Jeff Ruby's Derby Meal Kit Pop-Up

Derby is one of my very favorite holidays for entertaining. There’s nothing like a food and drink menu inspired by the best day of the Kentucky calendar year!

Of course, Derby looks quite different this year, and we’ll all be watching from home in small groups. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse has the perfect solution for your at-home Derby festivities! Here in Louisville, you can pick up a Meal Kit at the Jeff Ruby’s Pop-Up Shop at Independence Bank in St Matthews (3901 Shelbyville Road) from 10a-2p tomorrow, Friday Sept. 4th, and Saturday, Sept. 5th. This Meal Kit generously serves 4-6 Guests: Four 14 oz. USDA Prime Strip Steaks with Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse Seasoning; Benedictine & Pimento Cheese Dips with Crostini & Crudité; Freddie Salad; Mac & Cheese; Black Eyed Pea Salad with Country Ham & Heirloom Tomatoes; House-Made Biscuits with Salted Honey Butter; Whole Blackberry Bourbon Cream Pie; Mint Simple Syrup with Fresh Mint for your own Mint Juleps (recipe included). All of this for just $200!

Jeff Ruby’s Meal Kits are an incredible way to serve restaurant-quality meals at home. They include everything you need to make your meal perfect —even down to Jeff Ruby’s famous steakhouse seasoning — along with cooking instructions. It’s such a low-stress way to serve a fabulous meal at home. Just fire up the grill or a cast-iron skillet and prepare your steaks while the mac and cheese (my favorite!) heats in the oven. It couldn’t be easier!

Join me on Instagram Stories on Derby Day as I prepare a low-key, yet festive Derby meal at home with Jeff Ruby’s, and pick up a meal kit of your own this weekend in Saint Matthews. Happy Derby, y’all!!

Doggy Daycare at PetSuites Fern Creek

{This post was sponsored by PetSuites Fern Creek. Thanks so much to PetSuites and all the business that support HerKentucky LLC!}

Last October, we brought home the absolute cutest puppy. He’s adorable, and oh-so-sweet, but kind of a wildcard. Harry is a Labrador retriever - Great Pyrenees mix, and we aren't quite sure how big he’ll get. At nearly 6 months old, he’s already the size of a standard black Lab, which means that normal puppy behavior can easily become A LOT. We’re experienced dog owners who know how to train large dogs, but we definitely needed some help. That’s why we were so excited when PetSuites Fern Creek reached out to work with us!

Bob and I are pretty picky about our dogs and their care, and we loved that PetSuites offered us a tour of their facility. They are so committed to keeping the facility clean and to keeping the dogs safe and happy. Those are, obviously, the same goals we have for keeping our dogs in our own home, so we immediately felt at ease. We loved seeing the dogs at playtime; they were clearly having a great time! It was also nice to see that the boarding areas — with names like “luxury suites” and “condos” — looked so comfortable and inviting. Some even have TVs with animal-themed programming!

Once we were comfortable with the facility, we were really able to focus on the attention that our buddy would receive at PetSuites. Because he’s under 6 months old, Harry was placed in puppy preschool. It quickly became his favorite thing ever!

At PetSuites, Harry gets to play with other puppies his age, and there are often other large breed puppies — he’s made friends like a Cane Corso, a husky, and a Great Dane! — in his group. He’s also learning to be gentle with smaller and younger puppies. They have several controlled playtimes during the day, which ensure that he’s good and tired when I pick him up. The PetSuites staff often texts me pictures of Harry and his friends at playtime, and they post often to their Instagram and Facebook. I love getting these reminders that our little guy is happy, and I love that the PetSuites staff is so committed to his happiness! The socialization skills he’s learning will set him up for a lifetime of good behavior!

I also love that Harry gets one-one one behavioral training. He’s so much happier, more confident, and more controlled in his behavior. After the first week at PetSuites, we noticed that he immediately put himself in a sit position while trying to let us know what he needed. He’s flourishing after only a couple of weeks! The best part is that he is so excited to go to PetSuites! When I say “let’s go to school”, he’s so excited to get in the car! I know that he loves his friends — both canine and human — at PetSuites and that he loves the experience. I can go about my work day knowing that Harry is happy and stimulated. It’s a great setup for us all!

PetSuites Fern Creek has graciously offered a promo code to extend Harry’s great experience to y’all and your furry friends. Use code SOCIAL35 when booking online, and you’ll receive $35 off your first service at PetSuites Fern Creek (boarding, grooming, or daycare). I hope your pets love the PetSuites philosophy of “Stay & Play” as much as Harry does!

BenRiach Scotch Whisky Luncheon at Ostra

The cleverly named “Peet Rose” cocktail was created by Ostra for this event.

I recently attended a lunch tasting of BenRiach Scotch Whisky at Ostra. This was an invitation I was thrilled to receive; I don’t know a ton about Scotch, and the easiest way to learn more about a spirit is to attend a tasting led by an expert. BenRiach is a 120 year-old distillery of single malt scotch; its acquisition by Louisville-Based Brown-Forman in 2016 certainly makes it more accessible to Kentucky’s whiskey lovers. Stewart Buchanan, BenRiach’s Global Brand ambassador, led us through the tasting of four BenRiach expressions, each of which was paired with a creative and delicious food course.

Stewart Buchanan, Global Brand Ambassador for BenRiach.

In walking us through the tasting, Stewart pointed out that many folks who are new to Scotch often associate the spirit with heavy notes of smoke and earth. The peat flavor is is introduced into the spirit by drying the core grain — malted barley — over peat smoke for several hours. BenRiach offers both peated and unpeated expressions, offering a lot of room for exploration of the spirit’s flavor.

Tasting notes for BenRiach Whiskys

BenRiach 10 Year:

This accompanied our starter dishes of a kale pallet, oysters, and spotted prawn ceviche. I loved the mix of a lighter whiskey with these fresh and citrusy dishes.

Proof: 86

Nose: toffee, vanilla and pear

Palate: green apple, sherry, clementine

Finish: light spice, nutmeg

Ostra’s Jay Kale salad with citrus vinaigrette and goat cheese.

BenRiach 20 year

This accompanied a main corse of Wild Boar Gemelli, truffle honey fries, and crispy brussels sprouts. Honestly, the whisky and the pasta were so amazing together that I completely overlooked my blogger duties. I loved the interplay of the gamey boar with the sweet, lightly smoky whisky. I really liked this expression a lot; the notes were more familiar for someone versed with American whiskeys.

Nose: Baked Pear

Palate: honey and red wine

Finish: lemon and barley

We finished with two peated expressions, Benriach Curiositas 10 Year and BenRiach Authenticas 25 year. These were served with two amazing desserts: the cricket flour brownies and the red velvet churros with cayenne nutella dipping sauce. While I’ve never been one for peated whiskys, this pairing really worked well to coax out the notes of the spirit. I don’t fully trust my palate enough to give tasting notes on the peated whiskys; I simply haven't worked with them enough to get a great read on what I’m tasting and smelling. The Authenticas 25 year opened up to a lovely raisin palate, which worked well to cut the indulgent chocolate notes of the dessert. (And that churro was nothing short of lfie-altering!!)

Thanks so much to Brown-Forman, BenRiach, Lemonade PR, and Ostra for the invitation. I look forward to further pursuing my nose for Scotch!

Brown-Forman Cooperage Tour and Coopers' Craft Tasting

Last Friday, I got THE BEST birthday present… from Brown-Forman!

I had the opportunity to visit Brown-Forman’s Cooperage, which I’ve wanted to see for so long! I was among a group of bourbon writers invited to tour the cooperage and sample the newest Brown-Forman bourbon expression, Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve. Brown-Forman is the only Kentucky bourbon company that crafts barrels in-house, and the Coopers’ Craft brand of bourbon pays homage to Brown-Forman’s coopers.

Barrel Head Pressing at Brown-Forman

The tour was amazing and so, so cool! We learned that the cooperage produces 300 barrels a day, at the rate of about 1 barrel per 45 seconds! Each barrel is made of approximately 29-33 oak staves, which are pieced together without any glue or nails — it’s simply the cooper’s skill with staves and hoops!

Barrel Assembly at Brown-Forman Cooperage

Every bourbon lover knows that a brief char on the inside surface of the barrel is responsible for so much of the color and flavor of the final distillate. What you might not know is that the smell of charred barrels is pretty heavenly!

Y’all, it was such a wonderful experience. We heard about some of the most loyal employees — a three-generation family of coopers (including a female cooper!) and a cooper who’s on the three-month countdown to his fifty year anniversary. It’s clear that safety, sustainability, and community are the utmost goals of the cooperage!

The cooperage is located next to the new Coopers’ Craft homestead experience. We were among the first to sample the second expression of the Coopers’ Craft line, Barrel Reserve.

While the original Coopers’ Craft bourbon is low proof (82.2), the barrel reserve is 100 proof. Barrel Reserve utilizes a unique, chiseled barrel which allows the bourbon to penetrate into the barrel more deeply . The result is a stronger, spicier expression than the original Coopers’ Craft.

Tasting notes for Coopers’ Craft Bourbon

You can find my Bourbon + Boweties bangle at Lawrenceburg’s Sweet Mash Goods.

After we tasted the original and barrel reserve expressions, we were treated to a boulevardier cocktail.

Best of all, we were joined in the tasting by Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris. It’s always a treat to talk with Mr. Morris. He’s so brilliant and funny and he knows literally everything about bourbon!

You can visit the Brown-Forman Cooperage and Coopers’ Craft Homestead exclusively through Mint Julep Experience tours.

Old Forester Distillery

I’m frequently asked what I recommend on a short list of Louisville tourism destinations — where to go if you only have a day or two to spend in the Derby City. I also often hear folks wondering where to start their bourbon tourism education. The Old Forester Distillery is the perfect answer to both of those questions.

Old Forester was the first bourbon whiskey to be sold exclusively in sealed bottles, and it’s the oldest bourbon on the market. It was even produced during Prohibition for medicinal use. If you want a great primer on the history of Kentucky bourbon — sales, marketing, and production — you need to visit Old Forester.

At the turn of the 20th Century, the 100 block of Louisville’s Main Street was integral to Kentucky’s bourbon industry. Over the years, production and storage facilities moved to more spacious areas, with Whiskey Row revitalization efforts only arising over the past few years. Brown-Forman built the Old Forester Distillery on the site of the brand’s original headquarters, providing both a tourism facility and a working distillery on history Whiskey Row.

In addition to giving visitors an overview of how the bourbon is made, the Old Forester tour actually gives its guests a glimpse into the cooperage process. Brown-Forman, Old Forester’s parent company, is the only distilling company that makes its own barrels. This tradition is honored at OldFo, as you can actually watch barrels being constructed and charred as part of the tour.

Don’t miss the gift shop which offers the Whiskey Row series (the 1920 blend is fantastic!) and the Distillery-Exclusive President’s Choice single barrel blend!

 

The Old Forester Distillery is open for tours and shopping 7 days a week at 119 West Main Street in Louisville. The $16 tour includes a tasting for guests over 21. Click here for more tour details.

5 Fun Facts about Hi-Five Doughnuts!

It's National Doughnut Day, an observance dating back to the 1930s, which honors the Salvation Army "Lassies" who served doughnuts and other treats to U.S. Troops during World War I. Here in Kentucky, we take our doughnuts pretty seriously. In fact, the New York Times once traced a doughnut trail across our great Commonwealth. One of the state's most beloved doughnut stops is in a gas station!  That's the great thing about doughnuts: they're inexpensive, accessible, and enjoyed by almost everybody! My favorite doughnut spot is Hi-Five Doughnuts, which serves amazing creations with a Kentucky flair. You absolutely MUST try the bourbon caramel glaze, and if you're really brave, you can try the Kentucky Fried Buttermilk Chicken Doughnut.

Hi-Five Doughnuts is one of my favorite Kentucky businesses, combining local ingredients, awesome female entrepreneurs, incredible marketing, and a fabulous product. Let's celebrate National Doughnut Day with five fun facts about Hi-Five Doughnuts!!!

1. Hi-Five is woman-owned and operated. Leslie Wilson and Annie Harlow began their business running a food truck, affectionately named Shelby, then opened a storefront in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood. 

The bacon-glazed doughnut is amazing, y'all.

2. The business name pays tribute to the legend that the custom of giving a high-five was invented in a U of L basketball practice in the 1970s.

3. Hi-Five has trademarked their hashtag! When you talk about the #ladiesofthemorning, then according to to the US Patent and Trademark office you're referencing Hi-Five Doughnuts!

4. The Hi-Five business model is so cool, a book has been written about it! Dr. Lyle Sussman of U of L's College of Business wrote "Breaking the Glaze Ceiling: Sweet Lessons for Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Wannabes", which establishes 12 business principles based on Leslie and Annie's success. In interviewing the Doughnut Ladies for a prior article, I was so impressed that they built the entire enterprise on a no-debt model, opting instead to purchase only what they could afford at any given time.

That's cinnamon glaze + Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You need it in your life.

5. Everybody loves Hi-Five! The Travel Channel has visited them, they're a staple at local events like the Forecastle Festival, and they're often served as a finishing touch at local galas and weddings.

National Coffee Day!

Today is National Coffee Day! I have to say that, at HerKentucky Headquarters, Coffee Day is a whole lot like that tagline for Shark Week; we live every day like it's coffee day.

Because we put down a whole lot of java at my house, I wanted to pay tribute to my very favorite cups in Louisville.

Of course, there's Please & Thank You. Strong lattes and some the best baked goods in town. 

And then there's Sunergos, the beans that fuel my own French presses. I'm partial to the Mexico Chiapas blend.

And, of course, there's my neighborhood Starbucks, which serves as my office away from home, my cappuccino connection, and generally the place that keeps me caffeinated! 

Happy Coffee Day, y'all. Today and every day. Who keeps you caffeinated?