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Boom In Bourbon Has Doubled The Price Of Some Labels

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – On a rainy Sunday in Midtown Sacramento, people are warming up with the hottest drink on the market – barrel-aged Kentucky spirits.

"I think it's great to diversify the market so I can try more scotches and whiskies," said Jonathan Messerschmizt-Rogers.

Bourbon and whisky have never been hotter.

"You do have more places like this where they have a wide variety," Cari Messerschmizt-Rogers said.

And that's made The Block a local celebrity.

"Old fashions, of course, are the most popular," said Laura Bruce, a bartender at The Block.

They specialize in cured meats mixed with handmade, made in America liquor.

"I think people like bourbon just because it's an American drink," Bruce said.

And for those of you looking at whisky sales in a glass half full kind of way, they saw a ten percent spike in sales last year.

"Of course that's going to translate to higher demand, which translates to higher prices," said David Walsh, manager of DeVere's Irish Pub.

DeVere's Irish Pub is now charging double on some exclusive labels.

"I had someone in here last night buying ninety dollar shots," Walsh said.

But even with big spenders shelling out top dollar, they can't keep it on the shelf.

"So once this bottle's gone, it's gone," Walsh said of a 13-year rye.

What's behind the boom in bourbon?

"There's TV shows, Netflix shows, everyone's starting to become more knowledgeable about what they want and what they're drinking," Walsh said.

Take it from a barman who's been at it for decades, or a younger mixologist who studies her craft. This new "cocktail culture" is here to stay.

And here's consequence to all this: vodka is losing momentum. Sales have slowed down in recent years.

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