NEW YORK, May 28 — Spend time at a bar and you start to notice something: People are drinking a lot more bourbon.

Revenues are up more than 40 per cent since 2009 and, in an attempt to capitalise on this boom, the number of bourbon brands has exploded.

It’s a great time for America’s only true native spirit, but in between the unscrewing of bottles and the clinking of ice cubes lies the potential for a hangover: A lot of the bourbon you see out there isn’t what it purports to be.

Bloomberg’s Sam Grobart reports. — Bloomberg

Revenues are up more than 40 per cent since 2009 and, in an attempt to capitalise on this boom, the number of bourbon brands has exploded. — AFP pic