Build a Bar: Bourbon

A few years ago some friends and I ran in a race called The Bourbon Chase.  The Bourbon Chase is a 200 mile overnight relay.  It was the first of many overnight relays but that’s a whole other Oprah.  The race course routed us along the Kentucky bourbon trail from Bardstown to Lexington.  Part of the fun of these relays is the 8 or so hours of downtime when the other half of your team is doing the running.  So, along the way we were able to stop and taste the bourbons at various distilleries.  Shortly thereafter, I would marry a native Kentuckian, which would only peak my interest in the brown water.  I love incorporating a Bourbon Bar when hosting a party in the fall/winter.  I started this tradition with our first Friendsgiving and have loved adding new elements every year.  I love the idea that people will begin to expect and look forward to the Bourbon Bar at each of our parties!  Another perk of having a constant throughout your parties is the ability to save what you don’t use for an upcoming party.   Here are a few tips to get you started when setting up your Bourbon Bar. 

Go big or go not so big:  Each year at Friendsgiving we have a simple Bourbon Bar.  We set out a few of our favorite Bourbons with some fancy ice cubes, a few bitters, and some bourbon laced apple cider. Always a crowd pleaser.  This year for Craig’s birthday we decided to take it up a notch and expand on our Bourbon Bar by adding all the fixings for various mixed bourbon drinks.  Both are acceptable and well received but one takes a little more preparation.  Decide just how involved you want to make the Bourbon Bar.

Pick your poison:  As I mentioned, we have a few favorite Bourbons (Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Belle Meade Bourbon, Weller, Woodford Reserve) that we always incorporate in our bourbon bars.  This is nice because you know you will always have an excuse to drink the rest of the bourbon you didn’t finish.  We also like to talk to the guys at our local liquor store.  They are always helpful when picking the right bourbon for the right occasion.

Decide on Drinks:  Craig spent some time looking up bourbon drinks and their ingredients as we prepared to set up our bourbon bar.  He printed out the recipes on some stock paper we picked up at Office Depot.  We also grabbed an index card ring holder, punched a hole in the recipes, and came out with a cute recipe book to put out on the bar.  This was an especially fun addition as it encouraged some folks to try new drinks.  All they had to do was follow the directions. 

Grab some Glasses:  When you set up your Bourbon Bar, it’s fun to have different glasses for friends to choose from.  I like to put out sippers in case people prefer their bourbon neat.  Highballs are also great for most bourbon drinks.  I also like to incorporate different glasses both tall and short adding some visual interest to the table.  Phone a friend if you don’t have enough glasses!  If you’re my age, it’s unlikely you have glasses for a party of 40.  Don’t be ashamed to borrow but do take good care of other’s things.

Focus on the Fixin’s:  One of the most important pieces of the bourbon bar is the fixins that go along with all of the drinks.  Once you decide on your drinks be sure you have all of the fixins out for folks to make their drink of choice.  You can use various bowls, vases, glasses around your house to put these out. 

Build the Bar:  Last but not least you need to set up the bar.  Presentation is an important part of making this work.  Craig and I like to set up a party like we would like to experience it.  Imagine grabbing your glass, picking your bourbon, including some bitters or adding a twist.  The bar should flow as if you were making your own drink.  Make sure you have all of the necessary bar tools, shot glasses, shakers, stirrers, etc. I’ll share my favorite bar tools in an upcoming blog!

Have Fun! Now that your bar is set up, have fun and relax! Remember that your friends are there to see you, not your fabulous entertaining skills!