"Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life is not your typical whiskey book. Author Fred Minnick - one of the most revered tastemakers in the spirits business and a popular whiskey podcast host - presents his two-decade quest to uncover the history behind a seemingly forgotten brand of a once-revered bourbon. "How did Old Crow go from being the preferred bourbon of Mark Twain to $3 shots with a pickled egg at a grungy strip club?" he asks."
"Interestingly, and perhaps counterintuitively for most people, the ascot-clad Minnick credits a lot of his mental health healing to his passion for whiskey. "Learning about bourbon, how it's made and the history behind it, actually made me want to drink less," he writes. "I savored it instead of downing it, and bourbon became a sanctuary from my war thoughts early in my career. I obsessed over its history, a deep dive into a niche American truth not taught in schools.""
A veteran and army photojournalist pairs a two-decade quest to trace a forgotten bourbon brand with candid accounts of post-Iraq trauma and a failed suicide attempt. The investigation tracks how a once-revered bourbon declined from cultural prominence to discounted bar shots. The narrative connects deep historical research and sensory study of bourbon to deliberate, mindful drinking habits that reduced alcohol consumption and provided emotional sanctuary. Recovery also includes therapy, mindfulness practice, family support, and physical pursuits like jujitsu. The account notes interest in finished whiskeys and a diminished sensitivity to whiskey-fan negativity.
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