Independently maps bourbon identity across agriculture, image, consumption, and tourism in one concise programmatic passage.
The passage explains what readers will learn after the opening account of the premium-bourbon revival.
Givens defines the book's scope as more than production and bottle comparison: bourbon has roots in American farms, a changing public image, multiple cocktail traditions, and distilleries that readers can visit.
“The Smooth Croon of Bourbon: A Polite Introduction” — concluding overview
“The Smooth Croon of Bourbon: A Polite Introduction” — concluding overview
Crosswalk checked 2026-09-16 against supplied 2007 text. Use the named section or distinctive passage, not assumed print pages. Internal prior retrieval: PDF sheet 17–PDF sheet 17. Prior audit: Verified visually against PDF sheet 17 on 2026-08-25; sheet numbering differs from the 176-page print extent.
Verified evidence from Bourbon at Its Best, “The Smooth Croon of Bourbon: A Polite Introduction” — concluding overview.
Evidence
The exact source wording is preserved in Excerpt Text. The opening frame places bourbon across American farms, its changing public image, cocktail use, and visits to distilleries.
Location and context
This passage appears in the introductory framing. It previews the guide's movement from production and history into consumption and travel, so it supports analysis of the book's architecture rather than a quantified claim about the industry.
Annotation
Useful independent evidence that bourbon identity is narrated across agriculture, public meaning, consumption, and tourism outside production alone.