sour mash

American  

noun

1. a blended grain mash used in the distilling of some whiskeys, consisting of new mash and a portion of mash from a preceding run and yielding a high rate of lactic acid.

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sour mash British  

noun

1. a grain mash for use in distilling certain whiskeys, consisting of a mixture of new and old mash

2. any whiskey distilled from such a mash

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Etymology

Origin of sour mash

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

There are entries on, for example, charcoal filtration, cryoextraction, heat exchangers, sour mash and water-bath stills.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2021

Not quite achaar at Badmaash: The pickles at this downtown Indian restaurant aren't the pungent sour mash you'll find at a traditional Indian restaurant or grocery store.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2014

It was sour mash and corn syrup, ridicule and wit, all the local grievances stirred to a bitter brew.

From Time Magazine Archive

Humbly describing themselves only as "folk-oriented" singers, they crack jokes and sing songs that only vaguely resemble the old straight sour mash.

From Time Magazine Archive

He leaned over and stuck the tip of his long pink tongue into the sour mash and then looked at me.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls