Heather C. Watson 6/22/16 Heather C. Watson 6/22/16

Whiskey Wednesday: Woodford Reserve Rye

Welcome to Whiskey Wednesday, HerKentucky's weekly feature that makes you think about what you're drinking. Today, we're departing from our traditional focus on Kentucky bourbon with some notes on rye.

So, I've noticed a disturbing trend lately. I seem to keep running into people who don't know the difference between bourbon and rye. We're talking bartenders, and folks who claim to be whiskey-lovers, and proud Kentuckians who ought to know better. They'll use Sazerac or the green-label Bulleit, and claim they've used bourbon whiskey, bless their hearts.

Like most everything in whiskey production, it all comes down to the grains. The difference between bourbon and rye is the grain mixture that is used in production. Of course you know that all bourbon whiskey must be made here in the United States and must have a mash bill that consists of at least 51% corn. American rye whiskeys must be at least 51% rye grain. As with bourbon, the remaining 49 percent of the recipe varies wildly by brand. Bulleit's mash, for example, is 95% rye, producing a very powerful, spicy flavor profile. Woodford Reserve's Rye, on the other hand, is only 53% rye, which makes for a smooth and balanced pour. Like bourbon, rye is aged in charred new oak barrels and must be aged for at least two years to earn the designation "straight."

Prior to Prohibition, rye was most popular in the Northeast U.S., particularly in Pennsylvania and Maryland (Mad Men fans will note that it makes sense that rye was Draper's drink of choice...) and Pittsburgh was the city around which most rye production was focused. After Prohibition, only a few rye labels survived, and most rye productions were moved to Kentucky, under the umbrella of larger distillers.

Last year, Woodford Reserve introduced a rye whiskey to their line of products. I had the opportunity to sample that product during The Kentucky Bourbon Affair tour of Woodford's distillery last week. I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I'm normally a little put off by the heavily spicy and often bitter notes of rye, but the Woodford product was delightful. We learned during the distillery event that Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris based this recipe on a historical recipe in the Brown-Forman archives. The really does work as a nice companion to Woodford's high-rye bourbon, Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select, pairing up-front tobacco aromas with heavy tastes of apple and pepper, and a caramel finish similar to that of Woodford's bourbons. I can't wait to try it in a cocktail!

So, there you go. High-rye bourbon and low-rye rye. Two more whiskey concepts to wow y'all's friends. Go get a bottle of that rye; I promise you'll love it!

Cheers, y'all.

Heather C. Watson 5/26/16 Heather C. Watson 5/26/16

Maker's Mark Chocolate Chess Pie

I LOVE Chess Pie. I especially love the chocolate chess pie at Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen. Of course, my favorite flavor profile on earth is the mixture of rich bittersweet chocolate with a sweet, high-wheat bourbon, especially Maker's Mark. The dark chocolate notes paired with the vanilla and caramels of the Maker's to create a decadent treat. It just made sense to bake a pie that combined these two! I adapted from this great recipe.

Pie Crust

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter
1 1/2 cups flour
Pinch Kosher Salt
2/3 cup cold whole milk

Stir together the butter, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas.
Add milk, one splash at a time to the flour and stir. Continue adding the milk until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk shape.
Chill dough about 15 minutes.
Roll dough, place in a pie place and trim and crimp the edges.
Chill dough while you make the filling.

Filling

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 ounces Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Place butter and chocolate in a small glass bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Stir and let sit to finish melting the chocolate and then to let it cool a bit.
Place sugar, eggs, flour, bourbon, salt and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Add chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
Pour filling into pie crust and bake in preheated oven until edges are browned and filling is puffed and set (but still wiggly in the center), about 30 minutes.
Let cool and serve alone, with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Heather C. Watson 12/4/15 Heather C. Watson 12/4/15

The HerKentucky Guide to Repeal Day

On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, marking the end of Prohibition. Led at its most fanatic fringes by temperance activists Garrard County, KY, native Carry Nation, the prohibition of sales and manufacturing of alcoholic beverages was intended to increase the nation's public health and morals. Of course, Prohibition merely drove alcohol production and procurement underground, often resulting in dangerous (not to mention unpalatable) concoctions. Here in Kentucky, we also suffered a major economic setback, as the bourbon industry was shuttered for a decade. (Read more about Kentucky and Prohibition here.)

Here in Louisville, we're always looking for a fun party, especially one that celebrates our native spirit. Here are some fun Repeal Day happenings in the Derby City this weekend:

Louisville SWIG Food and Drink Tasting Affair tonight, 12/4 at the Seelbach: Join Louisville Magazine for the debut of their December issue, live music from Billy Goat Strut Revue, and tastes of food and drink from over 50 vendors. A portion of ticket sales benefits Court Appointed Special Advocates of the River Region.
Repeal Day Open House tonight, 12/4 5-9 p.m. at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience: Tastings, small bites, door prizes, and a 1920s costume contest!
Spirits of the Bluegrass: Prohibition in Kentucky exhibition at The Frazier Museum: open now!
Repeal Day at The Silver Dollar: 5p.m. -close Saturday 12/5: Special cocktails with Old Forester, 1930s costume contest, photo booth, and more!
Repeal Day at Bourbons Bistro: Saturday 12/5 at 6 p.m.25 cent cocktails and apps; Prohibition-era movies; costume contest.
Proof on Main Repeal Day: Saturday 12/5 7 p.m-11p.m.. Cocktail specials, music, "Costumes are encouraged; mustaches are appreciated." In conjunction with 8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen, Meta, Down One Bourbon Bar and Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar's Repeal Day Revel: a downtown exploration of restaurants and bars that celebrate Repeal Day with passport stamps at each location.

Happy Repeal Day, y'all! Here's to Kentucky's finest spirits!

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Heather C. Watson 9/16/15 Heather C. Watson 9/16/15

10 Things That Every Bourbon-Loving Kentuckian Knows (But Might Not Admit)

The secrets of bourbon-loving Kentuckians.

This is National Bourbon Heritage Month. Or, as we call it here in Kentucky, September. In the spirit of bourbon celebration, I thought it would be fun to round up a list of some of the things that every bourbon-loving Kentuckian knows, but might not admit.

1. There's a reason there are so many cornfields in Central Kentucky. It has nothing to do with food for humans or livestock.

Cornfields near Maker's Mark Distillery, as seen through the passenger's side window. As you can tell, I was wearing seersucker that day.

2. We take a lot of "bourbon history" with a grain of salt. Most labels are relatively new, and a lot of claims of novelty and history come from marketing departments.

3. Most of us secretly mix a bourbon and coke from time to time. It's easy and it goes down smoothly.

4. We like to stick with basic cocktails. A Manhattan, a whiskey sour, or an old-fashioned are about as adventurous as we get.

5. Most of us have an economy-priced favorite, too. Real bourbon lovers know there's a time and place for Old Grand-Dad or Early Times. We aren't above drinking what's in front of us.

Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris and Master Taster Elizabeth O'Neill char a barrel.

6. Few things are as lovely as the aroma of a barrel that's being charred. It's like a gossamer mix of the cleanest vanilla and a delicately toasted homemade marshmallow wafting delicately through the air.

7. We know people who work at different spirits companies. We tend to change our orders when they're around.

8. We're just as sick of all these bourbon-flavored food products as y'all are. A few of them are good; a lot aren't.

9. We're all about trying new flavors, but we aren't afraid to stick with what we know. Sometimes you choose a label because it reminds you of the holidays, or because it's what you always take to a tailgate.

The Liquor Cabinet at Jim Beam. Every one of these has their purpose.

10.Pappy is delicious. Nobody is claiming otherwise. But when y'all come in from out of state and want to wow us with your purchase, we secretly know that there are a lot of other tasty, more moderately-priced labels on the menu.

What are your bourbon-loving secrets?

Heather C. Watson 8/25/15 Heather C. Watson 8/25/15

Maker's Mark Whiskey Sour

Celebrate with an old-school bourbon cocktail!

Today is National Whiskey Sour Day. There's just something so sophisticated and refreshing about a well-made, old school cocktail like a sour.

I made a batch last night, and they were so delicious.

I started with some turbinado sugar, water, and lemons.

I added a cup of turbinado sugar to a cup of boiling water, then added the juice of three lemons. I put the lemon simple syrup in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours.

When cocktail hour arrived, I filled lowball glasses with crushed ice and one part of the lemon simple syrup to two parts. Maker's Mark, then garnished with an orange slice and maraschino cherries.

Heather C. Watson 8/17/15 Heather C. Watson 8/17/15

Maker's Mark Distillery Tour

A road trip to one of Kentucky bourbon's most iconic distilleries.

Saturday, my beau and took a trip to Loretto to the Maker's Mark Distillery. It was a gorgeous day to open the sunroof and let the GPS do the thinking for us.

I'm a longtime Maker's fan, but I'd somehow never made the trip to Loretto. Every detail of the distillery tour was delightful, from the tollgate

to the journals detailing names that the Samuels family considered for their product

to quirky flower arrangements in Maker's bottles.

We actually arrived during the brief window when it's too hot to distill new product and equipment is being checked for repairs. How gorgeous is this brewing vat?

The bottling process was going strong, This conveyer belt full of freshly dipped bottles included a photo paying tribute to Margie Samuels, founder Bill Samuels' wife, who famously helped create the brand.

We then moved on to the tasting, where four samples of Maker's awaited us. The white, an un-aged whisky, which tasted very similar to weak moonshine, original Maker's Mark, Maker's 46, and the Cask Strength, which has a very up-front alcohol punch. Very few things can top original Maker's Mark in my book, although the 46 is pretty delicious, with notes of creme brûlée.

After we tasted the spirits, there were some bourbon balls to try as well. I've never turned down a bourbon ball, and these were pretty fantastic.

Finally, we took a look at the amazing blown-glass ceiling installation that commemorated the label's 60th birthday. It was so amazingly beautiful!

After a trip through the gift shop, we walked around the grounds for a bit, then headed to the Toll House Cafe for a delicious barbecue sandwich.

I can't recommend the Maker's Mark tour highly enough! The grounds are stunning and the bourbon is delicious!

Heather C. Watson 7/31/15 Heather C. Watson 7/31/15

Woodford Reserve + Original Makers Club Bourbon Tasting

HerKentucky's Heather C. Watson reviews the newest limited edition Distillery Series bourbons from Woodford Reserve.

Original Makers Club Woodford Reserve Tasting | HerKentucky.com |Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Last night, my beau and I attended the Original Makers Club's tasting party for Woodford Reserve's Distillery Series bourbons. It was a perfect summer night for an outdoor party.

My shadow has big hair. Because, of course.

Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris and Master Taster Elizabeth O'Neill led us through the proper tasting methods, including how to properly nose the aroma, why you don't give it a big swirl as you would with a wine tasting, and how to sip the whiskey for optimal taste.

I loved the Sweet Mash Redux. This bourbon had a really sweet, fruity up-front note that was extremely pleasant and reminiscent of an Irish whiskey. I'd recommend this for a fan of Bushmills or Jameson, anyone who loves fruity notes of apple, pear, or cherry, or those who often complain that bourbons have a harsh taste.

The second whiskey we sampled was Double Double Oaked. A variant of the popular Double Oaked label, this bourbon was aged an additional year. A lot of folks at the tasting detected deep, spicy notes in this one. At first, I found it very unstructured with a strong burn. However, when paired with the cheesecake samples we were provided, it was delightfully spicy against the brown sugar crust.

One of my favorite aspects of attending Woodford Reserve tastings is the way that they integrate food to influence flavors. They've developed a fascinating flavor wheel, and they always put great care into choosing food that works with a particular bourbon. Of course, it doesn't hurt when, like last night, the food was chosen by brilliant local chef Ouita Michel.

After the tasting, we moved to the lawn for drinks, snacks, music, and a fabulous display of basket charring.

My cousin Amy and her husband joined us for the festivities!

Chris and Elizabeth used hay from American Pharoah's stall to light the barrel, which was allowed to burn for seven seconds, leaving the barrel "toasted."

The air was filled with a magical scent of roasted marshmallows; it was such a fantastic sensory experience and really illustrated how the toasted barrels produce the rich, caramel-vanilla finish for which Woodford Reserve is known.

Thanks so much to Original Makers Club and Woodford Reserve for the fabulous party and delicious samples!