So a couple Kentucky Derbys (or is it Derbies?) ago I thought it would be clever to make Mint Juleps for June and I and our Derby guests Rick and Trish. I had no idea what was in a Julep and was quite surprised to learn it was made with bourbon – a liquor I had never tasted and was certain I would hate. The first sip was rough, but bourbon seems to be one of those things that gets better with practice. By the third (a process which took way longer than the horse race) both Rick and I were bourbon converts. June and Trish – not so much.
Fast forward a couple of years and I have sampled a number of bourbons – from the pedestrian Maker’s Mark to the exquisite Blanton’s. One of my go-tos has been Widow Jane and it was a pleasant surprise to learn from Trish that their distillery is located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. After a delightful visit with Allison, Josh and the kids to the Escher exhibit in Industry City, we took the quick ride ro Red Hook. It was a long day so we didn’t take the tour, but my fellow bourbon aficionado Allison and I did do a tasting of their Heirloom flight, consisting of their younger, less aged bourbons. Not bad, although I did leave with a bottle of their traditional, small batch bourbon, it was lovely to see where the magic happens.
Suggested by Trish Carpenter
Completed 1/19/19