covington

Bill Whitlow, owner and bartender at Rich’s Proper Food and Drink in downtown Covington, shares his recipe for “Bluegrass Embargo,” which won the 2016 Kentucky Woodford Manhattan Experience competition.

“It’s a nice, rich bourbon cocktail,” says Whitlow. “Usually, for a competition cocktail you go one of two ways: screaming in one direction or very balanced. This is very balanced.”

“It’s definitely spirit forward,” he says. “But the house-infused maple syrup gives it a rich depth of sweetness, without tasting too sweet. The maple syrup gives the cocktail body and texture without tasting like a bunch of sugar.” Citrusy Benedictine and earthy bitters add complex layers of flavor to the cocktail.

Bold bourbon flavors mingle with earthy and sweet notes. “You go through the layers of flavor one at a time and the finish holds onto the dark depth of maple flavor,” says Whitlow. “I wanted to recreate two favorite things in this cocktail: drinking a glass of Kentucky bourbon and smoking a Cuban cigar. That was the original inspiration.”

Bluegrass Embargo

Ingredients

1.5 oz. Woodford Reserve

0.5 oz. Benedictine

1 bar spoon house-infused maple syrup*

2 dashes Crude Orange & Fig Bitters

2 dashes 18.21 Tobacco & Leather Bitters

Ice

1 chocolate-covered cherry

*The maple syrup used in this award-winning cocktail is smoked and infused with clove, cardamon, and vanilla then torched to caramelize it. Though it will yield different results, home bartenders can substitute pure maple syrup for a drink that’s still delicious with lower risk of fire.

Preparation

Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass

Add ice and stir

Strain into a rocks or coupe glass

Zest with the peel of a blood orange

Garnish with a chocolate covered cherry

A Southern-inspired restaurant and bar in Covington’s central business district that’s a member of The B Line, Rich’s Proper Food & Drink offers an array of craft cocktails, craft beer, curated wines, and an expansive collection of more than 300 bourbons and American whiskies. 

frankfort

Dave Sandlin, founder and proprietor of House of Commons: A Bourbon Library in downtown Frankfort, shares his recipe for a clarified paper plane cocktail.

The paper plane is a modern variation of the classic cocktail the Last Word. By clarifying the drink, Sandlin retains the beautiful balance between bitter, sour, and herbal notes while softening its harsh, astringent edges for a smooth drinking experience.

“Light and refreshing, it tastes kind of like a SweeTart,” says Sandlin. “Tart lemon citrus and sour flavors mingle with some herbaceous notes while the Buffalo Trace Bourbon brings brightness with oak, caramel, and vanilla flavors.”

“We don’t do batch cocktails,” says Sandlin. “So this is our first foray into a drink that’s prepared in advance.” Milk is used to clarify the paper plane. Sandlin explains: “Milk binds polyphenols to trap and subsequently filter out molecules that contain undesirable bitter, tannic, or astringent flavor characteristics in the cocktail.” The mixture is strained to separate the clarified cocktail from the curdled milk. “You can see through it, as opposed to a usual paper plane,” he says. “It has a yellowish tinge and silky mouthfeel.”

Clarified Paper Plane

Ingredients

1 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon

1 oz. Peychaud’s Aperitivo

1 oz. Amaro Montenegro

1 oz. lemon juice

1 oz. whole milk, room temperature

0.6 oz. water

Preparation

Mix the first five ingredients together then and slowly pour that mixture into a wide-mouthed mason jar (or equivalent) that contains the milk.

Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator overnight in the sealed container.

Strain the mixture into a clean container through a quality coffee filter (such as Chemex) to remove the milk curds and filter the cocktail. Note: Sandlin has found it is important to dampen the filter first, although any residual water should be discarded to avoid diluting the cocktail.

Pour the chilled and filtered cocktail over a large-format ice cube or sphere into a rocks glass.

Garnish with an orange peel.

House of Commons: A Bourbon Library is a bourbon-centric bar that aims to showcase Kentucky distillers of bourbon as well as other spirits. In addition to straight pours and tasting flights, ten cocktails are featured that change each season to incorporate seasonal ingredients. Interpretations of an Old-Fashioned and Manhattan can linger on the menu, and a coffee-based cocktail in some form is always available. 

bardstown

Mara Hartings, bar manager at Bardstown Bourbon Company, located on 100 acres of farmland in Bardstown, shares her recipe for a barrel-aged old fashioned.

“It’s our most popular cocktail and we have the biggest barrel-aged program around,” she says. “Our barrel-aged old fashioned is do-able at home; you can buy your own little barrel, put the ingredients in it, and let it sit. It’s very tasty—some people say it’s amazing.”

“We like ours more whiskey forward and don’t go crazy with sugar,” says Hartings. “Barrel-aging the cocktail adds more oak flavoring, plus you can personalize it. We release seasonal versions, including one with strawberry-thyme syrup, one with peaches, and I’m waiting to release a batch that uses Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes for some Christmastime fun.” Whenever you visit, current versions of this cocktail are on the menu at the distillery’s bar, restaurant, and also available in a two-serving to-go glass container.

Consider this recipe a set of guidelines, but if you feel inspired to make adjustments go for it. “We do different batches, each barrel has a different flavor profile,” says Hartings. “At Bardstown Bourbon Company it’s a collaborative thing where employees come up with different flavors.” As one idea, for a fruitier cocktail Hartings says that you might swap the water for cranberry juice. Options abound!

Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned

The barrels used at Bardstown Bourbon Co. hold 156 liters of whiskey, so this recipe has been scaled down with a five-liter barrel in mind. Adjust as needed for the barrel you choose to use.

Ingredients

half-gallon whiskey, such as Bardstown Bourbon Company’s white label

1/4-gallon rich simple syrup*

1/8-gallon of water

4-5 dashes bitters

* To make rich simple syrup, combine 2 parts demerara sugar with 1 part water and simmer until sugar is dissolved; cool to room temperature

Preparation

Pour ingredients into barrel; leave enough empty space in the barrel so that you can shake the contents immediately, and then periodically during the aging process.

Let it sit 3-6 months; taste upon occasion to test and once you think “yum!” it’s ready.

Pour into rocks glass over ice, stir.

Garnish with an orange zest or however you wish to compliment your recipe.

Note that the barrel may be reused multiple times.

Bardstown Bourbon Company is a modern distillery that boasts award-winning distilled spirits as well as innovative culinary and beverage programs. It was named Worldwide Whiskey Producer of the Year by International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 2023. The bar menu features a collection of fresh and sustainable cocktails. The vintage whiskey library houses over 400 bourbons and ryes dating back to 1892; a guided tasting features an exclusive flight of three one-ounce vintage pours.