Bourbon Steward T-Shirt Distressed Vintage Version

Not available in stores

We have two versions of this t-shirt, this vintage slightly distressed look and our Neat version, which you can find here.

Read this to wear a shirt like this:

The Bourbon Steward is to America's whiskey what the sommelier is to wine. But the story is arguably so much more fun. The story of bourbon, USA's native spirit, is one of myth and legend, and bottled in bond authenticity. The corn, the wood, the water.

It's an art and a science. It's about nature making decisions, the harshness of cold winters and hot summers as barrels collapse and expand.

The corn and grains grown from the soil of the land.

Charred white oak barrels, from trees 100 years old, grown from the soil of the land.

The water, washed against limestone in the creeks

This tee celebrates this

If you made more corn than your family needed, you could preserve the corn by distilling it into a whiskey. Unlike the old world, you didn't have to give it to the king. It was yours. This was the new world. 

All bourbon is whiskey. Not all whiskey is bourbon. That is the first step on the road of becoming a steward.

Here are the rules that make it bourbon.

• Must be made in the USA. In 1964, Congress mandated that bourbon had to be made in America to be called bourbon. It doesn't have to be in Kentucky, but it has to be in the US.
• Has to be aged in new charred white oak barrels. This is what gives the juice its caramel, vanilla notes, and other flavors.
• At least 51% corn
• Not higher than 160 proof. The higher the proof, the more the flavors are removed. Think of vodka at 190; no flavor.
• 125 proof into the barrel
• 80 proof or higher into a glass bottle
• Genuine, no additives or flavors.

The first mention of the name bourbon was 1821. There are many myths and legends on how it came to be. For example, that Elijah Craig charred the barrels he used to store fish and pickles, to remove the smell. Or that a distiller's farm burned down, so all he had were charred oak.

In the late 1880s, the myths and legends led to a market inundated with fakery. A bottle of the good stuff was often indistinguishable, in packaging but not taste, from white dog colored with chewing tobacco snuff. So in 1897, a banker named Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr, championed the Bottle in Bond Act, which put the shenanigans to an end, or at least exposed them to consumers

• Has to be from one master distiller, in one distillery, from one season.
• Aged in a federally-bonded warehouse for at least four years.
• Bottled in glass at 100 proof

Approximately 3% evaporate while aging each year. This is called the angel's share. So after 10 years, 30% has been given to the angels.

The keepers of the barrels know there are honey spots in a warehouse, where the perfect circumstances exist. These honey barrels are where you get "single barrels" or a "Small batch" (or barrels) offering, which help revive the drink in the late 20th century, kicking the the butt of vodka and other spirits. Today people want to know where their food and drinks come from. And bourbon, more than many if not most pours, has a story to tell. The soil, the history, the myth. Cheers.

The Vintage Look

The shirt has a unique distressed, vintage look; cool, subtle, like washed in a creek. Like maybe it's seen a few things. The fabric remains the highest quality (see below). For the "Neat," undistressed version, we have it here.

The T-shirt

Our tees are the highest quality you will find. 100% combed and ring-spun cotton by Bella Canvas, a USA-based company. Feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and very flattering for both men and women.

Free Shipping -- Please allow from 7 to 14 days for shipping.

• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Ash color is 99% combed and ring-spun cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 52% combed and ring-spun cotton, 48% polyester
• Athletic and Black Heather are 90% combed and ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester
• Heather Prism colors are 99% combed and ring-spun cotton, 1% polyester
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz (142 g/m2)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping

Size guide