Corroborates the corpus rule that memorable founder stories must not replace contemporary evidence.
The guide explicitly distinguishes verifiable standards from inherited origin tales and labels uncertainty.
Reigler separates bourbon's rigorous definition from its speculative origin stories, states that no evidence supports the Elijah Craig charred-barrel invention story, and presents multiple competing explanations for the name bourbon.
Chapter 1, “Bourbon Basics: Made in America,” discussion of bourbon origins and competing explanations
Chapter 1, “Bourbon Basics: Made in America,” discussion of bourbon origins and competing explanations
Verified against rendered local PDF sheets 26–28 on 2026-08-27; concise paraphrase. Volatile or disputed fields retain explicit limits. Crosswalk 2026-09-16: checked in canonical third-edition 317-sheet file; use actual chapter/section or identifiable passage, not a guessed print offset. Internal original coordinates: PDF sheet 26 through PDF sheet 28.
Evidence
Reigler separates bourbon's rigorous definition from its speculative origin stories, states that no evidence supports the Elijah Craig charred-barrel invention story, and presents multiple competing explanations for the name bourbon.
Locator
Locator type: Section
Reader locator: Chapter 1, “Bourbon Basics: Made in America,” discussion of bourbon origins and competing explanations
Pagination: The supplied reflowed edition has no verified printed-page mapping; use the named passage above.
Source section: Bourbon Origins
Context
The guide explicitly distinguishes verifiable standards from inherited origin tales and labels uncertainty.
Annotation
Corroborates the corpus rule that memorable founder stories must not replace contemporary evidence.
Verification
Status: Verified
Verified against the rendered local PDF on 2026-08-27. The record is a concise paraphrase; time-sensitive, attributed, disputed, or technically simplified material retains an explicit qualification.