Although there are federal laws that discourage you from making Bourbon in your back yard (or up in the holler near your great-uncle’s cabin), there is nothing that prevents you from learning the basic concepts of Bourbon making, and that is what Moonshine University will off Friday, July 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in their Bourbon Making Workshop.
Aspiring craft distillers–or those just wanting to spend a very educational summer day–can attend classroom presentations, hands-on spirits making, on-site distillation and a full sensory evaluation. Attendees will have the chance to be distillers for a day when they mill and cook grains, run it through a still, and sample the newly-made spirit.
The cost is $395 per person and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. To register, visit moonshineuniversity.com, call (502) 301-8126 or emailregistrar@moonshineuniversity.com. Moonshine University is part of the Distilled Spirits Epicenter at Flavorman, 801 S. 8th St.
Then, if you want to learn a little bit more about crafting bourbon cocktails, and want to sample a few made by an experienced mixer of such, sign up for the “Mix Your Bourbon” class On Thursday, July 17, at the Kitchen Studio in the Bourbon Barrel Foods’ offices in the Butchertown Market building, 1201 Story Ave.
There, Eron Plavan of the Oakroom will demonstrate how to make such cool and complicated drinks as Copper Crowns Are Still Crowns (an Old Fashioned using locally made Copper & Kings Craft Distilled Brandy, and various Woodford Reserve Bourbon syrups and bitters), Bourbon St. Sour (with Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon and high-end flavorings such as Clement Creole Shrubb, blood orange sour mix, Woodford Reserve Bourbon vanilla simple syrup, and Bourbon Barrel Foods’ smoked salt and smoked paprika), the Mexican Smoke Break (Del Maguey Mezcal, house-made orangecello and fresh grapefruit juice) and Quill Pens & Kentucky Ink (a spiked coffee using Quill’s Coffee and Woodford Reserve, along with other cool and expensive ingredients).
These are bound to be amusing drinks, because Plevan originally came to Louisville to work on a masters of divinity degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and then found religion behind the bar at the now defunct Meat.
Snacks will be provided by Bourbon Barrel Foods. Cost of cocktail tastings and snacks will be $5. The event starts at 7 p.m. Buy tickets on line here.
