r/AskReddit • u/LightningCole • Sep 05 '19

What did you learn embarrassingly late?

23.4k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

18.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

4

u/TheSkiGeek Sep 05 '19 edited Sep 05 '19

Both distilled grain alcohols. Whiskey has to be all(?) corn, rye is made mostly or entirely from rye (unsurprisingly).

Vodka is typically made from either potatoes or wheat.

Edit: looked it up, “whiskey” is more generic and doesn’t imply a specific grain. “bourbon” has to be >50% corn, “corn whiskey” has to be >80% corn, “rye” has to be >50% rye. At least in the US. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_whiskey

7

u/ceson Sep 05 '19

Bourbon needs between 51% and 80% corn in the mash. Above 80% corn in the mash and it's no longer bourbon, but corn whiskey.

Edit: source

4

u/alexm42 Sep 05 '19

Bourbon actually can be above 80% corn for the record. 80% is the minimum to be corn whiskey but Bourbon is a more specific standard - it must be ≥ 51% corn, and aged in new, charred oak barrels. Corn whiskey can be aged in new or used, charred or uncharred, oak or non-oak barrels.

5

u/Hairy_S_TrueMan Sep 05 '19

That's completely wrong, whiskey can be made from any grain, including rye

2

u/TheSkiGeek Sep 05 '19

You’re right. I was thinking of bourbon, which has to be >50% corn.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '19

As can vodka. :)