Hey, y'all, we're taking a short break this week,

but I wanted to revisit a conversation from last year

with the bourbon expert, author,

and a rock war veteran, Fred Minnick,

who has a new memoir out called Bottom Shelf,

how a forgotten brand of bourbon saved one man's life.

We'll be back next Tuesday

with the Oklahoma-born Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Ben

Rector. We'll see you then.

Hey, y'all, welcome to Biscuits and Jam from Southern Living. I'm your host, Sid Evans.

And today I'm talking to one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever met when it comes to

whiskey.

Fred Minnick was born and raised in the small town of Jones, Oklahoma, where he developed an interest in shooting, fishing, and messing around in the great outdoors.

Inspired by his grandfather's military service, he enlisted in the National Guard while

attending Oklahoma State University,

eventually serving as an Army photojournalist in Iraq in 2004. The constant danger and random violence

of being in a war zone, as well as the experience of losing friends and comrades, caused him to

struggle with PTSD and depression after returning home.

Now in his new book, Bottom Shelf, How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life,

Fred tells the very personal story about how he clawed his way back from the brink of self-destruction.

He chronicles his discovery of a hidden talent

for tasting the complex flavors of wine and whiskey, and he shares how his obsession with the

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