Cocktails

Blackberry Bourbon Sour

The summer solstice is the first official day of summer, but the weather here in Kentucky doesn’t stand on ceremony. Son, it is already HOT. So instead of savoring that little burn from taking my bourbon neat, I’ve been looking for…

Read More

Bourbon Maple Morning

Because this is Derby week, and because Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, you might reasonably expect that today’s cocktail is a version of that old Derby standard, the mint julep. Unless, that is, you are…

Read More

A wee list o’ cocktails

Ah, St. Patrick’s Day, that most alcohol-soaked of holidays. In its honor, I’ve collected several bourbon-based cocktails to help you celebrate. Mix them yourself or make a request of your favorite bartender. Just remember this request from The Bourbon Babe: Please don’t press…

Read More

Lawrenceburg Lemonade

As promised, today we share the recipe for our original cocktail: the Lawrenceburg Lemonade. This isn’t a sticky-sweet drink like its Southern cousin, Lynchburg Lemonade. It pays homage to Anderson County, Ky.’s two fine distilleries, Wild Turkey and Four Roses…

Read More

(Mostly) Bill Samuels Manhattan

Last year, I had the pleasure of attending a bourbon tasting with Maker’s Mark’s Bill Samuels Jr. At the end of the evening, he shared the recipe for his take on the Manhattan, and now I’m sharing it with you:  The Bill Samuels Manhattan 4…

Read More

My new favorite after-dinner drink

Earlier this week, the Kentucky Derby Museum was the site of Louisville’s “Manhattan Experience,” a competition sponsored by Woodford Reserve and Esquire Magazine that seeks the ultimate Manhattan recipe. The winners from contests held in cities across the country will…

Read More

Maker’s Mark Mulled Cider

With the holiday season upon us, I’d like to share the recipe for one of my favorite seasonal beverages. Maker’s Mark Mulled Cider 1 c. Maker’s Mark4 c. apple cider1 sliced lemon6 cloves1/2 tsp. ground allspice2 cinnamon sticks Combine Maker’s…

Read More

Stone Fence cocktail

I wish I was one of those people who could whip up a fancy cocktail on demand – you know, the kind who possesses every bartending gadget ever made and keeps infused bourbons on hand. But as I’m more the “I…

Read More

The Spiceberry

Earlier this week I mentioned The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book by celebrated Louisville bartender Joy Perrine and food-and-drinks writer Susan Reigler. Today I’d like to share Joy’s recipe for the Spiceberry, which she describes as her “drink for the holidays, Thanksgiving through Christmas, using…

Read More

Blind Pig’s Bacon Manhattan

The owners of The Blind Pig, a gastropub that opened in 2010 in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood, emphasize house-made European comfort food. They cure and smoke their meats and make their bitters and other cocktail ingredients as well. That includes the…

Read More