Eat & Swig

On Saturday evening, I attended the cocktail and appetizer portion of the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft’s annual Bourbon Bash. Guests looked lovely in dresses and suits as they sipped bourbon cocktails and nibbled small bites crafted by Wiltshire Pantry before the main dinner and live entertainment.

Woodford Reserve’s cocktail, the “Woodford Jewel”, was made of bourbon, lemonade, and pomegranate juice. It was smooth and refreshing, with complex notes of spice, fruit, toffee, and chocolate from the bourbon. Yum.

Four Roses, with an impressive representative behind the table who possessed a wealth of knowledge about the company’s bourbon, gave out a signature cocktail called the “Rose’rita”. Made with 2 parts margarita mix to 1 part Four Roses bourbon, then topped off with a splash of grenadine and a cherry, it was fantastic. Super smooth with a great fruity flavor and lovely sweet notes of vanilla and caramel.

Old Forester offered a cocktail called “Old Forester Punch”, which included iced tea, sugar, orange juice, limeade, water, and bourbon. It had a bright acidity and was a great alternative to a screwdriver, which was fantastic because I’m not a vodka fan.

Jefferson’s Reserve, a “very small batch” distiller, served an extremely refreshing cocktail called the “Bourbon Twist”, which was made of their bourbon, sweet tea, honey, a splash of soda water, and lemon.

Heaven Hill Distilleries made a signature cocktail called “Pressing Charges” with its Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This bourbon is smooth and savory with rich, buttery, caramel-y goodness. Mixed with PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur and a splash of Sweet & Sour Mix, it was strong with a nice acidity and a clean finish.

Jim Beam’s signature cocktail, the “Jim Beam Red Dragon”, which the men behind the counter said was a “Whiskey Sour”, was perfect. It was so smooth with an immaculate balance of sweet and tart between the Red Stag bourbon and the lemonade. Plus, the smiley guy behind the counter said this as he handed me my drink: “Comes with a guarantee – I guarantee it’s good!” He was right. :)

Michter’s signature cocktail, called the “Coast to Coast”, was the best cocktail I’ve ever had. Made with orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, Michter’s bourbon, Sonoma-Cutrer red wine, and a cherry, it was smooth, fruity, and delicious with notes of caramel. Mama like. In fact, because it was SO awesome, here’s their recipe:

Michter’s “Coast to Coast”

2 parts Michter’s US*1 Bourbon

¼ part Orange Juice

¾ part Lemon Juice

¾ part Simple Syrup

Float of Red Wine

Mix first 4 ingredients in shaker filled halfway with ice. Shake and strain into martini glass, float a splash of red wine on top, garnish with a cherry or orange peel.

Wiltshire Pantry, the caterer for this event, prepared four appetizers. Each was passed by a friendly waiter, and they were as follows:

+ Seared Kentucky Bison Crostini with Tomato-Caperberry Relish