Made from Corn

When it comes to making Alcohol beverages, corn is not widely used in the U.S. outside the production of bourbon or vodka. Bourbon, an American whiskey containing at least 51% corn, is certainly the most common Alcohol beverage on the U.S. market made from corn. A few beer-like beverages-- including chicha and tesguino-- are made from maize.

Traditionally, wheat and rye are the most common grains used to make Alcohol beverages, and the use of corn in vodka has been looked down on and believed to produce an inferior product. However, two brands in the U.S. use corn--UV Vodka and Tito's Handmade. UV Vodka is best known for their line of flavored vodkas, including UV Espresso, UV Cake, and UV Grape. Tito's Handmade, which is made from 100% corn, is a higher-end vodka produced in Austin, Texas.

Bourbon whiskey comprises the majority of American whiskeys and takes its name from Bourbon County in Kentucky, where an early distiller produced the whiskey. Bourbon is generally associated with Kentucky and Tennessee; notable producers include Woodford Reserve Distillery, Jim Beam Distillery, Maker's Mark Distillery, and Wild Turkey Distillery. In addition to being made from at least 51% corn and being made in America, bourbon must be aged in new, charred-oak barrels. The typical bourbon is made from 70% corn, and then either rye, barley, wheat or a combination thereof.

Chicha refers to several fermented and non-fermented drinks made from corn in the Andes. Chicha de jora is made using basically the same process used to make beer: malt and sugars are extracted from the corn, the resulting wort is boiled and then fermented. Chicha de jora has been made and consumed for millennia in this region. Tesguino is made by the Tarahumara Indians in the Sierra Nevada range in Mexico, and is of central importance in the Tarahumara culture.