自哥伦布发现美洲大陆之后，随之而来的是各种各样的欧洲文化和生活方式，酒也随着移民的脚步来到了美国。美国是一个多民族的移民国家，因此各种各样的文化在这里生根发芽，取长补短，相互融合，最终形成了自己的文化风格。威士忌酒在美国的发展，比其他任何一个地方都更具有美国的风格，并且随着移民、垦荒、拓展西部，处处可以看到威士忌酒在美国文化中的重要地位，以至于某些美国威士忌酒甚至成为了美国形象，比如说著名的杰克·丹尼（Jack Daniel's）， 以及象征西部传说的Jesse James，Jim Beam等等。

           
    由于美国这片土地的特殊气候和土壤特性，玉米在谷物中的比例超越了小麦，在美国威士忌上也充分的得到了体现。美国威士忌多数都是玉米和其他谷物混合酿制的，因此玉米与麦芽以及其他粮食的比例，也就理所当然地成为了一种主要的分类手段。
    习惯上把美国的威士忌酒分成四个大类：
    1、波本威士忌（Bourbon whiskry），通常由至少含有51% 以上的玉米混合小麦等其他粮食酿制的威士忌
    2、黑麦威士忌（Rye whisley）， 通常由至少含有51% 以上的黑麦混合其他粮食酿制的威士忌
    3、玉米威士忌（Corn Whiskey），通常由至少含有80%以上的玉米作为原料酿制的威士忌
    4、纯威士忌（Straight whiskey），通常不指明谷物，但是任何一种成分都不大于51%，并且必须至少要蒸馏到80% 酒精度以上并窖存至少两年。
    波本威士忌（Bourbon Whiskey）是多种美式威士忌里的一种，使用比例占总原料51%到80%的玉米作为原料（通常是70%，至於其他的原料则包括小麦、裸麦或其他谷物），蒸馏后酒精度不超过160度(Proof，相当于华氏60度的温度下，容量酒精度数字的两倍，也就是80% ABV)，只能使用全新的美国白橡木桶陈年至少两年，波本威士忌的名称源自于美国肯塔基州波本郡（Bourbon County），这个郡的名称则源于法国的波旁王朝，因此是个法文字。1964年时，美国国会特别通过立法严格制定了波本威士忌的制造标准，并且规定仅有在美国境内制造的此类威士忌才有资格冠上波本威士忌之名。虽然在美国各地都有波本威士忌的生产，但主要的产地还是以肯塔基州为主。
    在美国，还有一个与肯塔基齐名的以地区（州）命名的威士忌：田纳西威士忌。田纳西威士忌的美名来自于独特的窖藏工艺，其蒸馏好的酒在装入橡木桶以前，必须用一种枫木做的木炭进行过滤，因此窖存后的酒就具有了一重独特的风味。这种独特的工艺是在田纳西州的林肯县发明的，并且以这个地名命名。著名的美国威士忌品牌杰克·丹尼的发源地就是田纳西的林肯县。

附录

American Whiskey美国威士忌的主要品牌

American Single Malt Whiskeys美国单一麦芽威士忌
Charbay
McCarthy's
Notch
Peregrine Rock
St. George
Stranahan's
Wasmund's
Woodstone Creek

American Corn Whiskeys美国玉米威士忌
Catdaddy
Mountain Moonshine
Old Gristmill
Old Oak
Virginia Lightning
Georgia Moon
Dixie Dew
Mellow Corn
J.W. Corn
Platte Valley

Bourbons and Distillers波本威士忌和蒸馏厂
The following distilleries are open to the public.（以下蒸馏场对游客开放）

Four Roses Distillery — Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Buffalo Trace Distillery — Frankfort, Kentucky
Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont, Kentucky
Woodford Reserve Distillery — Versailles, Kentucky
Maker's Mark Distillery — Loretto, Kentucky
Wild Turkey Distillery — Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

Kentucky Bourbons肯塔基波本威士忌
1792 — Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Ancient Age — Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Baker's — Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont, Kentucky & Boston, Kentucky
Barclay's - Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Basil Hayden's — Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Beam's Choice - Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Benchmark & Benchmark XO (single-barrel) -Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Black Maple Hill - Bardstown, Kentucky
Blanton's — Buffalo Trace Distillery — Frankfort, Kentucky
Booker's — Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Buffalo Trace — Franklin County, Kentucky
Bulleit Bourbon — Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Cabin Still - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Colonel Lee - Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Corner Creek — Bardstown, Kentucky
Daniel Stewart - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Eagle Rare — Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Early Times — Brown-Forman, Louisville, Kentucky (export version)
Echo Springs - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Elijah Craig & Elijah Craig Single-Barrel — Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Elmer T. Lee — Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Evan Williams — Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Ezra Brooks Old Ezra Rare Old Sippin' Whiskey — Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Fighting Cock — Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky
Four Roses — Four Roses Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
George T. Stagg— Franklin County, Kentucky
Hancock's Reserve - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Heaven Hill — Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Henry Clay Rare - Henry Clay Distillery, Kentucky (out of production)
Henry McKenna - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
I. W. Harper - Bernheim Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
Jacob's Well - Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
James E. Pepper - Berheim Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
Jim Beam — Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
J.T.S. Brown - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
J. W. Dant - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Kentucky Gentleman — Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Kentucky Tavern - Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Kentucky Vintage - Bardstown, Kentucky
Knob Creek— Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Maker's Mark — Maker's Mark Distillery, Loretto, Kentucky
Mark Twain - Mark Twain Distilling Co. Bardstown, Kentucky
Mattingly & Moore - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Noah's Mill - Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky
Old Bardstown - Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky
Old Charter— Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Old Crow — Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Old Fitzgerald - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Old Forester — Brown-Forman, Louisville, Kentucky
Old Grand-Dad — Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Old Heaven Hill - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Old Kentucky - Bardstown, Kentucky
Old Pogue - Bardstown, Kentucky
Old Rip Van Winkle — Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Old Taylor - Jim Beam Distilleries, Clermont & Boston, Kentucky
Old Weller - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Pure Kentucky - Bardstown, Kentucky
Rebel Yell — Bernheim Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
Rock Hill Farms Single-Barrel - Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Sam Houston - Louisville, Kentucky
Ten High — Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Tom Moore - Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
T. W. Samuels, Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Very Old Barton - Barton Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Wathen's - Charles Medley Distillery, Owensboro, Kentucky
Straight Old Kentucky
Wild Turkey — Wild Turkey Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Willett — Willet family Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
W.L. Weller — Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Woodford Reserve — Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky

Kentucky Bourbons非肯塔基波本威士忌
A. H. Hirsch - Michter's, near Shaeffestown, Pennsylvania [closed, but still available]
Bowman's — A. Smith Bowman Distillery, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Tuthilltown Hudson Baby, Tuthilltown Spirits, New York
Sam Cougar - Seagrams Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Virginia Gentleman — A. Smith Bowman Distillery, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Woodstone Creek - Woodstone Creek, Cincinnati, Ohio

Bourbons from Unknown distilleries不知名蒸馏场的波本威士忌
Woodstock

Tennessee Whiskey田纳西威士忌
Main article: Tennessee whiskey
Jack Daniel's
George Dickel
Gentleman Jack

Rye Whiskey黑麦威士忌
Main article: Rye whiskey
Heaven Hill Vintage
Hirsch Vintage
Hudson Manhattan
Jim Beam Rye
Jack Daniel's Rye
Michters
Old Overholt
Old Potrero
Pikesville
Red Hook
Rittenhouse
Sazerac
Templeton Rye
Van Winkle Family Reserve
Wild Turkey Rye
Rendezvous Rye Whiskey

Wheat Whiskey小麦威士忌
Bernheim Original - Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky