Bourbon Classic 2023 Recap | Alcohol Professor

The tenth annual Bourbon Classic has concluded in Louisville, Kentucky. New this year was the venue, the Hyatt Regency Louisville. Early Bourbon Classics were held at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, and as the festival has expanded it has taken place at The Henry Clay and Louisville Slugger Field. The layout for this year’s festival was the best and the simplest by far, with the majority of the festivities taking place all on one floor.

Top Shelf

Bourbon Cocktails photo courtesy Kriech Higdon

Kicking off the Bourbon Classic festivities is the Top Shelf event featuring Pappy Van Winkle and Van Winkle Family Reserve whiskeys. This event has taken place at the 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville in the art gallery for the last several years. Preston Van Winkle pours his whiskeys for guests, who each receive a ticket for Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year Bourbon, Van Winkle Family Reserve 12 Year Bourbon, and Pappy Van Winkle 15 & 20 year old Bourbons. The chefs from 21C prepare unique food parings to accompany the whiskeys while guests explore the art galleries.

Savor

Bourbon glass photo courtesy Kriech Higdon

The second night of Bourbon Classic events is Savor, a three-course dinner that took place at Angel’s Envy Distillery on Main Street in Louisville. The evening was hosted by Angel’s Envy Master Distiller Owen Martin and featured food from local restaurant La Chasse paired with Angel’s Envy cocktails. Guests were also treated to an after-hours tour of the distillery.

Meanwhile, in Bardstown, a second dinner took place at The Kitchen Table on the Jim Beam Clermont campus. This dinner was hosted by Fred Noe and included food and Bourbon pairings as well as the opportunity for guests to purchase limited availability bottles upon departure.

Cocktail & Culinary Challenge

Friday night at The Bourbon Classic has something for everyone. Distilleries choose teams of local chefs and bartenders to compete in a two-part cocktail and small plate challenge. The first round is for classic pairings and the second round is for contemporary pairings. A panel of judges evaluates the cocktails and small plates in front of the live audience, who are also trying the cocktails and small plates. It’s the kind of event that showcases not only the best culinary and mixology talent in the state, but also shows what they can do under a strict timetable while also being judged on the quality of their output.

This is a great event for people who don’t want to drink their whiskey neat. The cocktails range from classic, such as whiskey sours and old fashioneds, to esoteric and defying categorization. The small plates follow suit.

Chefs and mixologists are tasked with creating unique parirings that make use of as many local ingredients as possible. Meats, vegetables, spices, and more are often sourced from local farms and businesses, including Bourbon Barrel Foods and Freedom Run Farm.

This Year’s Winners

Judges’ Choice Best Cocktail

Representing Angel’s Envy Distillery

Bartender: Mike Bohn, Angel’s Envy Distillery

Cocktail: Medjool of the Nile

Judges’ Choice Best Small Plate

Representing Angel’s Envy Distillery

Chef Noam Bilitzer, Meesh Meesh Mediterranean

Dish: Freedom Run Smoked Lamb Hummus with Pomegranates, Jerusalem Artichokes, Pine Nuts and Soft Herbs

Featuring: Lamb from Freedom Run Farm

Judges’ Choice Best Pairing

Representing Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.

Bartender: Karla Green, Watch Hill Proper

Cocktail: The Peerless Archivist

Chef Michael Crouch, Watch Hill Proper

Dish: Marksbury Farm’s Pork Belly with Smoked Curry Coconut Cream, Pineapple Togarashi Jam and Cucumber Blossom

Featuring: Pork Belly from Marksbury Farm and Togarashi and Smoked Curry from Bourbon Barrel Food

People’s Choice Best Cocktail

Representing James B. Beam Distilling Co.

Bartender: Tin Le, The Kitchen Table

Cocktail: Straw Hat

People’s Choice Best Small Plate

Representing Horse Soldier Bourbon

Chef Chris Roth, Kentucky International Convention Center

Dish: Lexington Pasta with Bourbon, Bacon and Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli. Served with a Sailor & Smoke Rubbed Berry Farms Brisket Burnt End and Horse Soldier Bourbon Local Honey Demi Cream

Featuring: Special Made Pasta from Lexington Pasta, Brisket from Berry Family Farms and Rub & Marinades from Sailor & Smoke

People’s Choice Best Pairing

Representing Barrell Craft Spirits

Bartender: Oliver Miller, Red Hog Butcher Shop & Restaurant

Cocktail: Smooth Moves

Chef Katie Smith, Red Hog Butcher Shop & Restaurant

Dish: Smoked Red Hog Sausage

Featuring: Pork from Valley Spirit Farm, Mushrooms from Frondosa Farm and Sweet Potatoes from Rootbound Farm

Bourbon University & Taste

The most whiskey-festival-like event of the Bourbon Classic is the Taste event on Saturday night. The evening begins with optional distillery tours or Bourbon University classes. This year’s offiste tours included Stitzel-Weller Distillery, Kentucky Peerless Distillery, Angel’s Envy, and the Buzzard’s Roost tasting room.

Classes were held at the Hyatt Regency in the side rooms surrounding the atrium. They included Sip Back and Meet the Masters with Ross & Squibb, Lux Row, and Limestone Branch, Sipping through Sazerac’s Experimental Whiskies, Balancing Act: Understanding Cocktail Fundamentals with Michter’s featuring Aron Queen and Dallas White, Approaching the Blend with Barrell Craft Spirits featuring Nic Christiansen and Tripp Stimson from Barrell Craft Spirits, The Beam Legacy featuring Fred and Freddie Noe, and The Glencaryn Experience: A Green River Sensory Tasting.

Following these exclusive experiences, many of which featured whiskeys not available to the general public, the doors opened for the Taste portion of the festival. Distilleries and brands from Kentucky and surrounding ares, including Old Carter, Woodford Reserve, Jefferson’s, Kentucky Peerless, Jeptha Creed, Town Branch, Limestone Branch, and Buzzard’s Roost poured their best offerings for thirsty festival-goers. Local chefs Chef Nokee Bucayu from Wiltshire Pantry, Chef Sam Fore from Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, Chef Ming Pu from Brooklyn and the Butcher, and Chef Isaiah Screetch from Spark Community Café provided small bites during this portion of the event.

The Takeaway

Attendance at The Bourbon Classic has grown year-over-year. This is the largest year for attendance so far, and the crowd increasingly seems to be people from out of town who either traveled to Louisville for the festival or who were traveling to Louisville and discovered there was a festival taking place during their trip. For some it was a way to meet and greet folks from all over the industry at one spot, while for others it was a way to experience the hospitality that Kentucky has to offer.

One thing that seems to be overlooked is any sort of mocktails. Wine, water, and soda were available to those uninterested in whiskey, but with the rise in nonalcoholic options available, a mocktail stand would be a great addition to this festival.

Congratulations to The Bourbon Classic for a decade of fun, food, and Bourbon!