Following the collapse of their warehouse last year, Barton 1792 suffered another disaster Tuesday when 120,000 gallons of mash spilled from damaged beer wells, injuring two. Tours resumed Wednesday. Learn more here.  

Woodford Reserve 20th Anniversary Exhibit at Frazier

Woodford Reserve announced their 20th anniversary Derby bottle, designed by Keith Anderson. The first four annual collector’s bottles featured graphics depicting Derby, but the bourbon has featured artists on each bottle since. 

All 20 Derby bottles, all the original artworks used to design the labels, and other artifacts — including specialty glasses and Woodford Reserve’s $1,000 mint julep cups, which are sold on Derby Day for charity — will be on display at at the Frazier History Museum, 829 W Main St., in Woodford Reserve & the Kentucky Derby: Two Decades of Artistry, Bourbon and Horse Racing, a temporary exhibit which opens March 20 and runs for one year within The Spirit of Kentucky®, a large permanent exhibition about the history, craft, and culture of Kentucky bourbon that the Frazier opened last August. (The Frazier  is the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®).

Four Roses Rose Julep Competition

Four Roses continues their annual derby tradition with the Rose Julep competition, which pits bartenders against each other as they develop recipes for spins on the traditional Mint Julep cocktail using Four Roses Single Barrel, Four Roses Small Batch or Four Roses Bourbon, along with an array of unique ingredients. The following finalists have been chosen from about 30 entrants and will face a judge’s panel.

Louisville:

  • Dane Durand, Proof on Main
  • Colleen McCarthy-Clarke, Martini Italian Bistro

Lexington:

  • Oliver Winn, Parlay Social
  • Terry Keith, Goodfellas Wiseguy Lounge

Northern Kentucky:

  • Robert Cate, Hotel Covington
  • Bill Whitlow, Rich’s Proper Food & Drink

The public is also invited to help judge the entries by casting their votes for the “People’s Choice” category at the Festival Unveiled and the Rose Julep Cocktail Competition at Mellwood Arts Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave., Tickets cost $40 in advance and can be purchased online. This event will begin at 5 p.m.

Photography: Woodford Reserve bottle artist Keith Anderson, courtesy of Woodford Reserve.