Do Bourbon beans contain alcohol?
A16: No, this is a common misconception that confuses Bourbon vanilla with Bourbon Whisky brewed from corn in Kentucky, USA. In the case of vanilla, the term Bourbon relates to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean where vanilla was developed in the 1800s. Bourbon was the name of the French family that ruled Reunion Island at this time. Although there is no alcohol in a Bourbon Vanilla Bean there may certainly be an alcohol content in some vanilla extracts (see the next question).
