Bourbon, the first uniquely American distilled spirit, is nearly synonymous with Kentucky, its birthplace. The region conjures images of verdant hills of bluegrass, rolling pastures punctuated like an intricate quilt with horse farms’ defining white fences, cold bourbon cocktails sweating in the sun, and hundreds of well-dressed racegoers urging their steeds of choice to the finish line—all culminating into one distinctive southern heritage.
However, bourbon has come a long way since it was first distilled in the late 1700s, and its popularity and refinement have never been greater. At the same time, southern cuisine has evolved to keep up with bourbon’s evolution through once unheard-of collaborations between kitchen and bar, a renewed interest in seasonal local ingredients, and the influence of the delicious food traditions of the region’s growing migrant populations.
This book distills the spirit and hospitality—both new and old—of great southern food and drink into 90 accessible recipes designed to help you achieve the ease and elegance of Bourbon Country entertaining in your own home. Arranged by the kind of traditional fare you’d find on a Kentucky table—pickles, vegetables, ancient grains, bounties from the barnyard, bourbon cocktails, and more—these recipes pay homage to the rituals and victuals of yesteryear while embracing the new southern palate and the flavors of modern Kentucky bourbon.