Kentucky’s finest distilleries, restaurants, and farms took center stage at The Bourbon Classic’s Cocktail & Culinary Challenge last Friday. Louisville, Kentucky’s best restaurants teamed with distilleries to compete for the coveted Bourbon Classic barrel heads.
Each restaurant and bourbon brand team created two bourbon cocktails and two small plates, one classic and one contemporary, using Kentucky Proud ingredients to craft delicious drinks and dishes. With a field of 10 teams, the judges of the 20 total cocktails and small plates certainly had their work cut out.
The pairings were judged by an expert panel consisting of Chef Robert Bleifer (Vice President, Food Network), Sam Slaughter (Food and Drink Editor, The Manual), and Molly Wellman (Bartender and Owner, Myrtle’s Punch House and Japps Since 1879).