Bourbon has burned down more warehouses than any other spirit in America, so the question of whether it is flammable has an obvious answer. The useful part is understanding when it is dangerous and when it isn't.
Yes, bourbon is flammable. By law it is bottled at no less than 80 proof (40% alcohol), which is enough to ignite from an open flame at room temperature. Barrel-proof and cask-strength bourbons at 55 to 65% alcohol light easily and burn hotter. In the barrel, bourbon enters at up to 125 proof, which is why aging warehouses are treated as flammable-liquid storage.
Proof and Flammability
| Bourbon | ABV | Flammable? |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bourbon | 40–45% | Yes, from an open flame |
| Bottled-in-bond | 50% | Yes, easily |
| Barrel proof / cask strength | 55–65% | Yes, readily |
| Straight from the barrel | Up to 62.5% (125 proof entry max) | Yes, treated as fuel |
Why Rickhouses Burn
A bourbon rickhouse is a wooden warehouse holding up to 50,000 barrels, each with 53 gallons of high-proof spirit soaking into oak. Alcohol vapor accumulates in the air. When one of these buildings catches fire, whether from lightning, electrical failure, or a spark, it is essentially unstoppable, and the burning bourbon runs out of the building in a river. Heaven Hill lost seven warehouses in 1996; Jim Beam lost 45,000 barrels in 2019; Wild Turkey, Barton, and others have had their own. Distilleries now use explosion-proof electrical fixtures, spacing between warehouses, and retention basins to catch runoff.
Bourbon at Home
- Cooking: Bourbon added to a hot pan will flare. Take the pan off the heat, add the bourbon, then return it. Never pour from the bottle toward a flame.
- Flaming cocktails: Pour, then light, with a long lighter. The flame is faint blue and hard to see, so treat a lit drink as burning until you've covered it.
- Spills: A knocked-over bottle near a candle or fireplace is enough to start a fire that follows the spill. Wipe it up, and keep bottles off the mantel.
- Storage: Room temperature, away from heaters and sunlight. A liquor cabinet is fine; a cabinet above the stove is not.
Related reading: is whiskey flammable, is vodka flammable, and what proof alcohol is flammable.
