Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler wrote this fascinating melange of facts and fun. Ms. Stevens has a background with bourbon, being founder of the Bourbon Women Association and the first female master bourbon taster in the world. Susan Reigler is a former restaurant critic for the Louisville-Courier Journal and a current correspondent for Bourbon + and American Whiskey magazines. She also has written other books on the subject. There's a lot of ideas and suggestions for bourbon parties but these can be adapted for other parties too. A plus is that the authors offer suggestions for gatherings for all year round and of course the big Kentucky event - the Kentucky Derby. Ms. Stevens and Ms. Reigler give suggestions for both formal and informal gatherings. Bourbon enthusiasts will love this book because it shows how to set up a bourbon bar. There is even a floor plan, perfect if you have enough room or a big yard.Since this is the South , there are also suggestions about sending out the perfect invitation which is crucial to any Antebellum do.I love the coffee table book photographs of classic glassware and silverware along with the decorations - which Ms. Stevens and Ms. Reigler offer where to buy them.
As for the recipes they give some that I'm familiar with such as burgoo, a Kentucky classic. I'm surprised and just a little disappointed that there were no recipes for that Louisville classic, the Hot Brown. Many have bourbon as part of the ingredients as Granny Hunter's Bourbon Tenderloin or Chicken and Country Ham Crepes with a Bourbon Sauce. Since the drink itself is a mash of fermented corn , there is a slight sweetness there that makes it an ideal ingredient. It gives kick to the acorn squash recipe, that flavored up with brown sugar and butter. This would be the perfect Thanksgiving side to a turkey. There's also the intriguing asparagus with bourbon Hollandaise. A tablespoon of the drink is added to tradition Hollandaise sauce along with chopped tomatoes!!! Desserts also get a touch of it. There is a bourbon pineapple pound cake that requires just a store or bakery bought pound cake with a sauce of bourbon, brown sugar and grilled pineapple. Of course there are the bourbon cocktails which all sound so interesting. There is the traditional Bold Old, a bourbon mix spiked with bitters along with a Baked Apple Pie Old Fashioned that combines apple brandy and cinnamon whiskey with bourbon and maple syrup.
Which Fork Do I Use With My BOurbon : Setting The Table FOr Tastings , Food Pairings, Dinners and Cocktail Parties is the book we need for right now. It give us the thrilling expectation that we can throw parties again. It's also perfect for those bourbon lovers looking to plan a summer of good drinks and good eats.
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