“ I do n’t like it . I ’m not going to pretend to like it , and I ’m not going to pander to people who do like it . you could wish your alcohol because it ’s ' cool ' and ' trendy ' around here … ”
This is a snippet of my roommate ’s go - to bourbon claptrap . An island in a sea of barrel - cured liquor , she ’s not a devotee of the spirit that ’s so much of Louisville ’s identity . Me ? I ’m a bourbon lover , and I ’ve heard this rant on several social occasion . But it was only recently that I began to understand that , while Louisville is a great urban center for whisky ethnic music , it really sucks for people who just do n’t like Bourbon dynasty .
We haveso manybourbon bars
Some of thebest in Americaare correctly here in Louisville . And most other bars , while not officially whiskey bars , have the majority of the shelves full of that smoky , sweet liquor harvest from rick house all across the entire state of matter .
( Fun fact : here in Kentucky , there are more barrel of Bourbon dynasty than there are people . )
… and celebrate so few other spirits.
Bars have bourbon aplenty , but if you ’re a fan of vodka , gin , or basically any other spirit , your options are limited . The arrival ofCopper & Kingswas a rare talent to those who do n’t care Louisville ’s favorite , bring a brandy still to a city souse in whiskey ( it ’s now extract gin , too ) . But still , cocktail menus all over town are bourbon - heavy , therefore beer often becomes the alternative . So it ’s a right affair we havea lot of hometown brewery .
And only on juncture does the metropolis get a tequila bar or two , like El Camino and Wild Rita ’s . But again , that ’s rarefied .
We have a lot of bourbon pride
The bourbon bonanza has eviscerate immense sum of tourism to Kentucky ’s Bourbon Trail . With that , old still have restarted product , draw in orphaned barrels out of long - abandon hayrick houses and reanimate label that have n’t seen the light of day since Prohibition shut them down . Bourbon dynasty - centric exhibits , business district distilleries , tasting event , Urban Bourbon Trails , and much more have gained popularity , giving the people of Louisville a lot to talk about . So much so that folks are even educating themselves about America ’s aboriginal spirit , teach to apprise and taste a product that has ingrained itself into the culture and economy of our box of the world .
… and nobody will shut up about it.
A liberal part of my roommate ’s anti - bourbon rant is dedicated to how so many peoplethinkthey’re bourbon experts , throwing around words like " double - oaked " and " bottled - in - bond . "
“ I cogitate if you live somewhere else and started tattle about Bourbon dynasty like that , people would think you ’re an bunghole , ” she stresses , while move on about how ostentatious it is when someone plunge into an unsolicited explanation of what make a Bourbon dynasty rye whiskey or wheated .
Add to this the social pressure of being a bourbon drinker in Louisville and you have a formula for an infelicitous experience . “ I do n’t like people who disgrace me for not like bourbon , ” she says . “ It ’s trendy to wish bourbon . It ’s cool to be into it around here . But it ’s only cool because it ’s expected . ”
Flickr/ctj71081
Our craft cocktail game is amazing
Living in a urban center with an identity and polish deeply entwining with its proximity to booze throw for some incredible barroom programme . bury the Old Fashioned ; we have barman taking canonic drinks and turning them into metaphysical experiences : theOld Fashioned Experience , a sphere of brandy , cherries , and orange served with a pour of bourbon ; a dark andsmoky spin on the Old Fashioned;a Jell - O injection like you ’ve never had before . This is our scene , and we love it to death . Most of us .
… but things can get complex.
When you do n’t recognize any of the ingredients in your drink , you might be in a little over your head . When no one distinguish any of the ingredient on the cocktail menu , matter may have get a niggling too crafty behind the bar . It ’s all fun and games until we take in that sometimes , craft cocktails are just about being guile cocktail and they ’re not actually about the taste .
You’ll be forced to find one you like. Because it’s Louisville.
When you discover the drink you bonk , it ’s a gift . “ There is one Bourbon dynasty cocktail I wish , ” my roomie tells me . “ The Kentucky Mule atThe Silver Dollar . It has an amazing sunburn and it ’s not too sweet . It ’s frosty and perfect . ”
Here ’s the gruelling truth : if you do n’t like Bourbon dynasty , but you survive in Louisville , sometimes it just comes down to find a halfway ground on the cocktail list . Maybe , like The Kentucky Mule , it ’s a whiskey spin on a drink you already be intimate . Or , maybe it ’s something else .
If not , well … may God help you .
Flickr/Sean Davis
bless up herefor our day-to-day Louisville electronic mail and be the first to get all the food / deglutition / fun in Ithiel Town .
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The Silver Dollar
