America’s homegrown whiskey has turn out to be one of the common pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned into a crowded landscape, one that could simply overwhelm the average drinker.

So we discovered a spirit guide. Beau Williams, the owner of Kansas City’s Julep, lauded for having one of the country’s most excellent bourbon alternatives, shares his rules for picking, sipping and mixing America’s favorite spirit.

Read the Label

Step one is to learn how to decode bourbon labels, says Williams. «Bourbon is a very broad class,» he says. «It’s necessary to know what the wording means.» For example, he always looks for the phrase straight bourbon.

«Straight is what you need to look for before everything when you’re searching the cabinets,» he says. «It means they’re not adding anything to or adulterating the product, so that you’re getting the real deal.»

He additionally recommends looking for the age statement on the label, though he’s quick to note that you just won’t always discover it. And particularly if it’s from a newer producer, that always signifies that bourbon is on the younger side. By law, straight bourbon must be aged for no less than years.

Seek Out Worth

«For those who’re spending more than $40, you’re probably doing it wrong,» says Williams. Of course, when you’re a collector looking for further-aged Pappy Van Winkle, expect to pay a premium. But for these just starting out, affordable bourbons abound. Williams recommends Wild Turkey one hundred and one («wonderful juice at a reasonable worth point,») and bottlings from Four Roses and Heaven Hill (brands from the latter embody Henry McKenna, Evan Williams and J.T.S. Brown, among others).

Skip the Shot Glass

While the flavors of bourbon could be quite completely different from Scotch whisky, Williams recommends sipping a neat pour from a Glencairn glass, a curved vessel typically reserved for scotch. «Aroma is a large part of your bourbon experience,» says Williams. «You need a glass that lets you capture the aroma—caramel-y, nutty, etc.—to get you excited and cue up the remainder of your senses.»

A shot glass won’t enhance this expertise, he says, however a glass with a broad base and tapered top «to capture aromas and funnel them upwards» will do the trick. In lieu of a Glencairn, he typically makes use of Old Fashioned or rocks glasses with an analogous, slightly tapered shape.

Do not Be Afraid of Dilution

«Water is your friend, and don’t be afraid of it,» says Williams. «People think there’s only one way to drink bourbon, and that’s wrongheaded. Water shouldn’t be a dealbreaker whatsoever.» The present trend for uncut, unfiltered, barrel-strength whiskeys means that most bourbons really benefit from some dilution, he says. «It takes off the heat and spice notes and lets the sweetness shine through.»

Upgrade Your Ice

«Bourbon has big, bold flavors,» says Williams. «A little bit of ice and water won’t kill the thing.» Nevertheless, he’s wary of small, watery items of ice that dilute a spirit too quickly. «I prefer to take my time, and I desire a related experience from after I start to after I finish. Strong ice isn’t a bad idea.» For residence use, he recommends silicone molds to freeze sizable chunks that chill successfully but melt slowly.

Try an Old Fashioned

«An Old Fashioned can really turn individuals on to how wonderful a bourbon experience may be without drinking it on its own. Ice, a little bit of sugar and bitters may also help bridge the flavor profiles, make it more palatable.» The goal, he says, is to accentuate the flavors of bourbon reasonably than mask them, and «the basic Old Fashioned does that wonderfully.»

«There’s no mistaken way to eat bourbon,» says Williams. The only mistake is «not enjoying it while you’re doing it.

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