Bourbon 1

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THE
BOURBON
LOVER'S
DREAM
JOB
FROG LEGS AND
MAKER'S MARK
THE BEST BOURBONS
UNDER $40
+
Master taster Marrianne Barnes gets paid to drink at work
Vol 1. Fall Issue
03
Bourbon magazine #01
CONTENTS
MASH: Finding right bitters can add the
perfect compliment to your glass 04
FLIGHT TEST: See how Distill readers
scored six top bourbons under $40 06
PAIRINGS: The Monkey Wrench serves
up Frog Legs with a side of Makers 08
MIXOLOGIST: Garage Bar bar wiz
talks about her favorite cocktails 10
DEVOUR: Hillbilly Tea's bold southern
fusion expanding to Portland 11
LENSE: See the Bourbon Trail through
the eyes of photog David Harrison 12
COVER STORY: Master Taster Mari-
anne Barnes has the job you want 18
GET EXPERIENCED: Take a peek at the
new Evan Williams attraction 24
CURRENT EVENTS: Checkout this fall's
Bourbon events around town 30
Monkey Wrench bar
manager Jared Schubert
shares the 3 Bourbons he's
currently obsessed with
Page 09
05
DATA ACCESSORIES
Barrels of bourbon versus
the population of Kentucky
Stone cold
Mason-jar shaker
Thanks to the bourbon boom, the number of barrels aging the drink in
Kentucky outnumbers the population. Over 4.9 million barrels are in the
Bluegrass state, while the population of people hovers around 4.4 million.
We expect that difference to grow even further as the popularity of bourbon
continues to explode.
Cool your bourbon without watering it down with
melted ice. Made from soapstone, the Teroforma
whiskey stones chill in your freezer until you're
ready to pour. Price: $11.99 at Why Louisville.
The Mason Shaker is a unique four-piece cocktail
shaker based around the iconic jar. The concept
for the shaker was developed from an obsession
with vintage kitchenware and an uncanny ability
to fashion impromptu drinking tools at a moment’s
notice Find it at Regalo for $19.99
03
MASH
INGREDIENTS
RELEASE DATES QUOTED
GETTING BITTER
W
hat a difference a drop makes. Warm, rich, spicy, and
astringent, bitters can transform a cocktail, balancing
its flavors and adding new dimension and depth. An
essential ingredient in classics such as the Manhattan,
Old Fashioned, Sazerac, and Champagne Cocktail, bitters are a
must-have for any well-stocked home bar.
Popularity of craft bitters is surging. No longer are Angos-
tura and Peychaud's the only option. Bittermens flavors include
Xocolatl Mole, Orange Creme, Habernero and even an experi-
mental Peppercake Gingerbread.
Originally marketed as medicine, bitters go way back to the
early days of American cocktails, when pharmacist Antoine Pey-
chaud added a dash or two to the alcoholic libations served up at
his apothecary shop in 19th Century New Orleans.
Made from alcohol infused with aromatic plant extracts such
as cinchona bark (quinine), gentian root, wormwood, and angos-
tura bark and root, cocktail bitters are still manufactured by a
handful of companies today.
SEPTEMBER
Four Roses Limited Edition Small
Batch (based on the 2013 national
release)
Parker’s Heritage Collection
(based on the 2013 Colorado
release)
Woodford Reserve Master’s Col-
lection Sonoma-Cutrer (based on
the 2013 national release)
OCTOBER
BTAC/Van Winkle (based on the
2013 national release)
Four Roses LE Small Batch (based
on the 2013 Colorado release)
High West Midwinter Night’s Dram
(national release)
“I DON'T MUCH CARE
FOR YOUR LAW, BUT,
BY GOLLY, THIS
BOURBON IS GOOD.”
PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN TO
SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE
WILLIAMO. DOUGLAS.
07
Jim Beam Black 8 year
Fig, Ginger, chocolate,
caramel
Dry with oak
88
Beam Suntory
Clermont, KY
Corn, barley malt, rye
$34
NL
Jim Beam Single Barrel
93
93
Wild Turkey "Rare Breed"
Toffee vanilla, cand
and spice
Hot, dark chocolate, oak, nuts
108
Wild Turkey Distillery
Maysville, KY
Corn, rye, barley, malt
$35
9
Booker's
93
91
Bowman Brothers Virginia
Complex with Vanilla, cream, nuts,
apple, toffee, ginger, chocolate
Long and dry with apple
and pear
90
A Smith Bowman Distillery
Fredericksburg, VA
Corn, Barely malt, rye
$30
7
Wild Turkey Russel's Reserve
92
90
The Distill Flight Test drew 40 people into the bar. Walter and Skyler White finish their last drink of the evening.
06
FLIGHT TEST
GET YOUR WINTER FLIGHT TEST TICKETS!
Maker's Mark Maker's 46
Palate: Spice with cream and caramels
along with toasted oak
Finish: Long with vanilla, spice, organe
and caramel
Proof: 94
Distiller: Maker's Mark
Location: Loretto, KY
Mash: Corn, wheat
Price: $35
Minimum Aging: 6+
Might also like: W.L Weller
Tastings.com Rating: 94
Flight Tester score: 93
Bulleit
Cinnamon, Vanilla, caramel, brown
sugar and spice
Smooth and hot
90
Bulleit Distilling Company
Lawrenceburg, KY
Corn, rye, barley, malt
$28
6
Knob Creek 9-Year Single Barrel Reserve
93
92
Bufalo Trace
Vanilla, candied fruit,
toffee
Long, Spicy, oak, licorice
90
Buffalo Trace
Frankfort, KY
Corn, Barely malt, rye
$35
NL
Old Forester
93
92
ECONOMY
CLASS
We crashed Down One Bourbon Bar last month for our inagural
Flight Test tasting. We offered up evidence that a good bourbon
does not need to cost you a king's ransom with six bourbons un-
der $40 selected by bourbon sommelier Jeff Jefferson. Check out
the scores below from the sold-out event.
We'll warm up at Sidebar Friday, November 19 with the winter
edition of Flight Test. Get tickets at ticketfly.com/distill. $19.99
for Courier-Journal subscribers, $29.99 for non-subscibers. Jeff Smith checks out the appearance of Buffalo Trace.
09
MONKEY WRENCH
FRIED FROG LEGS
Eight frog legs, Makes 4 servings
(two legs each)
Breading:
» 2 cups all purpose flour
» 2 tablespoons onion powder
» 2 tablespoons garlic powder
» 1 tablespoon salt
» 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
Brine:
» 2 cups pickle juice
» 2 cups banana pepper juice
Spicy Creole Sauce
» 1 cup quartered tomatoes
» 1/4 cup sirachca
» 1 tablespoon ancho powder
» 1 cup mayonnaise
» 1/2 cup sour cream
» 1/2 cup sweet garlic mustard
Quarter and coat tomatoes with siracha
and ancho powder. Roast in oven at 450
for 20 minutes. Cool and puree toma-
toes, then add to sour cream, mayo,
mustard.
Brine frog legs overnight, dredge them
in seasoned flour, dust with extra flour.
Place frog legs in cast iron skillet or
frying mechanism of your choice, ¾ of
the way submerged in oil. Cook till gold-
en brown, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Take out of frier and sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Serve with Spicy Creole
sauce
KENTUCKY MULE
» 2 parts Maker’s Mark
» 1/2 part lemon juice
» Place in Collins like glass and fill with
ginger beer; garnish with a lemon slice.
Monkey Wrench bar manager Jared Schubert shares the three bourbons
that “I currently am intrigued by.”
1. WIDOW JANE
Cause water makes a difference
This bourbon comes to us from the Empire State. The distillate is produced in our region,
but the water used to lower the proof is from New York State. Here in Kentucky we are
quite used to water filtered through limestone. Widow Jane gets its name and water from
an abandoned mine in New York. The water surprisingly deepens the flavor of the bour-
bon; it can be hard to find but well worth it.
2. OLD GRAND DAD BONDED
When I’m drinking with bartenders on the cheap
I’m a huge fan of finding bourbons that usually only exist on the lower shelves. Old Grand
Dad has been a staple for most bartenders around the country. And I can always seem to
find it at the right bars, whether they be high end mixology joints or just a really great
dive bar. It’s not expensive and pairs nicely with a cheap lager.
3. OLD FORESTER SIGNATURE
The hometown favorite
There’s somethingabout dininga bourbonthat’s beenmade inyour home town(for like
ever). For me it’s the touchstone I use to evaluate other bourbons. It’s not too spicyor sweet,
not reallyall that hot onthe palette. It’s prettyeasygo to whendealingwitha group.
EXPERT PICKS
FRIED
FROG
LEGS
+
MAKER'S
MARK
T
he Southern fare at Monkey
Wrench is a natural starting point
for food and bourbon pairings.
Chef Dustin Staggers’ fried frog
legs — a tempting plate of crispy-fried legs
bound for a pool of creamy, spicy Creole
sauce — need a sweeter bourbon to accom-
pany the bold flavors, heat and acidity.
Staggers and bar manager Jared
Schubert both went for Maker’s Mark.
“Chef and I tried several different bour-
bons with this dish and we came up with
one resounding conclusion,” Schubert says.
“Maker’s Mark makes the best pairing.
The subtle sweetness and mellow charac-
teristic help counterbalance the spiciness
and acidity found in the frog legs.”
“Just like with wine, you’re looking to
pull out the flavors of the spirit and see how
they accentuate the dish,” Schubert says.
“When you talk about pairing in general,
you’re looking for it to be an accompani-
ment to the dish. If your dish is spicy, look
for something sweeter to calm it down. As
opposed to a high rye whiskey, which would
be high spice, the sweetness helps tone
down the mild acidity in the dish. The bar-
rel notes that you get out of it, the caramel
… accentuates the browning.”
Schubert suggests serving the spirit on
the rocks, or with a touch of water to open
it up and let the caramel and vanilla notes
come through. If you’d like to go the cock-
tail route, his pick is a Kentucky Mule.
Frog legs are available at Value Market
in Mid City mall. If you want to substitute
another protein, “Give it a shot,” Schubert
says, “but the recipe is definitely designed
for frog legs.”
08
PAIRINGS
Spicey dish calls
for a sweeter
bourbon
BY DANA MCMAHAN
PHOTOS BY SCOTT UTTERBACK
DEVOUR
11
The Catfish with Corn Pone at Hillbilly Tea.
Hillbilly Tea serves up a unique cast of cocktails, many
infused with their house-made tea.
Bold, southern fusion expands to Portland
I
've never had a dull meal at Hill-
billy Tea — and that's something
I can say about only a handful of
restaurants. Oh, I've had dishes
that I didn't like. And I've had dishes
that struck me as heroic failures —
usually because they involved an
extreme focus on bold concept.
But dull? Never.From the first,
Hillbilly Tea struck me as a bold
experiment conducted by risk-tak-
ing entrepreneurs. Chef Arpad
Lengyel, known by most as Chef
Arpi, is Hungarian-born, and spent
his formative years in D.C. When
he and Karter Louis, an erudite tea
expert who was formerly at Proof
on Main, decided to open a tea room
that featured chef-driven riffs on
Appalachianasdf
THE FOOD
And Louis told me recently that
when the place opened — with a
modest schedule and limited offer-
ings at first — he never imagined
that a couple of months later they'd
have folks queued at the door wait-
ing for a seat.
THE DRINKS
The location is unpromising — the
biggest visible feature from the
bench that runs the length of the
broad front window is the White
Castle parking lot. But the space and
furnishings are cunningly designed
to build an atmosphere that's
THE LOCATION
Besides the downstairs dining area,
there's a superb upstairs space —
an upstairs patio that gives a great
visual sense of Louisville's urban. n
HILLBILLY
TEA
STORY BY MARTY ROSEN
PHOTOS BY MATT STONE
10
MIXOLOGIST
GARAGE BAR
JENNY
WILSON
Often overshadowed by their delicious coal-fired pizzas, the
cocktails at Garage Bar are among the city's best. We talked to
bar manager Jenny Wilson about what makes them great.
What's your favorite drink to make?
Can't go wrong with the High Heat: Old Forester Signature, jala-
peño, absinthe, lemon, Peychaud bitters.
What's your favorite cocktail to drink?
Duh. The Oyster Shooter. Who doesn't want an oyster with vodka
and our own bloody mary mix?
What makes Garage Bar's cocktails stand out?
Love. And many of our ingredients are made in-house.
What's your go-to Bourbon?
Four Roses Single Barrel.
Can a cocktail with PBR actually taste good (Ginger Shandy:
ginger syrup, citrus soda, PBR, optional shot of Bourbon)?
That's a dumb question. Of course it can. It's great!
HIGH
HEAT
» 2 parts Old For-
ester Signature
» 1 part absinthe
» 1/2 part lemon
» 1 jalapeño
» 2 dashes of Pey-
chaud bitters
Muddle jalapeño
in into Collins like
like glass. Stir the
remaining ingredi-
ents in shaker for
20 seconds. Strain
and pour into glass.
13
Photographer
David Harrison takes
us on a visual tour of
Bourbon mecca
THE
BOURBON
TRAIL
12
LENSE
15
Small batches of
bourbon are still
distilled in these
antique copper
stills.
14
The iconic Buf-
falo Trace water
tower has stood
since the 1940's,
and once dis-
played the brand
Ancient Age.
17
Following the light; tourist go up the
cathedral-like walkway that leads to
the tasting area at Wild Turkey's new
visitor's center.
16
At the Buffalo
Trace Distillery
in Frankfort, a
video takes the
visitors on an
educational trek
from the early
days of Ken-
tucky bourbon
to today.
Inside a storage
area at the
Buffalo Trace
Distillery Barrel
House where
bourbon ages in
the oak barrels.
19 18
MASTER TASTER MARIANNE BARNES
DON'T QUIT
THIS DAY JOB
M
arianne Barnes has the kind of job
that makes bourbon lovers practical-
ly drool with envy.
Since January, she’s been the mas-
ter taster for Brown-Forman and often
encounters people who’d love to fill her shoes.
“When people find out that I work for
Brown-Forman and specifically, that I’m the
master taster, they just light up and have all these
questions: ‘How do I get that job?’ ”
But despite what people might imagine, she’s
not sitting around in an elegant gown, drinking
unlimited bourbon and cocktails all day.
As master taster, the 27-year-old is more likely
to be wearing jeans, a polo shirt, steel-toed boots
and safety glasses.
In warehouse mode, she walks around from
floor to floor, with a cordless drill, “taking samples
straight out of the barrel, kind of taking notes on
whether they’re maturing the way we think they
should,” she said.
Along with master distiller Chris Morris, she
has the authority to say, “I approve this to be
bottled.”
She has a strategy to avoid getting tipsy. “I
almost always spit, especially when I’m in the
warehouse doing tastings,” she said. “There’s no
way you could consume all that. If I’m at a cock-
tail event, I’ll limit myself to two. Responsibility is
a huge part of my work.”
Barnes, who’s lived in Louisville most of her
life, first came to Brown-Forman five years ago
to fulfill a co-op requirement at the University of
Louisville. She has a bachelor’s degree in chemi-
cal engineering from the Speed School at UofL.
While looking for an internship, “I interviewed
with about seven different places and it came
down to a choice between renewable energy or
making bourbon, so I thought, of all the things I
could make corn with, why make fuel when I can
make bourbon?” she said.
Barnes, who started out as a lab intern in Re-
search and Development in 2009, said Brown-For-
man is the ideal place for a “process nerd.”
“It’s so interesting, and I think what people don’t
realize is all that goes into what’s inside the bottle,
so it’s a lot of technical processes — really, the per-
fect industry for a chemical engineer,” she said.
To become master taster, she worked her
way through the ranks from practical taster to
certified taster, taking various examinations, and
finally securing her current position. But “it’s a
continuous thing,” she said. “You have to always
be learning and keeping your palate calibrated.”
A certified specialist of spirits through the So-
ciety of Wine Educators, Barnes has a specialized
palate, so she can, for example, tell the difference
between an 86-proof Old Forester and a 100-proof
Old Forester, which has a more robust character.
A personal favorite is Woodford Reserve Dou-
ble Oaked. “I kind of have a sweet tooth, which
has been handed down to me by my mom,” and
that bourbon is “like a dessert bourbon.”
As part of her job, Barnes doesn’t have to
adhere to any dietary restrictions. But she isn’t al-
lowed to smoke and does an occasional saline rinse
because the sense of smell is so important. “If you
think about your sense of taste, it’s three-fifths
your sense of smell, one-fifth your actual taste and
then one-fifth what it looks like and what it feels
like, so the sense of smell is absolutely key,” she
said. “ ... I have a really good sense of smell.” serve
as his apprentice. “He has got an amazing palate
and an amazing wealthand process knowledge." n
STORY BY DARLA CARTER
PHOTOS BY ALTON STRUPP
“THERE’S NO WAY YOU COULD
CONSUME ALL THAT. IF I’M AT A
COCKTAIL EVENT, I’LL LIMIT
MYSELF TO TWO. RESPONSIBILITY IS
A HUGE PART OF MY WORK.”
MARIANNE BARNES, BROWN-FORMANDOME
21
Thomas Crane works on putting coils together inside
a fermenter tank at Vendome Copper & Brass Works.
The century-old family-owned firm supplies pot stills
and column stills to giants of the bourbon industry
and many craft distillers around the world.
T
he popularity of craft
distilled specialty bour-
bon is fueling more than
the growing appetite for
Kentucky’s favorite nectar. It also
means a renaissance for Vendome
Copper & Brass Works, Inc., the
family-owned Louisville supplier
of custom distilling equipment to
the spirits trade.
The company’s open air
warehouses on Franklin Street in
Butchertown echo six days a week
with the clang of hammers, where
coppersmiths “heat and beat”
new pot stills into shape. Union
coppersmiths have been working
on overtime the last three years
on back orders for 50 small stills,
and there is a year’s wait for a new
craft still.
Vendome’s artisan copper pot
stills are the premier choice for
batch bourbon distillers new or
STORY BY JERE DOWNS
PHOTOS BY YI-KE PENG
20
STILL
LIFE
“THEY ARE ARTISTS AND I REALLY
DON’T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD BE AS
AN INDUSTRY WITHOUT THEM.”
VENDOME COPPER & BRASS THRIVING WITH BOURBON BOOM
23
THE SPECS
CAPACITY:
300 GL.
MATERIAL:
COPPER
SIZE:
25 X 10 FT.
COST:
$210,000
22
Century-old family-owned firm Vendome Copper & Brass Works supplies pot stills and col-
umn stills to giants of the bourbon industry and many craft distillers around the world.
Chuck Smith welds an agitator nozzle onto a
16,000-gallon fermenter tank.
arriving soon to the downtown Louisville
Urban Bourbon Trail. Just this year, Ven-
dome‘s airy warehouses were also added
as a stop on a “City Hooch” tour added by
Mint Julep Tours.
“We have been overrun with inqui-
ries from people who want to see what
we do,” vice president Michael Sherman
said of increasing tourist interest in the
110-year-old company. Also in the works
is an online store to sell t-shirts, hats, and
“bourbon thieves,” he said. Used by mas-
ter distillers to sample bourbon straight
from the barrel, a bourbon thief is a 30-
inch long, one-inch wide, straw made of
copper.
Wherever bourbon enthusiasts tramp
to enjoy the heritage and lore of their
favorite spirit, they are likely to see the
signature Vendome nameplate in cursive
welded on the side of a bulbous copper
still. The company’s gleaming showpiece
equipment is found at the Evan Williams
Bourbon Experience on Main Street, at
the revived Kentucky Peerless Distilling
Co. returning soon to its first production
since Prohibition on 10th Street and a
46-feet tall copper column coming to the
Michter’s bourbon distillery in Shively.
“Five years ago, we never predicted
craft distilling would be this big,” Sher-
man said. “It’s been crazy. How long it
will last is anybody’s guess.”
Of late, bourbon’s growing appeal has
driven the number of distilleries in Ken-
tucky to an all time high of 50 from a low
of eight distilleries in 2008, according to
the Kentucky Distillers Association. More
often than not, they turn to Vendome,
which is one of a handful of metal fabri-
cators of stills worldwide, and the main
domestic supplier of copper stills.
“They are a landmark company when it
comes to our signature bourbon industry,”
Kentucky Distillers Association president
Eric Gregory said. “They are artists and
I really don’t know where we would be as
an industry without them.”
Copper is a distiller’s metal of choice
because it reacts best with bourbon to
eliminate sulpher compounds that can
lend a “skunky, rotten egg flavor,” said
bourbon historian Michael Veach, founder
of the Filson Historical Society’s Bourbon
Academy. As a result, inside nearly every
historic Kentucky distiller is a Vendome
still, he said. Bourbon’s origins and future
in Kentucky are impossible to imagine
without the family firm begun to in 1904,
Veach added.
“It would be hard to imagine Louis-
ville’s bourbon heritage without Vendome.
They are gentlemen and scholars. They
have the experience. They know what
they’re doing,” he added. Their secret
sauce is their longevity, the fact that
they’ve been making stills since the early
1900s.”
“Vendome has endured. They are sur-
vivors, if nothing else,” Veach said.
At Maker’s Mark, for example, Ven-
dome equipment has served the Loretto
distillery since it began in 1953, said re-
tired president and CEO Bill Samuels, Jr.
“Whenever we need them, they are
there,” Samuels said in an interview.
“That is why we keep going back.”
Seven Sherman family members work
in the business, making gleaming copper
and stainless steel kettles, columns and
other cookers. Few firms offer competi-
tion, ranging from the industrial size Carl
Artisan Distilleries & Brewing Systems
in Germany to Trident Stills, a three-man
start up based in Maine.
“Not many companies want to compete
in the copper business,” Mike Sherman
said, adding one hurdle is keeping on hand
the expensive metal, most of which comes
from copper mills overseas. n
“THEY ARE ARTISTS
AND I REALLY
DON’T KNOW WHERE
WE WOULD BE AS
AN INDUSTRY
WITHOUT THEM.”
KENTUCKY DISTILLERS ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT ERIC ABOUT VENDOME
25
THE EVAN WILLIAMS EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
IS NECESSARY
A
gainst the advice of friends and advisers,
who said there wasn't any market for
bourbon because people didn't like the
drink, Evan Williams forged ahead, be-
coming the first commercial distiller in
Kentucky. That was back in 1783, and oh my, if those
naysayers could see what bourbon has become.
It's been more than 200 years since Williams'
distillery operated at what became known as Whis-
key Row. Today, bourbon is so popular that Heaven
Hill Distilleries — the Evan Williams brand is its
flagship bourbon brand — has opened the Evan
Williams Bourbon Experience just a few hundred
yards from the original site of his historic distill-
ery in the heart of downtown Louisville.
For the first time in 100 years, there is a distill-
ery operating on Whiskey Row. The Evan Williams
Bourbon Experience features a small-batch
ABOVE: The second floor features displays that showcase Louisville's Main Street from the 1890s to the 1960s.
LEFT: Bourbon host Melanie Banks describes the different bourbons to a group of visitors inside the 1960's lounge of Max and Harry's Bar
at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
STORY BY
KIRBY ADAMS
PHOTOS BY
MATT STONE
24
27
Master distiller Charlie Downs wipes off condensation
from a pipe while working in the distillery room at the
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Main Street.
26
THE SPEAKEASY TOUR
The newly added tour is called the
Speakeasy. The tour begins as a small
window slides open at the top of a large,
black door. You are asked "the password"
to enter the historic speakeasy, where
you'll learn about the city's rich bourbon
heritage and tradition from local histori-
an and author Rick Bell. Guests partake
in a variety of educational bourbon tast-
ings, including Evan Williams Bottled-
In-Bond, Larceny and Evan Williams
23-Year-Old Bourbon. The 30-minute
tour is available Friday through Sun-
day only. To introduce the new tour to
Louisville, the price is being discounted
Friday during the trolley hop. Instead of
$12, you'll pay $9.
THE STANDARD TOUR
This guided tour features a media
presentation spotlighting the life of
Evan Williams and the history of Louis-
ville during his lifetime. Visitors learn
about the distilling process and get a
peek at the bourbon-making process in
the distillery.
The standard tour includes the tasting
of three bourbons: Evan Williams Black,
2004 Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage
Bourbon, and either Elijah Craig 12-Year-
Old or Larceny. The Elijah Craig 12-Year-
Old is served in the 1890s tasting room,
and the Larceny is served in the 1960s
tasting room, which has been nicknamed
"the Mad Men room," referring to the pop-
ular television show "Mad Men."
Evan Williams Black and 2004 Evan
Williams Single Barrel Vintage are
always served in both tasting rooms.
The standard tour is available Monday
through Sunday.
Bourbon barrels are part of the tour near the second-floor Whiskey Row, which is a historic
replica of Main Street in Louisville from the 1890s through the 1960s.
The entrance to the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience features a large bourbon glass waterfall.
EXCLUSIVE BOURBONS
The Evan Williams gift shop carries
items including bourbon-scented candles,
T-shirts, ceramic bourbon jugs, bourbon
soap, hats, glassware and an assortment of
bourbons available exclusively at theEvan
Williams Bourbon Experience.
"We have a lot of bourbon enthusiasts
coming through who are excited to find
these rare bourbons," says Kelly Hubbuch,
marketing coordinator at the Evan Wil-
liams Bourbon Experience.
One of those exclusive bottles is
the $400, Evan Williams 23-Year-Old
Bourbon. Also available exclusively at
the Louisville gift shop and the Heaven
Hill visitors' center in Bardstown is the
Elijah Craig 21-Year-Old Single Barrel
Bourbon.
EVAN WILLIAMS
BOURBON
EXPERIENCE
Where: 528 W. Main St.
Phone: (502) 584-2114
Website: evanwilliams.com
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11
a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Friday-Sat.,
10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 1- 5:30
p.m.; *Last tour each day is
one hour prior to close.
Closed on: Easter Sunday,
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
Day (half day Christmas Eve),
New Year's Day
Admission: Standard and
Speakeasy tours Adults (21+),
$12 Kids (10-20), $9
MORE SMALL-BATCH
DISTILLERIES PLANNED
The Evan Williams Bourbon Expe-
rience is the first of several ventures
planned to bring small-batch bourbon pro-
duction to the area of Louisville that was
once the hub of commerce for Kentucky
whiskey makers.
"We are excited about new neighbors,"
says Jeff Crowe, general manager of the
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. "We
have visitors who have traveled a long dis-
tance, from Japan, Korea and many other
countries. It will only help to have more
venues to offer once they arrive."
Crowe is looking forward to the open-
ing of more small-batch distillers such
as Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. and
Angel's Envy in the near future. n
29
LOCAL MAKE THIS
Kentucky
Ryed
Chiquen
Pay It Forward
Cocoa Porter The
Vermont
Against the Grain's latest beer
would make the Colonel proud.
Yes, that beer is tarred and
feathered. ATG says this about
the beer: "Named so because it
was made in Kentucky, has a
lot of Rye in it and was aged in
rye barrels and it's not Chick-
en. As we all know (or should
know) Chiquen refers to any-
thing that is not chicken."
Ingredients
1 oz Broker's gin (or any Lon-
don dry-style gin)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple
Brandy
1/4 oz Marie Brizard Apry
(apricot brandy)
3/4 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Grade A maple syrup
3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Instructions
Shake and double strain into
double old fashion glass.
I discovered this cocktail on
Cocktail Database while look-
ing for a drink that used both
gin and apple brandy, and
what drew me to the original
recipe was its incorporation
of maple syrup and apricot
liqueur. I think maple syrup
is a great winter cocktail in-
gredient; I had great success
with a drink on the Whistler's
menu this past winter that
included it (a variation of
the Applejack Rabbit). In the
end, I really like this varia-
tion of The Vermont Cocktail
because of its strong gin
backbone.
– From Paul McGee
West Sixth Brewing compa-
ny is a brewer with a cause.
They're bringing back their
popular Cocoa Porter. They de-
scribe it as "a robust American
porter that has been brewed
with Organic, direct-trade Co-
coa nibs" For each 6-pack sold,
we’re going to donate $.50 to
a non-profit in the area to help
them continue doing the great
work that they’re doing.
28
BEYOND BOURBON
CRAFT BEER
THE SAISON
W
hat better way to get through the final heat of summer
than with an ale designed to quench the thirst of farm-
hands in the hot French summer? Also called "Farm-
house Ales", Saisons were historically brewed in cooler,
off-season months, and stored for the hot months on the farm.
The type of malt determines the colour of the saison, and
although most saisons are of a cloudy golden colour as result of
the grist being mostly pale and/or pilsner malt, the use of darker
malts results in some saisons being reddish-amber. Some recipes
also use wheat. Spices such as orange zest, coriander, and ginger
may be used. Some spice character may come through due to the
production of esters during fermentation at warm temperatures.
This is a fantastic craft beer choice for turned off by IPA's,
Stouts or Porters, but looking for something not overly sweet.
Or, if you're sick of the average wheat beer, Saison's are a big
improvement.
Ryan and the
Beaster Bunny
Brewer: Eviltwin
Brewing Company
Profile: Light color,
hoppy, bitter, floral
ABV: 7%
Tank 7
Farmhouse Ale
Brewer: Boulevard
Brewing Co.
Profile: Medium col-
or, fruit, spicy pepper
ABV: 8%
Sofie
Brewer: Boulevard
Brewing Co.
Profile: Medium
color, tart, dry,
hint of organge
ABV: 7%
Hennepin
Brewer: Ommegang
Brewerey
Profile: Medium
color, fruit, spice, mild
floral hops
ABV: 7.7%
31
MOONSHINE U:
BOURBON
ENTHUSIASTS
WHAT: Each two-hour class includes
sensory evaluations of featured bour-
bons along with a distillery tour. Topics
include bourbon’s history, legends and
lesser known stories. Expand your
knowledge and palate with our Bourbon
Enthusiast Class; we promise a good
time for all!
COST: Reservations: $29.00
WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 16
WHERE: Moonshine University, 801
South 8th St.
BOURBON AND
BLUEGRASS JAM
WHAT: Join Hickory Vaught and friends
every Sunday evening for an evening of
sippin' and pickin'. Sit back and enjoy or
jump on stage and jam.
COST: Free
WHEN: 8 p.m. Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2 and
Dec. 7
WHERE: Haymarket Whiskey Bar
LOUDER THAN LIFE
WHAT: The first annual Louder Than
Life festival, featuring music, whiskey
and “gourmet man food.” In addition
to presenting top rock bands on three
stages, the weekend destination festival
will highlight some of the region’s best
bourbons and craft beers, as well as
a variety of local cuisine. Visit www.
LouderThanLifeFestival.com to join
the Louder Than Life email list and for
the most current festival info.
COST: Free
WHEN: Oct. 4, 5
WHERE: Louisville Champions Park
CENTENNIAL
FESTIVAL OF
RIVERBOATS
WHAT: A cruise on the mighty Ohio River
during Louisville’s Centennial Festival of
Riverboats. Nine historic riverboats will
provide the backdrop as Louisville plays
host to a six-day festival of food, bourbon,
music and art at the internationally-ac-
claimed Waterfront Park.
WHEN: All day Oct. 14-19
WHERE: 129 E. River Road
MASTER
DISTILLER NIGHT
WHAT: On the third Monday of every
month, Haymarket will host a different
master distiller for meet and greets,
bottle signings, special tastings, dis-
cussions, and more. This month’s guest
distiller is Jack Pogue of the Old Pogue
Distilling Company.
COST: Free
WHEN: 9 p.m. Sept. 15, Oct. 20 n
Wild Turkey made a jalapeno drink at the Cocktail Competition at the Bourbon Festival.
CELEBRATING
BOURBON IN
BARDSTOWN
Make no mistake, Bardstown is the
place to be if you’re even remotely inter-
ested in bourbon. For six days, Sept. 16-21,
the proclaimed bourbon capital of the
world — maybe the universe — plays host
to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.
“It’s a bourbon lover’s dream,” ac-
cording to Linda Harrison, the executive
director of the festival.
The Great Kentucky Bourbon Tasting
& Gala is the signature event. The festival
website describes it as “a night you will
never forget.” If you pace yourself, you
can sample bourbons from eight Ken-
tucky distilleries and three brands.
My suggestion: Have a designated
driver, or get a group together and rent a
party bus or limo.
I asked Harrison to name the “can’t-
miss event” of the festival, but with her
Central Kentucky hospitality on full
display, she declined to be pinned down on
one event.
“Each event has its own character,”
she said. There’s something for every-
one. You can expect to hear country and
Bluegrass music, see a balloon glow, a 5K
run, scavenger hunt, horseshoe pitch, golf
tournament, poker run, and more.
You can see the complete schedule at
www.kybourbonfestival.com/events.
Harrison says they’re always consid-
ering new events. This year’s festival
features two new attractions: The Evolution
of Bourbon Through Bluegrass Music on
Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. (The event is $50
and reservations are required.); and Whis-
key and Women on Wednesday and features
Fred Minnick, author of Whiskey Women,
who will tell the story of women in the his-
tory of Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey.
Reservations required. Cost: $40.
GIRLS' NIGHT OUT
WHAT: The Kentucky Museum of Art and
Craft is hosting an exclusive KMAC Mem-
ber and Bourbon Women preview night of
the “Communal Drink” exhibition. There
will be complimentary hors d'oeuvres,
music and a cash bar. Admission is free.
Check the www.bourbonwomen.org/ for
more details and to make reservations.
COST: Free
WHEN: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 12
WHERE: The Kentucky Museum of Art
and Craft, 715 W Main St.
30
SIP: CURRENT EVENTS
"You can expect to hear country and
Bluegrass music, see a balloon glow, a
5K run, scavenger hunt, horseshoe pitch,
golf tournament, poker run, and more."
BARKS, BOURBON
AND BREWS
WHAT: An exclusive evening held at the
newest stop on the Kentucky Bourbon
Trail, New Riff Distillery and Event
Center. There will be distillery tours,
raffle prizes, games, dinner by the bite,
and local bourbon and beer. Proceeds
benefit the dogs and beneficiaries of
Circle Tail.
COST: Tickets are $95 per single ticket
and $180 per ticket pair. Registration and
information: www.circletail.org
WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 27
WHERE: New Riff Distillery & Event
Center

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