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Tag Archives: Kentucky Proud

A Derby Cocktail – Raspberry and Thyme Gin and Tonics

02 Friday May 2014

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

beverage, cocktail, gin, Hopportunity, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Proud, raspberry, thyme, tonic

My favorite summer cocktail is the Blackberry and Basil Gin and Tonic. Right now my basil plants are tiny but my thyme is really growing like gangbusters. It inspired me to make these new gin and tonics. I really enjoyed them! Either of these cocktails are delicious and would be great served at your Derby party. Have you picked a horse yet? You can check them out here. My pick is Hoppertunity. How did I pick him? I looked for the prettiest horse but all are brown/black. Then I read the names. Hoppertunity is the mosty food/drink oriented horse of the group. Who doesn’t love hops? What horse will you be betting on?

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Raspberry and Thyme Gin and Tonics

  • 12 raspberries
  • 4 large sprigs of thyme, bruised to release flavor
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup simple syrup
  • 12 ounces gin
  • Tonic water
  • Ice

Set out four high ball glasses. Place 3 raspberries, a thyme sprig, juice of ½ lemon, and 1 tablespoon simple syrup in each glass; muddle together. Fill each glass with ice, followed by 3 ounces of gin. Top off each drink with tonic water, stir and serve. Makes 4 drinks.

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Blue Stallion Brewing Co.

05 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by annashortcakes in Kentucky Proud, Travel, Vegetarian

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

beer, Blue Stallion Brewing Co., breweries, Jim Clemons, Kentucky Proud, local, on tap, vegan

The Bluegrass region has a lot to offer. The Bourbon Trail. Horse racing. Excellent outdoor activities. And several new breweries in downtown Lexington. My first visit into this district was with friends at Blue Stallion Brewing Co., located off West 3rd Street. During this visit, I drank some tasty beer and ate some amazing things from the Gastro Gnomes food truck. I had a blast and can’t wait to go back again.

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JimClemons4_275pxAs I was sipping my Wee Heavy, I was lucky enough to get a brief interview with one of the owners, Jim Clemons. Jim used to be a Chemical Engineer for LexMark but has become one of the lucky few who makes money as he lives his passion. After making beer at home for several years, Jim joined with four other beer enthusiasts to found Blue Stallion, one of the smallest commerical breweries in Kentucky. Jim says his favorite beer is the Pilsner because it reminds him of the time he has spent in Germany. He describes the beer as bitter enough to have character but not overwhelmingly so. It is quite tasty! The full flavor is very enjoyable without being too pushy; sturdy enough to drink alone but also would pair well with most any food. Of the three I tried, it was also my favorite.

BSBC 1According to Jim, the beer at Blue Stallion is “more old world European” than the beer offered at the other Lexington breweries. He describes the beer at Country Boy as “pleasantly cutting edge,” while the beer at West 6th is “more in the modern American style.” Jim speaks very highly of the other breweries and reports that they all share a strong relationship; he says a strong brewery district is good for everyone. Having such a large variety of beer available in Lexington means that there is something for every palate.

The production beer at Blue Stallion Brewing Co. is, at least so far, all vegan, all natural, with no spices, fruit, or herbs. Their beer is made with only grain, hops, and yeast, from the beer’s country of origin.  According to Jim, many breweries use a clean yeast strain from California ; “there isnt’ anything wrong with that, it’s just a little different flavor than what we are going for,” Jim says. Most all Blue Stallion beer is filtered with coarse filter pads, resulting in crystal clear beverages; he says this is just a preference but does not affect the flavor of the beer.

BSBC 3Blue Stallion averages one batch of beer per week ­- that’s 28 kegs of beer. He says they serve half of that beer at their own bar, while bottling and selling the other half to resturants and private citizens by the growler. When I asked what he saw for the brewery in the future, he said he would like to see them increase their production three fold, build a bigger brewery (they have a 15 year lease at their current location, so don’t fear, they won’t be moving any time soon), and to become more production oriented, rather than bar oriented.

BSBC 4But clearly serving their own beer is working well for them now. When I arrived at 530pm, there were about 10 people there already, enjoying a cold one. Several people (including me) were also waiting on the Gastro Gnomes Food Truck to begin serving dinner. Blue Stallion, like the other breweries, allows food trucks to park on their property and conduct business. (Side note: Lexington is working on legislation to allow food trucks in more areas around town. Despite some pushback from traditional resturants, food trucks have become very popular, even though they have to park with permission on private property at this time.) Jim says allowing food trucks is a great way to increase beer sales. He says the more you eat, the more you can drink, the longer you stay. It also is a great draw for the sober driver in the group. Plus, most everyone would agree good food and good beer make for a great night out. There is a rotating collection of food trucks that serve at the brewery. You can find out when each one will be there on the Blue Stallion event calendar or the food trucks websites.

BSBC Collage

In addition to partnering with food trucks, Blue Stallion has other events nearly every night. Sunday and Monday features reduced pricing on growler fills (that’s a half gallon of deliciousness!). Tuesday night has been dubbed “Test Batch Tuesday.” Jim says beer from tap #4 is usually real good, but occassionally some is not (Hey, it’s experimental !!). Either way, I bet it’s a lot of fun! Wednesday night features live music from local bands. Live Team Trivia is popular on Thursday. If none of these things are appealing, there is a comfortable lounge area with dart boards and a pool table. I can’t imagine how anyone couldn’t have fun at Blue Stallion Brewing Company. I had a blast and can’t wait to go back!

Thanks to Jim for the interview, the delicious Gastro Gnome for the tasty eats, and my fellow foodie friends for inviting me to such a wonderful place! (Please note all photos, except the photo of Jim, were taken by me. The photo of Jim can be found here.)

A Peck of Pickled Peppers

26 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Dressings/Sauces, Gluten-Free, Kentucky Proud, Southern

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banana peppers, canned, gluten free, Kentucky Proud, pickled, Southern

At the end of the growing season, I always tear out the dying plants, till the area really well, and fertilize- all in preparation for next year’s garden. It’s a great time to reflect on the successes and failures of this year’s garden. I think about what I will do different next year and the new varieties and plants I want to try. One plant I always have success with – banana peppers. You almost can’t kill those boogers. They have never been invaded by pests and always produce bowlfuls. The peppers below are the very last picking from the garden. That’s why they are so small. I love their varied colors of orange, red and yellow. So vibrant.

DSC_1024

Pickled Banana Peppers

  • 4 cups chopped hot peppers (about 1 pound)
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp pickling salt
  • Spices of your choice – I used whole black peppercorns, whole mustard seeds, and a garlic clove for each jar.

Prepare a small canning pot and 4 half pint jars. Place 4 new lids in a small pot of water and bring to the simmer; this helps sterilize them. Combine vinegar, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pack each clean jar with the pepper rings. Add desired spices. Laddle the boiling vinegar solution over the pepper rings, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Tap jars gently to remove any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims with a wet cloth, apply the sterilized lids and the rings. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove the jars from the canner and allow to cool. As they cool, you will hear a lovely little pop each time a jar seals. Count the number of pops to be sure they all seal. You can also touch the lids when they are cool. If they have any give, they are not sealed. Put them in the fridge and use within a month. Store sealed jars in a cool dark place. Makes 5 half pint jars.

Bluegrass Sundown ~ The Cocktail

12 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Southern

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

beverage, Bluegrass Sundown, bourbon, cocktail, cream, hot, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Proud, Southern

On our recent tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, we visited Town Branch Distillery in Lexington. In addition to their Town Branch bourbon and Kentucky Ale beers, they also make Kentucky Sundown, a coffee flavored liquor with a bit of bourbon and sugar infused for additional layers of flavor. The back of the bottle features the recipe for a deliciously warm cocktail perfect for the rainy fall days the weatherman is predicting will come later this week.

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Bluegrass Sundown ~ The Cocktail

  • 2 ounces of Bluegrass Sundown
  • 4 ounces of boiling hot water
  • Heavy cream

Shake the Bluegrass Sundown well and measure out into a glass. Add the boiling water and stir. Tilt the back of a spoon touching the liquid and gently pour the heavy cream over the spoon. This allows the cream to float on the top. As you drink, the hot mixture will flow through the cold cream. The contrast is as divine as the flavor. Makes one cocktail.

Basil and Peach Bourbon Fizz

05 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Southern

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

basil, bourbon, cocktail, fizz, Kentucky Proud, peach, Southern

After a Bourbon Series, I think it might be appropriate to show you at least one way I enjoy my bourbon. I especially like that it incorporates the seasonal ingredients of peaches and basil. Don’t be put off by crushing the peach. It only takes a minute and having the smoothness is essential to me. I don’t like chunky drinks. I do like this though! And you will too. Promise.

DSC_0967

Basil and Peach Bourbon Fizz (inspired by this recipe)

  • 1 peach
  • 4-5 basil leaves
  • 2-4 ounces Sprite
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 ounce sweet bourbon (think Makers’s Mark or Woodford Reserve)

Pit the peach and press it through a small screened strainer or a Foley mill. Muddle the basil leaves and the peach together. Add the bourbon, simple syrup, and ice. Top with Sprite. Garnish with a basil leaf. Makes one cocktail.

Other bourbon recipes you may like-

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Cherry Bourbon Fizz

Bourbon Truffles

Bourbon Cherry Lemonade

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

 

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Maker’s Mark

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Proud, Southern, staycation, summer, tourism, travel

Maker’s Mark • Loretto

Distillery Hours – Monday – Saturday • 9:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. EST, Sunday (March through December) • 11:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. EST. General admission is $7 for adults. Summer shut down will be from August 12 to September 9, 2013 (similar times in other years; check website for more details). Full tours will still be available, but bourbon will not be in production.

MM 1

What makes Marker’s Mark different from other distilleries?

  • According to Guiness World Book of Records, Maker’s is the oldest operating bourbon distillery, operating since 1805.
  • They hand dip every bottle with their signature red wax.
  • There is no rye in the mashbill. Instead they use corn, red winter wheat, and malted barley. This is why their bourbon is sweeter than some others.
  • They are a “small batch bourbon,” which they define as “a bourbon that is produced/distilled in small quantities of approximately 1,000 gallons or less (20 barrels) from a mash bill of around 200 bushels of grain.”
  • Marker’s Mark is one of the few distilleries left that hand rotates the barrel positions in the rickhouse to produce the desired flavor.

MM 2

A Brief History

The land on which Maker’s Mark resides has long been a distillery.  T. William “Bill” Samuels Sr. purchased what was known as “Burks’ Distillery” in 1954. The distillery was in poor repair and, with his family, Bill revamped the whole place and created a distinctive new bourbon- Maker’s Mark. They priced their distinctive red wax dipped bottles (Bill’s wife Margie’s idea) at a higher price than other bourbons and marketed it with the slogan “It tastes expensive… and is.” Though the company was sold to several different companies through the years, the Samuels family continued to oversee it’s production. Today, Bill’s grandson Rob is CEO and president.

In early spring 2013, Maker’s Mark (in response to a huge new demand for bourbon) decided to reduce the strength of it’s whiskey from it’s traditional 90 proof to 84 proof. The idea was that they would be able to increase the available stock. There was a huge negative reaction from customers. Radio stations and newspapers across the Bluegrass featured some negative reviews of the new “watered down flavor” as well as the consumer reactions. Only 12 days later, the company rescinded it’s position and now bottles only at the original 90 proof strength.

MM 7

The Tour

We really enjoyed our Marker’s Mark tour. The tour group met in an old farm house, decorated in 1950s style. We then walked the grounds. Each building is painted in the distinctive red and black color scheme. All the shutters have a bourbon bottle cut out as decoration. The only building that is not red and black is the Quart House, one of the oldest liquor stores in the United States and a National Historic Landmark.

MM 5

When we visited, the distillery was in shut down and repairs were being done. Despite that, we were still able to see the giant tubs for cooking mash and their 5 story continuous column still. We toured a rickhouse; it was like all the other’s we had previously seen on the Trail, complete with Angel’s Share smell. Marker’s Mark is one of the few distilleries left that hand rotates the barrel positions in the rickhouse to produce the desired flavor.

MM 4

After the bourbon is aged perfectly, it is emptied from the barrels and bottled in the distinctive square bottles. Each bottle is hand dipped in red wax. We were able to watch the process from start to finish. The people on the line were very efficient. I doubt I could dip as fast as them! (If you want to try your hand at dipping, you can buy and dip your own bottle in the gift shop.)

MM 6

My favorite part of the tour was the Tasting Room. The tour guide said it was new; it is very cleanly designed. Each person to tour was given a taste of four bourbons – Maker’s White, Maker’s Fully Matured, Maker’s Over Matured, and Maker’s 46 (double oaked bourbon). It was nice to taste them each and compare them to each other. Honestly, of all the bourbons I tried on the tours, I liked Maker’s Mark the best. It is sweeter, less spicy and easy to drink. For those who are trying to acquire a taste for bourbon, this is the place to start. Overall, we really enjoyed this tour. The grounds are lovely, the tour was informative, and the bourbon was tasty. It is clear that the employees of Maker’s are passionate about their product and that they recognize that quality is more important than quantity.

Other posts in the series:

Bour·bon – /ˈbərbən/

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Four Roses Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Wild Turkey Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Woodford Reserve

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Jim Beam

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Town Branch

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Maker’s Mark

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill

01 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Proud, Southern, staycation, summer, tourism, travel

Heaven Hill • Bardstown

Distillery Hours – Monday through Wednesday • 10AM to 5PM, Thursday through Saturday • 10AM to 5:30PM, Sunday (March – November only) • Noon to 4PM. General admission is $5 and free to military families.

HH 1

What makes Heaven Hill Distillery different from other distilleries?

  • Heaven Hill Distilleries is America’s largest independent, family-owned and operated producer and marketer of distilled spirits.
  • Heaven Hill is America’s seventh-largest supplier of distilled spirits.
  • Aging in its facilities is the second largest inventory of aging Kentucky whiskey in the world, with over 900,000 barrels. This accounts for nearly 17 percent of the world’s future supply of Bourbon.
  • Heaven Hill has filled over six million barrels of Kentucky Bourbon since it was founded after the repeal of Prohibition. Pretty incredible!

HH 4

A Brief History

Founded by the five Shapira brothers in 1934, the Heaven Hill Distilleries is still run by descendants of the Shapiras, making it the only family owned and operated bourbon distillery on the Bourbon Trail. With a brief pause during WWII to manufacture alcohol for the war effort, the distillery has continued to operate and now is the seventh largest spirits supplier in the US and the second largest holder of aging bourbon in the world with 900,000 barrels in stock (this is according to their website.) Today, Heaven Hill Distilleries is the owner of such brands as Copa De Oro Coffee Liqueur, Dubonnet Aperitif, Coronet VSQ Brandy, DuBouchett Cordials and Liqueurs, and Burnett’s Vodka. For a full list, click this link.

HH 3

The Tour

The Bourbon Heritage Center is the main visitors center for the distillery. This building was built to pay homage to the bourbon trade. Limestone is used for the brickwork, copper is used in the roofing, and oak as the hardwood flooring. It was named The International Whiskey Visitor Attraction of the Year 2009 Winner by Whisky Magazine. It is quite lovely indeed.

HH 2

Our tour guide was a very nice lady who was knowledgeable about the bourbon. She took us to a rick house, gave us quite a few details about the distillation process, and gave an excellent tasting. I do have a couple of reservations about the tour. We didn’t see much- just the visitors center and the rick house. For being such a large operation, I would have liked to have seen more of the actual operations. We didn’t get to see any of the actual distillation process. Instead, they set up a model in the visitors center. If this is going to be your only visit to a distillery, this is not the place to go. It was a good tour but your won’t see much of the process. I suggest some place like Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark or Buffalo Trace (not on the Trail.) We did get an excellent tasting, though. The tour guide made the effort of talking about the flavor profiles that we should taste in each sample. We tried each of the bourbons straight and with a bit of water. She also told us how the master distiller felt each bourbon was best savored. If he doesn’t know how it is best tasted, I doubt I will. And I appreciated the expert tip. Evan Williams was about to release a new seasonal bourbon based liquor- Apple Orchard. I asked the tour guide if it was good and she said “Do you want to taste it?” Of course, I said yes and we got an extra sample! I love that she was passionate enough about the product to try to convert me. And she did. We bought a bottle as soon as it was on the market. Overall this was a nice tour, but I wouldn’t want this to be someone’s only distillery visit.

Other posts in the series:

Bour·bon – /ˈbərbən/

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Four Roses Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Wild Turkey Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Woodford Reserve

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Jim Beam

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Town Branch

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Maker’s Mark

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Town Branch

29 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Travel

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bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Proud, Southern, staycation, summer, tourism, travel

Town Branch • Lexington, KY

Distilery Tours- Monday – Saturday: 10am – 4pm; Sunday: 12pm – 4pm. All tours start on the hour and the facility is closed on major national holidays. Tickets for admission are $7. (Photo below from here.)

What makes Town Branch Distillery different from other distilleries?

  • It is owned by the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, which makes both beer and bourbon.
  • It is the youngest distillery on the Bourbon Trail, opening in 2012. Prior to that, they produced Kentucky Ale.
  • It is the first distillery opened in Lexington in over 100 years.
  • It gets it’s name and water from Town Branch, a limestone-bottomed creek running through Lexington.

TB 4

A Brief History

This distillery was founded by Pearse Lyons, the president and founder of animal nutrition company Alltech, in 2012. Prior to that, the facility was (as still is) a beer distillery. Mr. Lyons received a doctorate in brewing from the British School of Malting and Brewing in Birmingham, UK. He is also very influential in agribusiness- founding an animal feed company Alltech, sponsoring a major equestrian event (the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games held in Lexington) with that company, and open one of the largest commercial algae production sites in the world. Though the distillery may be young, it recieves a significant amount of attention because of it’s connection to this pinnacle of business/agriculture.

TB 2

The Tour

Town Branch was the last stop and fourth distillery of our first day. We were pretty tired and I was afraid that the tour itself would be boring as the facility looked so small. Boy, was I wrong! The tour met in a nice brick building where the gift shop is housed. We were shown a brief video about Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, it’s connection to Alltech and Pearse Lyons, and it’s brief history. Our tour guide led us and another couple through the small brewery area. They brew five beers that are very popular in the area, especially the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. This beer is their basic Ale, stored for six weeks in bourbon barrels, and then bottled. The beer has a great bourbon flavor without being overwhelming. It’s a nice specialty item and is a great gift idea if you want to show someone the awesomeness of this Kentucky product married to a famous Kentucky tradition.

TB 1

After the brewery tour, we walked to the distillery area. A lot of their production area was very small. They had two copper stills and two cyprus mashtubs in a gorgeously constructed stone room. It would be the perfect place to host a small, upscale party. When the bourbon production is completed, they barrel the bourbon and store it in rickhouses and bottled off site.

TB 3Production of the bourbon is small and is not the main source of revenue for Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company. Nevertheless, it is a nice stop on the trail. The tour guide was very informative, was interested in all of their products and their practice use in your daily life. She talked about how she used them at her dinner parties and, since she used to work for Southern Living in food photography, I bet they are awesome affairs. I recommend Town Branch being the last stop on a day of touring the Bourbon Trail, that way you can enjoy one of the great restaurants in the Lex food scene. There are some pretty tasty places on both ends of the financial spectrum. Overall, Town Branch was classy and inviting, a nice addition to the Trail.

Other posts in the series:

Bour·bon – /ˈbərbən/

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Four Roses Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Wild Turkey Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Woodford Reserve

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Jim Beam

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Town Branch

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Maker’s Mark

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Jim Beam

26 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Proud, Southern, staycation, summer, tourism, travel

Jim Beam • Clermont, KY

Distillery Tours – Monday-Saturday • 9:30am –3:30pm, Sunday • 12:30pm –3:30pm. Closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Sundays in January and February. General admission tickets are $10.

Jim Beam 1

What makes Jim Beam Distillery different from other distilleries?

  • They have a large museum of special limited-edition decanters, first introduced in the 1950s. It’s a pretty neat look back at advertising in the past.
  • They sell the most bourbon of all the distilleries on the Trail.

Jim Beam 3

A Brief History

The legendary forefather’s of bourbon, the Beams, came to the US from Germany, bringing with them their whisky brewing know-how. Jacob Beam was the first member of the Beam family to sell bourbon. In the early 1800s, it was later more widely distributed David Beam. With each subsequent generation (and there have been 7), Jim Beam bourbon distillery has expanded. Today it is so large it has it’s own New York Stock exchange tag: BEAM. They have expanded from bourbon to BBQ sauce, snacks, hams, jellies and glazes, clothing, and even charcoal.

The Tour

This was my least favorite tour of the Bourbon Trail. This analogy explains it all- Woodford Reserve is to Jim Beam, as a locally owned general store is to a Kroger Marketplace. So it is huge!

Jim Beam 2

As we drove toward the grounds, we passed a nice white barn painted with the Jim Beam label. Kind of cool. The road up the hill was well paved with newly planted landscaping; it wound through several rickhouses and past a country church. The road ends on top of the hill among a small city of buildings. The main building you see is their “American Stillhouse.” It is where you purchase your tour tickets and then wander around their extensive collection of gift shop merchandise.

Our tour guide was a 20 something year old guy who was clearly not passionate about bourbon. Not that he wasn’t informative. He was. His tour was so obviously a memorized spiel, like if you swapped things up he would lose his place and the tour might fall apart.  Honestly, I am not sure why I expected something else. The distillery itself turns out hundreds of thousands of cases of bourbons and whiskies each week. Unreal! If the production is so commercialized, I should have expected that the tour would be as well.

OK, so enough of my gripes. It was really cool to see the huge machines and vats they use to distill their bourbon. Their column still is FIVE stories tall!!! All that bourbon needs to be bottled and quickly. They have a several lines for the bottling, run 8 hours a day. The line was saw has bottled as many as 1800 cases a day! Blows my mind! I have always had a fascination with mechanized things so I really enjoyed seeing this part of the tour.

Part of the bottling line.
Part of the bottling line.
Part of the bottling line.
Part of the bottling line.
Look how fast that gushes out! 24 hours a day!
Look how fast that gushes out! 24 hours a day!

At the end of the tour, we walked to a tasting area where we were given swipe cards with “tokens” on them for two free tastes per person. You swipe the card, push the button for your desired bourbon, and a pre-set amount of that bourbon is dispensed into your cup. There were about 12 total choices. We enjoyed the multiple choices but it was less personal than the previous tastings. There was no human interaction. No “I really like this one because…” from a knowledgeable, bourbon-loving employee. (Photo below from here.)

Overall, I liked seeing this end of the two extremes of bourbon production. If this is your only bourbon distillery to visit, I am concerned that you won’t get a true good view of what bourbon and the Bourbon Trail is.

Other posts in the series:

Bour·bon – /ˈbərbən/

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Four Roses Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Wild Turkey Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Woodford Reserve

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Jim Beam

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Town Branch

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Maker’s Mark

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Woodford Reserve

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by annashortcakes in Cocktails/Beverages, Kentucky Proud, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Proud, Southern, staycation, summer, tourism, travel

Woodford Reserve • Versailles, KY

Distillery Tours- Monday – Saturday • 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, on the hour
Sunday (March through December) • 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Closed on major national holidays. General admission tickets are $7. Those with military ID get free admission and a 10% off discount in the gift shop.

Woodford 1

What makes Woodford Reserve Distillery different from other distilleries?

  • They use limestone rickhouses- others use wooden or clay tiled.
  • It’s the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.
  • They use a triple distillation process to handcraft their bourbon.
  • They use temperature controlled warehouses instead of rotation of the barrels.
  • The mash bill is 72% corn, 10% malted barley, 18% rye.

Woodford 2

A Brief History

According to the Bourbon Trail website, Woodford Reserve is the oldest and smallest distillery in Kentucky. It traces its origins to 1797 when Elijah Pepper began distilling in Woodford County. The company was sold to Leopold Labrot and James Graham in 1878, who owned and operated it (except during Prohibition) until 1941 when it was sold to the Brown-Forman Corporation. The distillery continued to operate until 1968, when it was shut down and sold again. Brown-Forman later repurchased and then refurbished the facilities in 1993. The brand was then placed back on the market in 1996. It has been a popular seller since then.

Woodford 6

The Tour

The grounds of Woodford Reserve are gorgeous! Nestled in the horse farms and stone fences, this distillery is one of the most beautiful on the Bourbon Trail. It reminded me of other classic Southern architecture like that found at Mt. Vernon. Our tour guide was an elderly gentleman who clearly had a passion for the bourbon and for the distillery. He gave an informative tour and didn’t rush through things.

Cyprus Vat
Copper Still
Barrel Cooperage

The distillery itself is not too large, though it is one of the most visited distilleries on the tour. Perhaps this is because it is a National Historic Landmark. Like other distilleries, Woodford uses grains and limestone filtered water. They are one of the few distilleries to still use a copper pot still and the only to use the triple distillation process. Woodford Reserve is a small operation so they focus more of flavor than the quantity that they produce.

Woodford 7

Overall, we really enjoyed this tour. It was informative and fun. The grounds were gorgeous as was the area surrounding. The horses and the stone fences really set off the atmosphere. At the end of the tour, you get a sample of Woodford Reserve and a bourbon ball. If you can only visit one distillery, this is the one to visit.

Other posts in the series:

Bour·bon – /ˈbərbən/

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Four Roses Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Wild Turkey Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Woodford Reserve

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Jim Beam

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Town Branch

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Maker’s Mark

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Annashortcakes- A Food Blog

Annashortcakes- A Food Blog

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