Bourbon

I would not put Booker's below Woodford. It's up there with Blanton's (which is my personal favorite, having never had the opportunity to try Pappy).

Bulleit makes a damn good, reasonably priced rye as well. I love it.

 

I'll put in another vote for Bulleit. I recently tried the Bulleit 10-year and like the regular stuff better, especially when considering the difference in price. I also usually have Eagle Rare at home. It's another very solid bourbon for around $30.

 

Maker's, Maker's, more Maker's.

I bought a bottle of Buffalo Trace a couple of weeks ago on a flyer, and was highly disappointed. I took 2, maybe 3, drinks and gave the bottle away.

 

That's shocking to me.

 

Corner Creek is another good one.

 

I'm not just a Maker's Mark girl...I'm a Maker's Mark Ambassador. Their ambassador program, which is free, is pretty darn sweet. Gives you updates on new products. You get your name on a plate on a barrel of bourbon. When that bourbon is ready to be bottled, they give you the option to purchase a bottle from your barrel. They also send you freebies a few times a year...I have Maker's Mark business cards somewhere around here, I have a sweater for my Maker's Mark bottles (no I'm not kidding). Last year, they sent me joke gift boxes for Christmas that came in handy for wrapping. It's definitely a fun program.

I've been to the Maker's Mark distillery four times. I've been to Wild Turkey twice, Woodford twice, Jim Beam once (skip this one if you're doing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it's lame), Buffalo Trace once, Four Roses once. My next go-tos are Four Roses and Woodford Reserve.

But Maker's Mark will always and forever be my bourbon.

 

$18 for Red Stag will last me a couple of months as I'm not a heavy drinker or a high-end drinker. I drink it straight. I just like the taste.

 

Will you marry me?

 

Add another Maker's disciple here, having been introduced to it at the 1993 Metro tournament in Louisville, where it was coming out of the faucets.

Evan Williams is a surprisingly drinkable lower-tier bourbon -- that's what I get when I don't like spending a lot of money on the stuff.

I'll drink about most any bourbon except Beam; it has a weird taste at the end that makes me gag. Can't abide by it.

As for mixing bourbon: I'm not one of the hardcores that believes bourbon above Ten High class should never be mixed. Obviously the truly good stuff (Pappy) should not. But some people will act as though mixing Maker's is like diluting God's tears with toothpaste spit. Good bourbon can make good cocktails. You just want to make sure to use good mixers and accompanying alcohols.

But then I just dropped 150 bucks on various moonshines, so take my advice with a grain of salt and a full glass of store-brand sour mix.

 

I have some Elijah Craig 12 at home, I can't afford Pappy and even if I did, I couldn't find a bottle for sale.

The Craig is okay and I'm working through it. It does make a helluva glaze on fried food though.

Just mix equal amounts of real maple syrup with the Craig with a chopped up jalapeno, no seeds, and cook for a few minutes, then toss in a bowl with fried food, right out of the fry daddy.

Good stuff.

 

For a very tasty, easy and relatively healthy dessert, open up and can of pineapple rings and spread them out in a baking dish. Pour a few ounces of decent bourbon over them, sprinkle with sugar in the raw and put it in a 400-degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Finish it under the broiler for about a minute.


Edited to add: If you are serving to kids you might want to give it a few extra minutes in the oven just to make sure you cook the alcohol out.