Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage - PaperbackReport copyright infringement by Michael R. Veach (Author) On May 4, 1964, Congress designated bourbon as a distinctive product of the United States, and it remains the only spirit produced in this country to enjoy such protection. Its history stretches back almost to the founding of the nation and includes many colorful characters, both well known and obscure, from the hatchet wielding prohibitionist Carry Nation to George Garvin Brown, who in 1872