If Kentucky is best known for horse racing, then Secretariat is one of the state’s undeniable legends. If it’s fried chicken, then Col. Harlan Sanders’ legacy will be with us long after our time here is gone. But of course bourbon is one of the state’s richest heritages, and has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years that few could have predicted. Just ask the Kentucky Distillers Association, which reports that bourbon...

In the Bourbon Classic’s three-year history, if anyone’s ever left complaining they didn’t get enough bourbon, I’ve never met them or heard about them. And if such a hearty drinker exists, I hope he was headed to detox after the event. There’s just no shortage of the stuff — in volume or variety — at this event. Whether poured neat for sipping or cloaked in a cocktail, you get your share here. Yet despite its whiskey-centric...

Because bourbon has to be made in charred, new oak cooperage, people have been looking for creative ways to reuse the empty barrels for decades. Just about every house you drive by on Kentucky back roads has a bourbon barrel planter full of flowers, but in recent years people have been getting more creative with them. The Whiskey Wash recently caught up with John King of DrunkWood, a small business that transforms used barrels...

Whiskey is any distilled spirit that is made from a mash of fermented grains. Let’s break that down. As you must know by now simply by surviving college, liquor is different from beer and wine. It is stronger, more expensive, and will cause a massive headache if consumed in large quantities without Waffle House to soak it up. But did you know that at some point in the process of distillation, all three are basically...

The election season is upon us and the requisite attack ads and name calling has begun. I prefer a more positive approach to dealing with election year politics. To help you with this, I have compiled the following bourbon pairings with your favorite or not so favorite political candidate. So with a little preparation at your local liquor store, you can be ready to enjoy the next debate, caucus, or primary. My criteria are...

Chad Hartsfield, Owner of ReWicked Candles, discusses the process of turning old bourbon bottles into works of art...

Chocolate and bourbon are deliciously decadent treats, so why not combine them?! This simple cocktail combines two of our favorite treats, for a stunning result. Enjoy...

There is a mystery place on the grounds of the Buffalo Trace distillery complex known simply as Warehouse X. This warehouse, which we recently profiled, is small, holding only 150 barrels. But its impact on Buffalo trace could be enormous. Warehouse X was designed as a home for experiments to reveal how environmental conditions impact bourbon aging. Buffalo Trace recently released some news from the warehouse, including...

The TTB Public COLA database, where federally approved liquor label bottles appear online, can be a a great way to learn about what’s on the mind of distillers and whiskey brands. Take, for example, last year’s appearance of the John E. Fitzgerald Very Special Reserve label months before the actual release of the 20 year old Stitzel-Weller bourbon from Heaven Hill. Now, a new possible bottling has appeared which will be...

Those of us who haven't already bought Valentine's Day gifts may hold out for a blessing from Lady Luck after Kroger's latest announcement. On Friday, the grocery chain will start a drawing for 13 bottles of 10- and 12-year Pappy Van Winkle, with winners selected at 5 p.m. Feb. 13. The raffle is a new promotion for the Louisville division of the company, which received an allocation of the 13 bourbon bottles last fall and has...

Louisville-based Mint Julep Tours is mixing up its own Derby Eve event. The new "Derby Eve Distilled Exclusive Experience" will be held on May 6, the night before Kentucky Derby 142, according to a news release. This one's a bit of a contrast from the tried-and-true parties we've come to expect. It includes an after-hours private distillery tour and tasting at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort.

Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company in Louisville, Kentucky, announced last week the roll out of the Series 1 program, known more commonly as the Kentucky Peerless Distilling $1,000 Bourbon. The latter is a bit of a misnomer- it’s $1,000 to buy into a five-year program that affords participants the opportunity to taste the aging process of Kentucky Peerless Bourbon before it officially hits the shelves. There are 300 spots...

Nestled in the hills of Frankfort, Kentucky, is the oldest continuously operating U.S. distillery: Buffalo Trace. As you drive into the distillery property along a winding, fence-lined road, you can see the Buffalo Trace water tower in the distance, overlooking the property. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you get out of your car, because you’ll immediately be able to smell bourbon in the air. The distillery...

Maker’s Mark takes great pride in the fact that they’re willing to go against the norm and set new standards. They did this in the 1950’s when they opened a distillery to make a single brand of premium bourbon, and recently they did it again with their new single barrel selection of Maker’s Mark 46. I had the honor of being part of the selection team for a barrel for the Party Mart stores in Louisville, Kentucky...

ow that plans for a methane plant in West Louisville are off the table, Heaven Hill has announced new plans for the property at 17th and Maple Streets in the California neighborhood. The distillery says bourbon is such a hot commodity that they will add capacity to meet production demand. wo new warehouses will be built in Nelson County with construction starting in March while Heaven Hill will...

Sales of US spirits increased by 4.1% in value to almost $72bn and 2.13% by volume in 2015, which also marked the sixth straight year that the spirits sector has increased its market share over beer. Strong growth was reported in every whiskey category for the second year, with super premium whiskeys proving particularly popular among American consumers with luxury Bourbon, Scotch, Canadian and Irish whiskeys all recording...

Score big by throwing a Super Bowl 50 party straight out of Bourbon country. You’ll be hosting with a home-field advantage by incorporating Bourbon into your drinks and dishes. We came up with a few of our favorite Bourbon recipes. While your guests may be split between the Broncos or the Panthers – everyone is team Bourbon...

Officials with Diageo PLC have provided an update on the London-based company's $115 million distillery project in eastern Shelby County. The Sentinel-News reports that two of the project's six warehouses have been completed, and the entire project is expected to be finished by the end of this year. The barreling building and the utility building both are under roof, though the buildings are not finished, according to the report..

With the Enterprise’s seventh annual Chili Challenge on the horizon, it’s time to discuss the concoction. This is a recipe that has weathered the test of time in our family, unique yet agreeable to all. The meat can be cut into slices to lie in the bottom of each bowl, or shredded and stirred into the soup. Chili Pork Stew 2 ¼ pounds boneless pork shoulder, at room temperature 1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice...

Nestled in the hills of Frankfort, Kentucky, is the oldest continuously operating U.S. distillery: Buffalo Trace. As you drive into the distillery property along a winding, fence-lined road, you can see the Buffalo Trace water tower in the distance, overlooking the property. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you get out of your car, because you’ll immediately be able to smell bourbon in the air....

Greg Davis, Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark, talks about how is continuing the tradition that has been set and more about day to day operations. Read Show Notes Below – Today. we go on-site to Loretto to Maker’s Mark Distillery...

CLERMONT, KY–(Marketwired – Jan 28, 2016) – Booker’s® Bourbon, one of the few ultra-premium bourbons available uncut and unfiltered, is proud to announce the first of an anticipated six releases in its 2016 Batch Collection, “Booker’s Bluegrass.” Named in honor of two of founding distiller Booker Noe’s favorite things — whiskey and bluegrass music — this batch features a custom label depicting a banjo, one of the most popular...

Yup, this is going to tick some bourbon loving people off a lot. Elijah Craig 12 Year Old bourbon is no more. There – it has been said. It has been replaced by a non-age statement edition known just as Elijah Craig Small Batch that is bottled in “small batches using Bourbon that has been aged between 8 to 12 years.” Why, might you ask, is owner Heaven Hill Brands monkeying with this? Here is their complete statement...

Developed by master distiller Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve Frosty Four Wood is a blend of American oak-aged Woodford Reserve Bourbon that has been finished in Maple, Sherry and Port oak barrels. A variety of Four Wood whiskey was first launched in 2012 as part of the Brown-Forman-owned brand’s Master’s Collection. This Bourbon was exposed to record-low temperatures during the 2013 Polar Vortex, resulting in...

The American Queen Steamboat Company is once again targeting bourbon lovers with a themed voyage through the heart of bourbon country. Kicking off in St. Louis on July 10, the eight-night Insider's Bourbon Trail sailing on the 436-passenger American Queen will feature a route up the Ohio River to the rolling bluegrass hills region of Kentucky where 95% of the world's bourbon is made. Similar to a bourbon cruise offered...

Beam Suntory has named Olson Engage as its US PR AOR for Jim Beam Bourbon, effective immediately. The firm was selected this month following a competitive review that began in late 2015. Olson SVP Jeremy Mullman said multiple agencies pitched, but he declined to name the rival firms that bid for the account. As the brand’s PR AOR, Olson is working on "consumer engagement and whatever shape that takes through earned media...

When it comes to wine, Gary Gardner, operations manager for Belmont Beverage in Fort Wayne, pretty much sees a consistency among local drinkers with cabernets and pinot grigio. But where he sees tremendous growth and excitement is in whiskey. Especially bourbon. Gardner says bourbon’s popularity has exploded during the last year and is continuing to do so. And the zenith of bourbon just may be Pappy Van Winkle...

A Greenbrier County business is getting global recognition. Smooth Ambler Spirits recently won a competition for the world's best bourbon. "Well, one of the reasons I think we've been so successful is because it tastes really good,” said John Foster, director of sales, and one of the original distillers at Smooth Ambler. Smooth Ambler Spirits in Lewisburg is being rewarded for its quality liquors. The distillery's Old Scout...

Cheesecake is usually served cold. So brace yourself for something a little different. The first time I made this recipe, I pulled it out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool. The plan was to chill it overnight in the refrigerator. But my dear daughter just couldn't wait to dig in. So I handed her a spoon. And when she started babbling with delight, I tried it, too. It was ridiculously good. So good that I now...

Bourbon tourism is on a record-setting pace in Kentucky as more people visit the state's distilleries. The Kentucky Distillers' Association says nearly 900,000 guests visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour in 2015. KDA President Eric Gregory says the tourism attraction has more than doubled its attendance in five years. Bourbon tourists, on average, spend $1,000 on their trip, according to...

When it comes to craft spirits, they do everything the hard way in Washington State, where the norm is to actually ferment, distill, and age everything they make onsite. For a company like Woodinville Whiskey Company, it must have been madding to sit and wait for their whiskey to mature while other so-called craft spirit companies like Templeton Rye and Whistle Pig were trucking in merchant whiskey, bottling it...

Bourbon whiskey continues to trend upward, as more and more drinkers eschew clear and imported spirits for a taste of the iconic brown liquor. Production, says the Kentucky Distillers Association, has increased more than 170 percent since 1999. At 1.3 million barrels, production in 2014 reached its highest mark since 1970. That’s one big Kentucky hug. But pretend, for a moment this has less to do with Mila Kunis than it does...

If you follow Bardstown Road for about 30 miles, you’ll end up—sensibly enough—in the town it’s named for: Bardstown. Home of Federal Hill (pictured on the Kentucky quarter and adopted home of Stephen Foster who wrote “My Old Kentucky Home”), voted the Most Beautiful Small Town in America by Rand McNally/USA Today, and known as the Bourbon Capitol of the World, Bardstown is a small town with a big pull. Follow this guide...

Joe Beatrice, founder of Barrell Bourbon, was kind enough to meet with me on a horrendously rainy day in New York City. Over lunch in SoHo, Beatrice jumped right into explaining the story behind Barrell; it quickly became clear to me this man was passionate about his product, and not in the salesman-y way one might assume from a guy with a long-time background in marketing. Beatrice has been in New York since 1984 but has...

Details of the expansion were submitted by Heaven Hill Brands to the Louisville Metro Government on Tuesday. The plans include building an additional 4,600 square foot space to one of the buildings at the distillery. This will house a new beer well, three new fermenters and a new still. Building is expected to start within the next few months and will be carried out by Louisville-based Abel Construction Company. Heaven Hill...

“No, un-uh.” That’s all I get when I ask Jimmy Russell if there’s a timeline for his retirement as master distiller at Wild Turkey Distillery. The 82-year-old just grins so broadly that I wonder if he’s holding back the truth. Or perhaps his grin implies, “Fool, why’d you ask that? Don’t you know me? Sixty-two years here isn’t that long.” Either way, the answer’s the same, and he waits patiently for the next question...

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a boom in American whiskey right now. Led by bourbon, the category has grown 40% in the past decade, with revenue growth of 47% to $2.7 billion in 2014. The International Wine and Spirits Review forecasts 20% growth in the next five years. Supply can hardly keep up with demand, leading to shortages of the amber liquid in top markets across the country. And it’s the favorite way for pop culture...

Brown-Forman Corporation has received an initial go-ahead from city regulators to start major work on its Old Forester Distillery and visitors experience project at 117-119 W. Main St. The city issued a building permit Tuesday for the major construction on the project, the cost of which has been estimated at more than $40 million. According to the permit, the four-story project will have 70,300 square feet of space. The permit...

More than 80 different bourbons and whiskeys will be shipped to Liverpool from the US for the county's largest event of its kind. Taking place at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in March, it will involve three tasting events, featuring live music, talks from experts in the bourbon industry and “a few surprises too”. Ross Haslehurst, 34, from Walton, said he and friend Mike - who call themselves 'the Bourbon Brothers' - had...

Fine bourbon aficionados must be aghast with the news. Rather than standing alongside other prized premium selections displayed on spirit shelves of collectors and connoisseurs wealthy enough to afford them, more than two dozen bottles of 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve bourbon may be headed for destruction. If it happens, it will bring a tear to the eye for those with a taste for this rare brand of Kentucky’s...

One corner of the limestone building is taken up by a maze of pipes, extending from the floor up through the tall ceiling. Although still under construction, the facility will be in full production in just a few weeks, producing Missouri bourbon for the first time in decades at the McCormick Distilling Co. “When you have the distilling heritage, the bourbon heritage, that we have, to not be using it is a shame...

Warehouse X stands alone at the top of a hill, separated from the rest of the Buffalo Trace Distillery's buildings. From a distance, it looks more like a shed than a bourbon warehouse; a place to store tools, not upwards of 20,000 barrels. But the small, strongly-secured structure isn't something to be overlooked. In fact, the $1 million investment is home to possibly the distillery's largest experiment to date, a scientific...

New Orleans' reputation for all things drinking got a boost when its signature liquor company made a major acquisition Thursday (Jan. 14). The family-owned Sazerac Co. has acquired Southern Comfort from Brown-Forman Corp. as part of a $543.5 million deal that also includes the Tuaca liqueur brands, according to a statement from Brown-Forman. Sazerac president and CEO Mark Brown told The Associated Press his family-owned...

Fans of Wendell Berry, Hunter S. Thompson, Bobbie Ann Mason and Barbara Kingsolver — to name just a few — know that Kentucky’s bluegrass is just as vital a source for language and stories as it is for thoroughbreds and cash crops. Our annual book review begins with some familiar Kentucky products. Katherine Black’s “Row by Row” takes an expansive view of gardening in her collection of essays, as bourbon expert Fred Minnick...

“What is the perfect age for bourbon?” is almost an unanswerable question. Or rather, there are so many different answers it may as well be. There are certainly whiskey lovers who believe older bourbon is better, but there are just as many folks out there who enjoy 8-12 year old bourbon just fine. The Whiskey Wash has asked before whether older bourbon really is better, so now we want to know: what makes bourbon the perfect...

Jim Beam, which back in 2014 partnered with actress Mila Kunis to promote its popular bourbon label, is back with a just announced new commercial highlighting Kunis doing her American whiskey thing. One has to assume the previous ads have done quite well in the partnership between the two, and from the looks of this new ad I would expect this trend will continue. The commercial, which you can watch below, is a 30 second...

Marking the second major investment for the US venture capital firm, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery will continue to operate independently, producing, marketing and selling its own products. Constellation Brands launched Constellation Ventures in August last year to identify small-scale investment opportunities related to “innovative concepts” and “emerging categories”. The unit made its first investment with bottled cocktail...

To think two years ago Bulleit was barely a global brand. Now look at her fly. What’s even more staggering is that the Diageo whiskey is little more than a recipe – a good recipe, our polled bartenders think, but a recipe. It is actually produced at Kirin’s Four Roses, but don’t worry pilgrims, the Bulleit distillery and brand home is coming. Hallelujah to that. For now, Diageo will have to make do with having the...

A ‘spirit’ helps preserve the memory of one of Madison County’s finest — Cassius Clay Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The bottles of eight-year-old, 100-proof straight bourbon whiskey hit the shelves in October 2015 and are helping to educate the Commonwealth about our beloved-yet-eccentric abolitionist, one pour at a time. The whiskey has three differing labels that each feature a historic tale about the politician who was known...

The Bourbon Classic returns to Louisville from Feb. 23 to 27 for the fourth year. Highlights will include the Bourbon Classic Top Shelf culinary experience featuring Julian and Preston Van Winkle and chef Sean Brock of Husk Restaurant of Charleston, S.C., and Nashville serving pairings inspired by Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon. The Bourbon Classic Cocktail challenge returns, as does Bourbon Classic University. At the Bourbon...