September Is Bourbon Heritage Month.

September is Bourbon Heritage Month, as declared by the United States Congress and the Governor of Kentucky. Here are a few interesting facts, taken from Governor Steve Beshear’s proclamation:

• Kentucky’s whiskey-making industry accounts for about 3,200 Kentucky jobs, $115 million in state tax revenue, and $3 billion in gross state product.
• The approximately five million barrels of whiskey presently aging in Kentucky have a tax assessed value of $1.6 billion.
• Kentucky bourbon and other Kentucky-made whiskeys are a major export product and proud symbol of Kentucky tradition and craftsmanship throughout the world.
• 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, one of the state’s leading tourism attractions.
• The annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, in Bardstown, is September 15-20.

"From jobs to investment to tourism, bourbon is a vital part of the Bluegrass economy that benefits all of Kentucky’s citizens," Gov. Beshear said. "It’s also a key export and a proud symbol of our heritage that’s known and acknowledged around the world. My administration is committed to working with our distillers to help this essential part of our economy grow and thrive."

Whiskey makers are investing approximately $100 million in recent capital improvements at their Kentucky facilities, and whiskey tourism has drawn approximately 1.5 million visitors in the last five years. The Kentucky Bourbon Festival alone attracts about 55,000 visitors, according to Milt Spalding, the festival’s executive director.