National Bourbon Day!
June 14th celebrates Kentucky's native spirit! Cheers to good Kentucky bourbon!
Happy National Bourbon Day, y'all!
Of course, I joke that every day here in Kentucky is a Bourbon Day. If you're writing a book about bourbon, like I currently am, you certainly think about brown spirits every day, even if you imbibe them far less frequently.
It really is a fascinating time to be a Kentucky bourbon lover. There are 1.5 barrels of bourbon for every Kentuckian, and the bourbon industry is an 8.5 billion dollar industry here in the Commonwealth. There are bourbon-themed menus, festivals, and cocktails for nearly every taste! (P.S.: Check out the Bourbon & Beyond Lineup! I'm beyond excited to attend!)
The truth is, with all the amazing distillery tours and new releases and cocktail bars, it's also sometimes an overwhelming time to be a Kentucky bourbon lover. Are the big-name, big-price tag pours worth it? Should you save special bottles for your collection? Should you mix a cocktail, add a splash of water, or drink it straight? I have to say that, in the past several years of writing about bourbon, I've heard that question asked a million different ways. And, the real experts -- those who've spent their careers blending the perfect whiskeys -- always come around to a very similar response. In fact, I've heard a variant of these very words from Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe and Woodford Reserve Master Taster Elizabeth McCall. Here you go, folks. the secret to drinking bourbon, courtesy of HerKentucky.com.
Drink your bourbon however you like it.
Let me know in the comments: What bourbon are you drinking today, and how are you drinking it?
Who Makes Kentucky's Best Donut?
National Donut Day is a pretty big deal here in Kentucky. I mean, we have our own donut trail here in the Bluegraass State. It's New York Times certified and everything. HerKentucky readers have some pretty strong opinions about their donuts as well. When I wrote the 2015 and 2016 HerKentucky posts for National Donut Day, a lot of readers wanted to let me know that I had missed the mark. So, this year, I think I'll talk about my very favorite donuts here in Louisville, and then ask y'all for recommendations.
Bacon-Maple Donut from Nord's
Y'all, this is so good. The maple icing is FABULOUS. And, you know, bacon.
German Chocolate Donut from Hi-Five Doughnuts
Or, you know, anything from Hi-Five.
What's your favorite Kentucky Donut?
The HerKentucky Mother's Day Gift Guide
Gifts mom will actually love!
While we've been busy planning Derby and Cinco de Mayo and all the early May events, y'all did remember that Mother's Day is next Sunday, May 14th, right?
I'm sure you did, but here are a few absolutely great ways to celebrate your mama!
Elva Fields Earrings
Emily Maynard, the designer and owner of Elva Fields, is a dear friend of mine and one of the most compassionate, creative, cool ladies I've ever met. She's also an incredible mama to two darling girls. So, when Emily sets out to make a Mother's Day present, I know it's going to be something special. These earrings from Elva Fields are so lovely, y'all. They're just the kind of understated, everyday earrings that make a fantastic present. Even better, by purchasing these earrings, you're making a difference in the Louisville community. A portion of each purchase of this style will be donated to one of these three charities (you get to choose!): The Cabbage Patch, a 106-year-old organization that reaches at-risk families and youth through recreational, educational, and service-based programs and opportunities from tutoring, mentoring, after-school classes, scholarships, and much more; Kentucky Refugee Ministries, which provides resettlement services to refugees through faith- and agency-based co-sponsorship in order to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration into the community; or The Healing Place, which reaches men and women suffering from drug and alcohol addiction through one of the nation's most effective and hopeful programs, providing tools for recovery and restoring productive lives. They're a fantastic little thank you to your mom for raising you right.
Lilly Pulitzer Scarf
I'm guessing that you and your mom share at least a bit of your personal style. My mom shares my love for bright Lilly Pulitzer prints, and I find that a scarf like this one is the right little pop of color to share as a gift.
Draper James Trinket Tray
A trinket tray in a bright pattern is an adorable way to brighten Mom's day every day of the year. The Mother Knows Best pattern is adorable, but my very favorite is the You Are My Sunshine tray!
Anchal Project Makeup Pouches
These makeup/ accessory pouches are soooo gorgeous, y'all. Anchal Project is such an amazing company based here in Louisville. They employ women in India, many of whom formerly were exploited through commercial sex work, as designers and artisans who recycle the material old saris into scarves, quilts, and small dry goods. The designs are stunning, and the story of female empowerment is so inspiring.
Shop Local Kentucky Tees
photo courtesy Shop Local Kentucky.
For the mom with a sense of humor, "Kentucky's Okayest Mom" is the best title ever. Shop Local Kentucky has a tee that offers up that title.
Now y'all have absolutely no excuses for sending Mom an extra-special gift!
Thortons Kentucky Derby Bourbon Ball Donut
Bourbon balls are one of my very favorite Kentucky traditions. They remind me of holidays with my family; my great-aunt Marie always made bourbon balls using the exact same recipe that I use to this day. I always think of bourbon balls as a Christmas treat, or something to savor at the end of a bourbon distillery tour. I only recently learned that a lot of people make bourbon balls as a Derby treat as well. This morning, I picked up a bourbon ball donut from Thorntons' new #ThorntonsBourbonKitchen line, and it was fabulous!
If you're in the mood for a bourbon ball, my recipe is below, or you can just pick up one of those donuts at Thortons for 99 cents. It's the same flavor with a lot less effort! And let me know -- do y'all think of bourbon balls as a Derby time treat?
- 1 to 2 cups good bourbon whiskey
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 to 1 cup whole pecan halves (optional)
- 1 two-pound bag of powdered sugar
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 bags Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
- paraffin wax
- Place 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans in shallow bowl. Pour bourbon over nuts, immersing completely. Cover and let soak 12 hours to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecan halves in shallow pan and toast lightly for about ten minutes.
- Cream butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Combine bourbon-pecan mixture with powdered sugar to form a stiff ball. Refrigerate to let stiffen slightly.
- Roll dough into small balls.
- In double-boiler (or a sauce pan placed over a cooker full of boiling water), add a third to a half a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and a small shaving of paraffin wax (no more than 1/4 cup). Heat until just smooth. Dip dough balls into the chocolate mixture. The key is to coat them quickly and make small, frequent batches of melted chocolate.
- Place bourbon balls on wax paper to cool. Top each with a toasted pecan half, if desired. Results are better if you leave them to cool at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.
Yields between six and seven dozen bourbon balls.
Kentucky Derby-Pie®
The most famous dessert of the Kentucky Derby!
Perhaps the most iconic of all Kentucky Derby dishes is the Derby-Pie®; in fact, Derby is right there in the pastry’s name! Served warm or cool, with ice cream, whipped cream, or all by itself, Derby-Pie® is one of those treats that you just can’t pass up. The signature mix of chocolate chips and walnuts, the oh-so-light filling, the flaky pastry. Every time you take a bite, you feel like a cross between an amateur chef and a detective: Is that a taste of bourbon? Or maybe vanilla? No, it’s got to be a high-rye bourbon; the tartness will offset the sweetness of the chocolate…
Of course, the secrets of Derby-Pie® are closely guarded by Kern’s Kitchen, a family-owned company here in Louisville. The story goes that, in the early 1950s, George Kern was managing the restaurant at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, KY, just outside of Louisville. With the help of his parents, Walter and Leaudra Kern, George came up with a signature dessert for the restaurant. Once the recipe was perfected, the Kerns needed a great name for their creation, which combined the flavors of a chocolate chip cookie and a nut pie. So, they wrote several suggestions on slips of paper, and threw those into a hat. The winning name was, of course, Derby Pie, a reference to the big horse race just a few miles down the road. Soon, the Kerns were met with so many copycats of their delicious dessert that, in 1968, they filed for federal trademark protection of the term Derby-Pie®.
The Melrose Inn is long gone, having closed its doors in 2000, but the Kern’s Kitchen company is going strong, selling their delicious pies in restaurants and retailers throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. For over fifty years, Derby-Pie® has been the taste of the Kentucky Derby for Kentuckians who are way too young to place a bet or order a mint julep, who miss their Old Kentucky Homes, or for those attending parties en route to the Derby. We may not know exactly what’s in a Derby-Pie®, but we know it tastes like Derby Season!
Why Do We Wear Hats to the Kentucky Derby?
Did you ever wonder why we wear elaborate hats to the Kentucky Derby? Well, the history of the Kentucky Derby goes back to the Derby Stakes in Britain, known here in the States as the Epsom Derby. The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780 and is the highest-purse horse race in Britain.
In 1873, Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. visited Europe, taking in the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. He returned home to Louisville and organized the race now known as the Kentucky Derby, looking toward these races for inspiration for track design, race length and other details. When the Kentucky Derby began in 1875, Kentucky ladies wore their finest to the races, just as their British counterparts did. Of course, in those days, finery included a chapeau, and the tradition stuck.
Kentucky Derby 1938. via The Huffington Post.
These days, a Derby Hat is the first thing most ladies look for when they make place for the big race. Kate Welsh, co-owner of The Hat Girls, the Official Hat Designers of the Kentucky Derby Festival, says "Sixty percent of our business is custom work, which wasn’t in our original business plan. We find that, typically, a lady wants to pick out her clothes around the hat. Others want a custom design made from dresses they’ve already picked out."
Of course, there's a fine line between a dramatic hat and one that's too comfortable for race day wear. Kate Welsh says "We’re very honest with customers about what works for them. People try the hats on, and they don’t always realize that an adjustable hat brim only helps them so much. As designers, we try to limit how many feathers or sequins we add to the hat so thatit’s not sagging down into the customer’s face."
Rachel Bell, Ms. Welsh's Hat Girls partner, notes that their designs do strike a balance between practicality and flair. "But, at the same time, the hat usually is the focal point of the outfit."
Kate Walsh of The Hat Girls shows a hat that was custom-made to match a client's Derby Dress.
Whether your preferred look is a practical fascinator or a show-stopping chapeau, you can thank the Derby's English roots -- and especially Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr's trip to Epsom -- for the tradition of Kentucky Derby Hats.
Want to learn more about the Kentucky Derby's history? Download The Kentucky Derby by Bill Doolittle, now in eBook format, on Amazon or iBooks.
The Summit at Fritz Farm
The Summit at Fritz Farm is finally here, y'all! I'm pretty excited about the stores and restaurants that are opening today, as well as those that will be here soon! The Summit at Fritz Farm is going to be such a great addition to the Lexington shopping scene. I love that the Summit will have a great mix of national retailers like Ariat, Brooks Brothers, and Pottery Barn along with local shops like Morton James and Sheila Bayes Jewelers. And, of course, there's an Alumni Hall for all your UK gear needs. If you're like me, you can't get enough UK gear. Ever.
All UK gear c/o Alumni Hall
I also love that the Summit is a mixed-use development, combining apartments, retailers, and restaurants. Back in my Lexington days, in grad school and my first couple of jobs, I lived in an apartment complex on Nicholasville Road, and I had to get in the car to go everywhere. Twenty-five year-old Heather is totally jealous that, less than half a mile away, there's an apartment building that will eventually house a Starbucks, a food hall, and a Whole Foods!
The stores at the Summit are going to be fabulous. As y'all know from my Instagram, I'm all about Vineyard Vines tees, and their pajama pants are so wonderful that I'll probably have to include them in the acknowledgment section when my book is finished.
Oaks Lilly t-shirt c/o Vineyard Vines
And there are a couple of my favorite Nashville spots opening at The Summit, too! Draper James has the cutest tees and dresses, and Edley's Barbeque just fills the 12 South area with a delicious, smoky aroma that makes shopping more fun!
I can't wait to see y'all at The Summit at Fritz Farm's First Look today. Keep an eye out for great pop-up shops, Steel City Pops and KY for KY, and more!
(This post was sponsored by Summit at Fritz Farm. All opinions are my own.)