Bourbon (whiskey), named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, is a corn whiskey aged in charred oak barrels. It was proclaimed the U.S. National Spirit by an act of Congress in 1964.

It turns out that whiskey is the most popular type of liquor in most U.S. states, closely followed by vodka. On the other hand, tequila and rum, which are considered staple liquors, are less popular in many states. This means that there is quite a significant gap between whiskey, vodka, and other liquors.

There are six primary liquors — whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, gin and tequila. These beverages fall under the liquor category because they use a similar distilling method, but each has a distinct flavor that arises from using different ingredients and aging processes.