28.05.2010 20:41:40

Justin Thompson

The Bourbon Review, The Bourbon Chase, and friends joined forces this past Saturday morning, May 22 in an effort to preserve and better the water supply of Kentucky and uphold The Bourbon Review's mission statement by cleaning up a section of Willow Pond at Cherokee Park in Louisville, KY. Cherokee Park was designed, like 18 of Louisville's 123 public parks, by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture. All in all, 16 people joined together for over 3 hours to make a difference in one of Louisville's most beautiful and cherished parks.

Getting instructions from the Olmsted Conservancy Leader that we are about to remove some Japanese Honeysuckle from a section of the park near the Pond.  Japanese Honeysuckle is foreign plant to these parts and proves to be very invasive when not handled properly - often making it difficult for indigenous species to survive.

Sweaty and filthy after the battle with the Japanese Honeysuckle.
The battle was won, but the war wages on!

Email brad@thebourbonreview if you'd like to be put on an email list and contribute any time/resources to these efforts in the future.  As they always say, "every little bit helps!"

27.05.2010 23:17:01

Justin Thompson

The Bourbon Review recently toured the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, VA - makers of Virginia Gentleman Bourbon as well as a new portfolio of Bowman whiskies that were recently launched.

22.09.2009 10:38:13

Bob Eidson

On a recommendation from Tom Bulleit I visited the Edison (above, is a common scene, where some nubile Victorian darling spontaneously busts into a bar-topping cabaret). There I was introduced to a sub-culture known as Steampunk. Neo-Victorian is another phrase that describes the amalgamation of Victorian aesthetic principles with modern sensibilities and technologies. The dark historical interpretations of Steampunk contrast with its forward-looking optimism. In this way, it rejuvenates the will to dream - or even fly - again. Metaphysical questions present themselves in a way that challenges your subscription to western revisionist history. What if the industrial revolution had taken flight? What if John Stuart Mill’s utilitarian themes would have sparked a movement? What is mankind really capable of? Will it take a disassociative suspension of disbelief – like the steampunk sub-culture – to incubate the disruptive forms of innovation that will be responsible for the advancement of mankind? Or is this just an excellent bourbon cocktail and a theatrical representation of a by-gone era with themes that pleasantly recreate my childhood aspirations?

I caught up with Aidan Demarest (pictured above), mixologist at the Edison, and he shared some insight into the use of bourbon in the cocktail menu at the Edison.

B: What’s your favorite cocktail? If possible, please disect this cocktail for me.

A: The Enlightenment.   Edison Select Woodford Reserve (we batched our own barrell) Pomegranite Syrup,  Fresh Lemon Juice Shaken and strained into deep Cocktail glass and topped with Edison Light Beer.  It’s a poor man’s Champagne Cocktail or the Thinking Mans Bourbon and a Beer.  You Decide.  Created by Aidan Demarest

B: It seems like mixology is like trying to pour dry concrete. Ingredients mix best at higher temperatures – yet so many drinks are served with ice, either chipped or cubed. How do you overcome the inherent limitations in ingredients that do not want to mix in the conventional sense?

A: There are very few ingredients for a cocktail that cannot be balanced by an opposite.  The key is discovering the pairings.  The type of ice makes a big difference as well, are you looking to give it a clean chill or bust up the drink a little with good shaker of chipped ice.  Here in lies the basis of Mixology  , transforming 2, 3 or 8 ingredients into one cocktail that is a journey for the pallete.

B: What is your background?

A: I have been working in all aspects of the business for 20 years. I was a Boston first then Hollywood old school pump and dump bartender, before I started managing and building bar programs.  The last 5 years the bar business turned from a way to make a quick buck for artists and students to a carefully honed craft of social and chemical mixers. I am not a Mixologist as a Spirits Director , I bring together people who are, and people who are interesting.  It’s a delicate balance of people who make the bar come to life.  A bar is just a roomful of bottles and bartenders without the right program.  It’s really an exciting time.  Makes me happy I didn’t do better in School. 

B: If I’ve tried everything on the Edison cocktail menu (which I have), and I’m in the mood for something I haven’t yet tried, what would you pour?

A: Moscow Mule.

Edison Cocktail Enlightenment Steam

26.06.2009 00:26:45

Justin Thompson

Statue of Booker Noe who was the creator of Booker's Bourbon and former Jim Beam Master Distiller who ushered in the premium-bourbon category to the company.


It's time to add another bourbon label to the "almost impossible to get" list. Our friend Chelsea Cummings at Qorvis PR just recently sent us a package containing a special bottle of Knob Creek. The bottle was so meticulously packaged you would think they were sending some of Fred Noe's (Jim Beam's great-grandson and current Jim Beam distiller) personal stash. But no. The foam enclosed, wax sealed bottle of Knob Creek was empty. This is Knob Creek's kind way of saying, "We're almost out." Apparently, the popularity of Knob Creek has risen past its supply. Along with the bottle was a letter from Knob Creek's president, Bill Newlands, explaining that certain markets will experience shortages over the next few months. Newlands stresses in the letter that the integrity of Knob Creek will remain (aged no less than 9 years) and that they would not compromise the bourbon's quality by adding lesser aged bourbon to meet demand. We would like to salute Jim Beam and the people at Knob Creek for avoiding the temptation to use the Knob Creek name with lesser aged bourbon. Distilling bourbon is a delicate process and can not be rushed if quality is a distiller's goal. This patience is one of the main factors that has allowed Knob Creek to become (what they claim) the #1 Super-Premium bourbon sold in volume.

Knob Creek | Booke Noe | Jim Beam | Bourbon shortage