Right out of the Barrel

Nothing says Kentucky like Bourbon

An act of congress in 1964 declared Bourbon to be “America’s Native Spirit” and its official distilled spirit. Most bourbons are distilled in Kentucky and it is widely believed that only Kentucky whiskey can be called Bourbon. Kentucky produces 95% of the world’s bourbon, and to be called bourbon, it must be made in the US, contain at least 51% corn mash, and be distilled at 160 proof , then at 124 proof, then be put into charred white oak barrels for aging. The aging process takes 2 years. The resulting whisky is caramel in color with the flavor of vanilla and fruit. No other state can use the name Bourbon, even if it is made with sour mash, as the Kentuckians make it.

How it all began

Around 1780, early Scotch and Irish settlers and their descendants brought their whiskey making skills to America. Many of them settled in Kentucky and became farmers. They soon set about growing crops for their subsistence. Since corn was a native crop, it was grown abundantly in Kentucky, at that time. After a while, these frontier farmers began distilling their surplus corn and producing a new kind of whiskey. Distilling is the process of removing the alcohol from the corn mash by by heating it and capturing the vapor, which contains alcohol and flavor. According to legend, a Baptist preacher of Scottish heritage, who had come to Kentucky in 1786, aged his whiskey in barrels that had been charred on the inside. This whiskey had a better, smoother taste, along with a distinctive amber color.

One of the three original counties in Kentucky was Bourbon County, established in 1785 when Kentucky was still a part of Virginia. Bourbon was named after Bourbon County, where it was first distilled in 1789. Farmers soon began shipping it from the port on the Ohio River in Bourbon County, down the Mississippi River to New Orleans in Oak barrels, used as shipping containers. The whiskey aged during shipment and its flavor was mellowed by the oak wood. This Bourbon County corn whisky grew in popularity, and by the early 1800s, corn whiskey, produced in other parts of central Kentucky, came to be known as Bourbon whiskey.

A group of distillers became legendary in the area: “Jacob Beam brought his family from Maryland in the late 1780s and started his first distillery in Washington County. Dr. James Crow (Old Crow), arrived in Kentucky in 1823 from Scotland, developed the process of making Bourbon known as the “sour mash method” in 1835. Basil Hayden began distilling whiskey in Kentucky as early as 1796. T. W. Samuels turned his family’s Nelson County farm into a distillery in 1844. Elijah Pepper set up a still near Frankfort in 1778. A grand-nephew of President Zachary Taylor, Col. Edmund H. Taylor, Jr., who began his career in 1867, pioneered the “Bottled in Bond Act” which was passed by Congress in 1897.” (taken from Buffalo Trace Distillery historical notes).

The Bourbon Trail: Kentucky’s modern distilleriesKnown as the Bourbon Trail, a 60 mile corridor winds though some of the most beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky. Along this corridor are situated Seven of America’s oldest and finest distilleries woven into a landscape of horse farms, racetracks, and a golfcourse designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The seven distilleries are: Maker’s Mark, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Four roses, Jim Beam, and Woodford Reserve. If you take a tour down the trail, each distillery will take you though the entire bourbon making process, including tasting. At every distillery, you will find a bar, eatery and gift shop.

At Maker’s Mark, as each bottle of bourbon is purchased, it is dunked into a tub of hot wax to encase the bottle cap in it’s well-known red seal. This is the last stage before boxing. Just before you leave, you will be treated to a glass of their finest bourbon and taught a little about tasting. As the visitors gather at the bar to taste, the bourbon tour guide will often be heard saying ” It’s okay to choke on the first sip. But you gotta smile after the second.”

Mint Juleps

Kentucky takes pride in its traditional Mint Julep, made with Kentucky Bourbon. It is always made with fresh mint, bourbon and plenty of crushed or shaved ice. It grew out of Kentucky traditions and the Kentucky Derby. But, ever since plantation days when gentlemen farmers started the day with a similar sweet and herbal drink made with rum or whisky, many other southern states also lay claim to the drink, including North Carolina and Virginia. I am not fond of Mint Juleps. I don’t drink, but even if I did, I wouldn’t drink them. However: I do know how to make them and, if you’ld like to try one, here’s a good recipe with a little history to boot.

Cooking with Bourbon

Today, Bourbon is used in many recipes. It lends a flavor of vanilla, caramel, charcoal and a light wood taste and works well with both sweet and savory dishes. Similar to brandy in flavor, a good well-aged bourbon can replace brandy in most recipes. Traditionally used in desserts and candy, it’s also frequently used in barbecue sauces, marinade and many main dishes. Some popular uses are in the following dishes: candied yams, bourbon shrimp, bourbon barbecued chicken, beef, or pork, grilled orange/bourbon salmon, apple/bourbon baked ham, various sauces and marinades, sweet potato pie, chocolate/nut pie, coffee/bourbon ice cream shakes, chocolate/bourbon cake, and chocolate candy bourbon balls. Recipes for these dishes and more can be found on the Internet. Beverage and food recipes, using Bourbon, can also be found at The Woodford Reserve Distillery site.

Does the alcohol cook out?

Whether alcohol remains in a finished dish after cooking, and how much, depends on the cooking method. When foods are cooked on high heat for a long period of time, such as soups and stews, the majority of the alcohol evaporates out. Pure alcohol boils at 173 degrees F., a lower temperature than water (212 degrees F.). So, you will find that recipes, which intend for some of the alcohol to remain, will have instructions to add the alcohol near the end of the cooking process so it will not boil out. Obviously, uncooked recipes will retain the majority of the alcohol.

If you are worried about serving a dish cooked with alcohol to a child, alcohol is a naturally-occurring substance in many foods, particularly fruits with a high sugar content such as very ripe apples. The amount used in a recipe is usually very minimal and is spread out over a large volume of food, comparatively-speaking. It is a personal decision, of course, still, it is a good idea for those on anti-abuse medication for alcohol problems to avoid foods cooked with alcohol.

Bourbon Fudge Cake

Bourbon and Kentucky go together like ham and eggs. Until I moved to Louisville, I had no idea there were so many uses for Bourbon besides drinking it. And when I opened my bed and breakfast here and started doing a lot of cooking, breakfast and otherwise, I soon learned that the heady stuff added great flavor to just about everything from Sweet Potatoes to Chocolate Nut Pie…from pork roast, chicken, and Apple Crisp to Kentucky famous Mint Juleps.

A Mint Julep would not be a Mint Julep with the Bourbon. And make no mistake, the kind of Bourbon you use makes a difference too. On the Bourbon Trail, a route which identifies the various Bourbon distilleries throughout Kentucky, visitors get to taste all the different varieties so that they can pick out the one they like the best. In addition, they are taken on a tour though each distillery to see how Bourbon in made and learn about the interesting history.

The various foods enhanced by the flavor of Bourbon are too many to list here. Recipes can be found in many cookbooks and on line. If you’ve never tried it, you have a treat in store for you. I remember the first time I tasted Bourbon sloshed heavily over a fresh fish steak. I was still living in Chicago and was visiting a friend who happened to be a pretty heavy drinker. Not only did he drink the stuff, but he poured it over just about every thing he prepared to eat. He was a wonderful cook, so I trusted him when he told me this was going to be the best fish I ever ate. He was right, of course.

After that, I added Bourbon to my list of condiments and herbs that, added to plain old food, would definitely enhance it and bring out its flavor. Up to that time, I had flavored my cooking mostly with wine, herbs and spices. But now, my pallet had been changed forever. Below is a wonderful Chocolate cake, complete with Kentucky Bourbon. Try it, you’ll love it!

Ingredients for Bourbon Fudge Cake

2 teaspoons cocoa

1 3/4 cups water

2 teaspoons instant espresso

1/4 cup bourbon

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a large bundt pan (10 cup capacity), or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans. Melt chocolate in microwave oven. Let cool. Combine instant espresso and cocoa powder in a measuring cup and add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Stir in whiskey and salt. let cool. Beat softened butter until fluffy (2-3 minutes on high). Add sugar and beat until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on the lowest speed, beat in a third of the whiskey espresso cocoa mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat alternating with whiskey mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake aproximately 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time. Check for doneness with toothpick after 55 minutes). Turn cake out onto a rack and let sit at least 15 moinutes. Unmold and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake before serving.