Bourbon Land - by Edward Lee (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In his highly anticipated follow-up to the James Beard Award-winning Buttermilk Graffiti, Edward Lee examines his favorite libation-bourbon-with recipes, essays, history, profiles, distillery tours, and more. Bourbon is more than just a drink. It's a way of life in Kentucky, a culture all its own, and it's globally more popular than ever. In this one-stop guide to all things bluegrass whiskey, Bourbon Land celebrates everything you want to know about the libation. In 50 entries, author and James Beard Award winner Edward Lee fills the book with personal reflections, profiles of bourbon's historical figures and future leaders, process how-tos, histories, maps, distillery tours, and more. Lee also shares 50 recipes that take bourbon from the glass to the skillet with dishes like Mushroom Grilled Cheese with Bourbon Gravy, Roasted Fennel and Bourbon-Burnt Orange Salad, and Pork Meatballs in Bourbon Gochujang Coconut Broth. Readers will learn the ins and outs of the industry, from why corn is used in bourbon, how oak is turned into barrels, how the drink survived prohibition, and even which furry friends stand guard over the warehouses. Boasting colorful photos and illustrations, and easy-to-digest maps, Bourbon Land will make a bourbon connoisseur out of anyone"--

Book Synopsis

In his highly anticipated follow-up to the James Beard Award-winning Buttermilk Graffiti, Edward Lee examines his favorite libation--bourbon--with recipes, essays, history, profiles, distillery tours, and more. * Named a Best New Cookbook of Spring 2024 by Eater, Epicurious, and Food & Wine

Knowledgeable, entertaining, and more than a little infatuated with his subject, award-winning food writer and chef Edward Lee gives us his insight into bourbon, telling us everything we should know about the mellow honey-brown treasure that's put Kentucky on the global map: How bourbon is made. Its history. How to read a label. A look inside the famous distilleries. The influence of oak. Tours of Kentucky's bourbon regions. How to taste bourbon like a professional. And, in the most delicious surprise, how to cook with bourbon, with 50 recipes from Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Wings and Blackened Salmon with Bourbon-Soy Marinade to a Bourbon and Butterscotch Pudding. Plus the best Old-Fashioned you'll ever mix.

Review Quotes

"Full of good advice . . . and inspiring dishes. . . . Anyone who enjoys Kentucky culture and bourbon will find much to like."--Wall Street Journal

"A deep dive. . . . In Bourbon Land, Lee covers the spirit's history and essential components, and learns from the craftspeople who take it from grain to glass."--Garden & Gun

"An enjoyable and accessible look at one of America's favorite spirits; aficionados and the simply curious will want to pick this up."--Booklist

"Lee . . . is a funny, smart guide to the world of bourbon, explaining how to read a label and taste bourbon, the details that make this drink so beloved to many, and introducing us to the people who turn bourbon into an art. He also shares recipes for bourbon cocktails and food that only gets better with a splash or two of the good stuff."--Food & Wine, Best New Food & Drink Books

"Lee's new bourbon book isn't just a drinks collection or the standard add-whiskey-to-your-barbecue sauce offering. There are cocktails, like a Manhattan that pairs smoky Lapsang Souchong tea with bourbon and luscious oloroso sherry, and a fragrant Gold Rush with a touch of salt and a syrup sweetened with golden raisins. But this is also an ambitious collection of dishes and techniques both savory and sweet: a salad of roasted fennel with bourbon-glazed burnt oranges and feta; a trick for making bourbon-flavored salt; a mushroomy brown rice, bourbon, and spelt risotto."--Epicurious, Most Exciting New Cookbooks

"Not only will this tome convince you to take a sip, but it will also make you want to cook with bourbon."--Southern Living

"Perhaps the most exciting thing about the book is the way Lee uses its pages to show that bourbon's uses go far beyond cocktails: Here, it cuts through the salty squeak of haloumi cheese, adds a touch of sweetness to a banana BBQ sauce, and pairs perfectly with earthy miso for a sauce that can be spread atop Chinese eggplant or a roasted sweet potato. These recipes, which are divided regionally throughout the state of Kentucky, make you realize that bourbon is as much an ingredient as it is a technique used to glaze chicken wings, poach oysters, or candy pecans for bourbon balls (a statewide favorite). What's more, Lee really digs into the people who produce bourbon and the culture surrounding it, explaining the spirit's midcentury modern appeal through pop culture and how patriotism, Anthony Bourdain, and even Bob's Burgers helped sustain its renaissance. By the end of the book -- which showcases the spirit's versatility, complexities, and staying power -- you'll likely agree with Lee when he writes, 'Bourbon is my best friend.'"--Eater, Best New Cookbooks

"Bourbon Land changes the bourbon conversation. Edward Lee brings a new perspective to its culture and history and shares the secrets of cooking with bourbon that have made him a national treasure."--Fred Minnick, author of Bourbon Curious

"I couldn't imagine a better guide to America's native spirit. Chef Edward Lee's easy conversational style combined with culinary chops make for a fine book, as delightful as a barrel-proof whiskey on the rocks."
--Phil Rosenthal, host and author of Somebody Feed Phil

"If you think Kentucky whiskey only makes sense in a glass, let Chef Edward Lee's unmatched prose show you how bourbon eats as good as it drinks."--Vivian Howard, chef, author, and television personality

About the Author

Edward Lee is the chef/owner of 610 Magnolia and Nami in Louisville, Kentucky, and the culinary director for Succotash Restaurants in Washington, DC, and Maryland, for which he was awarded a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide. He is also the cofounder of the LEE Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to diversity and equality in the restaurant industry. He operates the non-profit restaurant M. Frances in Washington, DC, as part of the LEE Initiative's overall mission. He was awarded the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in 2021. Chef Lee was the recipient of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for his book Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef's Journey to Discover America's New Melting Pot Cuisine. His first book was Smoke & Pickles. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his role as host of the Emmy-winning PBS series TheMind of a Chef. He has hosted and written a feature documentary called Fermented.