane to the West Indies. The production of sugar subsequently became integrated with the slave trade. Plantation slaves were the first to discover that molasses, a by-product of sugar cane refinery, could be fermented into alcohol -- specifically, rum. The rest is history. Sadly, most people don't know this history.

So, what is rum? Rum is a spirit distilled from a fermented sugar cane product such as molasses or sugar cane juice. This distillate, a clear liquid, is then aged in oak barrels. Although light rums are commonly used in cocktails, golden and dark rums can be consumed neat. The origins of the word rum are unclear, but it has been suggested that it may have been derived from a British slang term for the best. So, I could consider writing my posts to be a rum time. The rum trade was so vital to the colonial American economy that the introduction of the Sugar Act in 1764 was one of the key factors in sparking the American Revolution. During Prohibition, rum runners competed with Canadian whiskeys to supply a booming underground economy. Today, Bacardi is a name synonymous with rum, but are there others? And if so, are there any made in America? The answer to both questions is yes. So, let's see what's out there.