by bourbonv » Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:20 am
It is Sunday morning and I have more time now to describe the dinner at the bistro. It was a modest gathering with BourbonJoe, Fricky, Gayle Hack, Lenell, Greg, BrendaJ, JDKnaebel, Chuckmick, John and Linda Lipman, Drew Kulsveen, his sister Brit and her husband Hunter and myself in attendance. We were often joined by people from the Bistro including John and Jason, the owners. The lovely Margo was our server and Kerry was behind the bar.
There were many things to drink. Several of us started with something from behind the bar and with a menu of over 130 bourbons, ryes and Tennessee whiskeys to choose from, everybody found something to suit their taste for the night. We adjourned to the outdoor patio, which got a little cool after darik but not bad as long as you were wearing a light jacket. JD pulled out an Old Ironsides decanter of Old Fitzgerald from 1972. I brought along for tasting purposes Old Charter 80 proof wheated bourbon for the Japanese grocery store market from about 1993, Van Winkle 13 yo rye from the very first year, Cabin Still from 1965, Eagle Rare single barrel and a small bottle of Rebel Yell 90 proof. Brend had some white dog from a small distiller she knows about, John had some whiskeys from some small distiller he knew about and visited in the last year or so. Kerry made a mint julep using the recipe he is using for the Early Times Mint Julep competition this week during the Derby Festival, except he substituted Michters for Early Times in honor of Fricky and BourbonJoe coming from Pennsylvania. Everybody had a meal and plenty to drink followed by cigars for those who endulge in such things. We toasted the Bourbon's Bistro's first anniversary and drankm one to thosse of you who could not join us.
People started filtering out about 11:00 but some of us lasted to closer to midnight. JD was still in the bar with Jason and John when I left at about a quarter till twelve.
I hope we can make these dinners a tradition and some of you will join us again on the Wednesday before the Bourbon Festival in September.
Mike Veach
Mike Veach
"Our people live almost exclusively on whiskey" - E H Taylor, Jr. 25 April 1873