Bourbon built our economy — now it must build our future

Walk past any rickhouse in central Kentucky and you can feel the weight of history in the air — quite literally, in the angel's share evaporating from thousands of barrels. Bourbon is woven into who we are. But it should also shape who we become.

For too long we have treated the industry as a postcard rather than an engine. The export numbers tell a different story: a sector that supports tens of thousands of jobs and draws visitors from every continent to our small towns.

If we invest in the roads, the workforce training and the small distillers who keep this tradition alive, bourbon won't just be our past. It will be the foundation of a more prosperous Commonwealth.