Feel like you need a stiff drink after Election Day? Here's a book that might quench a thirst for knowledge ... about bourbon

It's Election Day, and after all the debating, mudslinging, stumping, and ubiquitous advertising, I think most of us could probably use a good stiff drink.

So, today I'm giving away not bourbon ... but the closest thing to it that I, as a book blogger, could muster: A BOOK about bourbon.

"Beam, Straight Up: The Bold Story of the First Family of Bourbon" by Fred Noe (Wiley, Sept. 2012, $22.95, 206 pp.) is an insider look at the famous Jim Beam family written with humor and humility by a member of the family, Frederick "Fred" Booker Noe III.

This book is a cute little feller ... a bit smaller in length and width than usual. This puts it in more of a business/gift book category, in my opinion. 

It's the Beam family and business history told plainly, with a color photograph insert of family photos, with a wealth of information about bourbon and the bourbon business, and even includes many drink recipes such as:

Knob Creek Bourbon Mint Julep

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Knob Creek Bourbon
1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. water
Finely crushed ice
Fresh mint, washed and patted dry.

Preparation:
In a highball glass, dissolve the sugar in the water. Fill glass with crushed ice, and add bourbon. Stir contents until glass becomes frosty, adding more ice if necessary. Remove stems from some of the mint leaves and use a straw to push them into the chilled julep mix for added flavor. Garnish with remaining sprigs of mint.

But mostly the book focuses on the business end of making bourbon. Whether you're a bourbon fan or a business fan, this book will keep your interest.

Want to win it?

Comment below with your email address and I'll put you in the running to win my hardcover review copy of the book, compliments of Wiley.

About the book (from the publisher):

AUTHOR FRED NOE

The evolution of bourbon in American history is a rich and complex one, and the seven (and counting) generations of the Jim Beam family have been right there at the forefront of its storied transformation for the past 217 years to experience it in all its glory.

In his delightful new book, seventh generation Beam family member Frederick “Fred” Booker Noe III chronicles how the First Family of Bourbon – the Beams – molded the bourbon industry into what it looks like today, and even reveals his own individual journey towards marking his footprint in the family business.

Back in the day, every Bourbon distiller in Kentucky was a relative of the Jim Beam family, but with the release of this new book, Noe has become the only family member ever to author a book about the Beams’ illustrious role in the distillery industry. His effortlessly fun, but honest demeanor shines through in the process, providing a fresh new perspective on how to survive in an age-old business.

In Beam, Straight Up, Noe not only offers valuable business insights and takeaways for any business person, he also shares his personal story of coming to terms with and reflecting on his own life, defining life milestones as colored by his family’s line of work, and eventually touching on his personal relationship with his character of a father, Booker Noe. Besides this, however, he also opens up about:

• His life on the road, spreading the bourbon gospel
• The legacy behind creating the world’s No.1-selling bourbon, Jim Beam Bourbon
• His long journey to becoming the face of one of America’s most iconic brands
• Special cocktail and food recipes
• The bourbon industry today, and how the Jim Beam family helped shape it
• The various sponsorships, charities and events that the company supports

Part biography and part business book, this entertaining yet sincere account presents a spirited lesson on how to live up to your potential, and perhaps even more importantly, how to enjoy your whiskey along the way.

For more information about Jim Beam, visit www.jimbeam.com or find Fred Noe on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimbeam.  

About the author:

Frederick Booker Noe III of Bardstown, Kentucky, is the Global Brand Ambassador and Master Distiller of Jim Beam, one of the best-selling brands of bourbon whiskey. He is the seventh generation in the Beam family to assume this responsibility, officially assuming the Master Distiller role in 2007.