Bourbon – A Unique Corn Market.
An Inseparable Pair
- Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s signature industries, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Bluegrass economy. Each year, Kentucky’s bourbon and alcohol distillers utilize between 15 and 20 million bushels of corn.
- Bourbon must be made with a minimum of 51 % corn and aged in new charred oak barrels. Only Kentucky has the perfect natural mix of climate, conditions and pure limestone water necessary for producing the world’s best Bourbon.
Industry Infrastructure
- From writing letters of support, navigating zoning laws, disposing of spent grain, and more, Kentucky Corn has worked to help distilleries solve problems that arise from rapid growth.
Consumer Outreach
- Using bourbon as the conservation starter, Kentucky Corn has a unique opportunity to teach others about agriculture.
- Collaborations with bourbon trails and distilleries, we have helped them share their production story by connecting them to the farmers who grew the corn used to make the bourbon.
- Kentucky Corn Promotion Council educates distillery employees about corn production and agronomics to enhance the synergistic relationship.
- Kentucky Corn Promotion Council’s partnership with Green River Distilling Co. provided a unique opportunity to discuss the corn industry with consumers. The bourbon label, Yellow Banks, put corn farmers directly on store shelves and created a narrative from farmers to consumers about our commitment to stewardship by sending a portion of the sales from every bottle to production and sustainability research.