Barr Celebrates 50th Anniversary of S Con Res 19

Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to mark the 50th anniversary of the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 19.

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 50th anniversary of the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 19, which officially recognized Bourbon as a distinctive product of the United States of America. Specifically the resolution provided that Bourbon whiskey is a distinctive product of the U.S. and is unlike other types of alcoholic beverages, whether foreign or domestic, that Bourbon whiskey has achieved recognition and acceptance throughout the world as a distinctive product of the United States. And the resolution further prohibited the importation of whiskey designated as Bourbon to protect Bourbon as a product distilled and aged in the United States alone. Many great nations have a national spirit. Bourbon certainly belongs in the same class. As the report that accompanied the resolution notes, the name bourbon refers to the particular part of the world this distinctive distilled spirit first arrived from: Bourbon County, Kentucky. The name is now universally accepted as meaning American whiskey. Over 90% of all Bourbon is distilled in my home state, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Today Kentucky's Bourbon industry is enjoying explosive growth, due to demand both here and abroad. I think this renaissance is the result not only of Bourbon's timeless production process and depth of flavor, but is also thanks to its status as a uniquely American spirit. This week we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Congress putting that concept into law and we thank all of the hardworking men and women in my home state who make this uniquely American spirit such a great product. With that I yield back.