The Bourbon Chase

The Bourbon Chase. Source: aceweekly.com via AceWeekly on Pinterest

Here in the Bluegrass State, we do things a little differently.

We never miss an opportunity to celebrate our beautiful Commonwealth or our bourbon.  We've even found a way to combine these things with our exercise!

This morning, teams of runners convened in Clermont, Kentucky, the home of Jim Beam, to participate in the annual Bourbon Chase.  This two hundred mile relay race, comprised of twelve-member teams, will loop around the stops of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail throughout the day and night, crossing the finish line at Rupp Arena tomorrow.

Good luck to all our friends who are participating in the Bourbon Chase! The HerKentucky girls are all raising a glass (of bourbon, natch) in your honor!

The Sky Scarf - September 2012

What was it Robert Burns wrote about "the best laid schemes of mice and men...?" I think that it was something about how everything can go crazy in a short time! September was that time for me! I would suspect that, with back-to-school routines ramping up in so many families, I am not alone.

My Husband and I started the month of September in Costa Rica under beautiful, bright blue skies. Everything there, from the palm fronds to the butterflies to the fruits, was brilliantly colored. I diligently took pictures that included the sky so that I would remember the shade for The Sky Scarf.

When we returned, my situation at work got a little crazy and the first rows of my Sky Scarf never got started. 

However, I've kept notes each day on the shade of my sky. Being the super nerd that I am, I've organized them on a special Google Calendar!

I bought my yarn before our trip, and I love all the shades I found. 

Things look promising for this Sunday to be my "catch up on September's rows" day.

How are your sky scarves coming along?

Big Blue Fashion Find: Knights Apparel

When I was in school, UK football games were a "jeans and sweatshirt" affair. We dressed up for Keeneland and we looked nice for basketball, but we left the tailgate sundresses to our sisters in the SEC West. After all, they do it so well.

These days, Wildcat girls are really stepping it up. Cute blue dresses are paired with sassy cowboy boots all over Commonwealth Stadium. The Orange Lot is still a far cry from The Grove, but we're doing our conference proud.

Today, I ran across a little game day dress that gives me the best of both worlds -- a soft polo-style dress emblazoned with the UK logo. It's as comfortable as a well-loved vintage tee, but far more stylish.

The best part? It was $23. At Wal-Mart.

You heard me right. This adorable Knights Apparel game day dress. Under $25. At the Wal-Marts. I'd advise you to run out and pick one up at once.

Appalachia's Moment

A few days ago, I curled up on the front porch to read the October issue of Southern Living.

I had a Tervis Tumbler of Diet Coke in my hand and my black labs playing at my feet, a scene that was surely being recreated on porches all over the South that crisp autumn weekend. As I leafed through the recipes, renovations and travelogues that comprise every Southern mother's favorite magazine, I ran across a sentence that caught me off guard:

"Appalachia is having a moment right now."

I was taken aback. I mean, I've seen plenty of claims that Southern culture is trendy this year. Still, no matter how often I hear that hipster New York restaurants are serving up fried chicken and pork rinds or that bourbon is this year's spirit of choice, I always make a subtle distinction. Those things are part of the larger Southern culture, and it's a lot easier to imagine "city-Southern" having a broader appeal. It's a whole lot easier to talk to non-Kentuckians about Derby than about dulcimers, that's for sure. Moonshine and old-timey fiddle music and soup beans and handmade furniture -- the things celebrated in the Southern Living article? Well, those things are set aside for us mountain folk.

I was raised to revere my Appalachian heritage. It was an act of almost defiant pride to celebrate the artisans and educators and writers and dreamers and fiddlers and builders

of my extended family. Some of my earliest memories are of Appalachia Day, theAlice Lloyd College

Homecoming festival which proudly features many of those very artists. I've always been extremely proud of this rich heritage, but I guess I've always figured that it wasn't something that outsiders would find too interesting. There's always been something about the mountains that lend themselves to seclusion; feeling "set apart" seems our geographic birthright.

I guess that, much like the late, brilliant Christopher Hitchens, I've always kept two sets of books. I'm a Southern girl with my city friends and a Mountain girl with my family. It's a pretty common practice; I think a lot of us assume that nobody else is interested. Douglas Roberts, author of the Southern Living piece, put an interesting spin on it:

"Appalachia is that rare part of the United States dedicated to the study and celebration of itself. And it's easy to believe on a drive through the area that this is the true heartland -- a still-intact petri dish of the independence, ingenuity and authenticity of the American spirit."

Maybe my heritage doesn't have to be revered

quite so much. Maybe I should focus instead on enjoying it a little more. Maybe Appalachia

is

having a moment, and maybe that's a celebration of the fun aspects of our culture. You can't get any more hip or fun than the Avett Brothers, who basically play the same brand of mountain music my granddaddy did. Every Appalachian family has a big jar of moonshine hidden in the kitchen. Maybe it's time to bring it out and sip it. Maybe it's time to add soup beans to my Cajun-low country-Southern fusion kitchen repertoire; that

sorghum-and-cider recipe

sounds interesting. Hell, maybe it's even time to take back the idiom, as they say, and acknowledge that I'm a Hillbilly Girl at heart. At the very least, I'm going to enjoy Appalachia's moment. Y'all have a lot to learn from us.

A New Tradition

Fall is in the air and the holiday season is about to begin. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. It is the season of traditions, which usually means time-honored rituals practiced for years. However, every once in a while, you attend a brand new event that feels like it's been a part of the community forever and you know instantly a new tradition has been formed.

This weekend the River Discovery Center hosted the Dragon Boat Festival and a new Paducah tradition was born. Local companies and organizations sponsored the dragon boats and then competed in a series of heats throughout the day.

Everyone was excited about the event but it didn't take two steps onto the riverfront to realize it wasn't just those directly involved in the event who came to cheer on the teams. I spoke with friend after friend who came down just to check out the races and participate in the fun.

The fun didn't start and end with the races either. Every team set up tents with decorations and mascots. Each boat also had to have a costumed drummer who then participated in a fashion show. There was food and corn hole and lots of kids throwing rocks in the river. Not to mention, money raised for a great cause and asset to our community.

And I knew immediately. A new fall tradition has been born.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Why Not Throw a Bourbon Cocktail Party?

Don and Pete.  Mint Juleps. That is all. via AMC.

It's Friday, and it's Bourbon Heritage Month.  Why not celebrate the gloriously crisp autumn weather with the warm, smooth notes of a bourbon cocktail? This weekend, you should throw a bourbon cocktail party!

Now, here at HerKentucky, we're always looking for a reason to throw a good party. Kentucky's very own whisky is a better reason than most.  In just four simple steps, you can put together a fun and elegant bourbon cocktail party.

Bourbon tasting bar, via Garden & Gun

Step One: Choose Your Bourbon
I'd suggest picking up three whisky labels that fit the distinct mashbill profiles -- one high rye content brand, like Basil Hayden's, one high corn content like Buffalo Trace's Old Charter, and a wheated bourbon like Maker's Mark or Pappy Van Winkle.  This article from Bluegrass Threads, and this one from Epicurious, do a great job of describing the different taste profiles.  Pick up one of the small batch labels for true sipping, and remember your beer-loving guests with Bourbon Barrel Ale.

Step 2: Choose Your Blend

Most Kentuckians are pretty easy to please.  We take our bourbon neat, with a splash of water or, heaven forbid, with a little Coca-Cola.  (Bourbon and Coke tastes good, but don't ever admit it!)  It seems that bourbon is nationally trendy again, with all these speakeasies popping up in major cities.  You get things like the Bacon Old Fashioned, from Nashville's Patterson House, or the Kentucky Rose from Atlanta's Southern Art and Bourbon Bar.  If you want to get that fancy, your guests will love a sip.  This bourbon and ginger sounds interesting. Of course, nothing beats a Maker's Manhattan. Nothing.

Step 3: Choose Your Glass
A variety of lowball glasses, Manhattan glasses and julep cups help you enjoy in style.  I love these stemless martini glasses from Maker's Mark and these Fleur de Lis julep cups from Louisville Stoneware


Step 4: Choose Your Friends
Make a few calls, pour a few drinks, and enjoy.

Cheers, y'all!

This is the first installment in a series of posts called "The Bourbon Files", which will showcase the history, culture, and distinct taste of Kentucky's signature spirit.

West Sixth Brewing - An Unlikely Spot to Get Your Fitness On

It's not often that one associates beer with fitness and healthy living, right? In Lexington, you'd be wrong!

West Sixth Brewing Company, the craft brewery that opened earlier this year in Lexington's old Rainbo Bread facility, is the place to be on Tuesday nights. Each Tuesday, the brewery on the corner of Jefferson Street and West Sixth Street hosts a running club for anyone and everyone who would like to come out. Simply show up at 6 PM, register, and then start running with the group at 6:30! 

All runners are welcome - slow, fast, training for a marathon or just looking for a fun run around downtown Lexington. Folks typically run either a 1.5 mile route or a 3 mile route from the brewery, through parts of the downtown business district, through Gratz Park and through the downtown residential district back to the brewery.

Once back from your run, you can enjoy a complimentary soft pretzel. I'm not sure which bakery they are from, but they're pretty much the tastiest things ever! Most folks also stash some cash in their running gear to buy a pint or two to enjoy on the open-air patio. 

There is always a presence of women from the LexRunLadies group and other running groups throughout the area. There are always some stroller runners and even some kids come out to run with their parents. 

Everyone is welcoming and friendly. After your fifth run with the club, you get a t-shirt! The best thing? All of this is totally free (well, not the pints of beer!).

See you next week?

*For more information, check out the run club's Facebook page!