I want to first thank all the whiskey geeks out there who attend my Kentucky Derby Museum events, read my work, and converse with me on Twitter and Facebook. Without your interest and constant questioning of brands, I couldn’t have written this book.
To my literary agent, Linda Konner, you’re the best in the business, and one day, I’ll get you to like bourbon.
A big thank-you to my Quarto editor, Dr. Elizabeth Demers, who saw something in my work long before anybody knew my name. This marks the second book she’s acquired from me. And to Quarto’s Madeleine Vasaly, thank you for your incredible edits.
Thank you to Paul Hletko, Mike Veach, Denny Potter, Drew Kulsveen, attorney Edwin Vargas, and Dave Schmier for fact-checking sections of my manuscript and to whiskey geek Chris Huss for offering up his bottles for a photo shoot.
A huge—and I mean huge—thanks goes to Heaven Hill for allowing me unprecedented access to its corn growers and distillery operations. Buffalo Trace, Brown-Forman, Heaven Hill, MB Roland, Hudson Bourbon, Balcones, and Finger Lakes Distilling provided samples for the tasting section, while the legendary Silver Dollar bourbon bar kindly let me sample products directly from its shelf.
Lastly, but certainly not least, to my lovely wife, Jaclyn, thank you for the ongoing support. You’re truly the best.