LeNell It All

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Jun 1st 2009 @ 1:00PM

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things, most recently the owner of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

You survived the Derby Day parties, and your annual mint julep tickled everyone's fancies quite nicely. Now you are wondering what to do with that leftover bottle of bourbon.

How dare you have a leftover bottle of bourbon, first of all! But if you do, here's an easy way to get rid of it.

Get some aged Gouda (it should have some tiny crystallized spots), or get kinda fancy with some British Berkswell at a fine cheese shop. If neither of those floats your boat, one of my favorite cheddars to pair with whiskey is a rare Cabot cloth-bound cheddar aged for about 10 to 12 months.

Goot Essa (Good Food) Mountain Valley sharp cheddar from Pennsylvania Amish farmers is aged three years. Its dense, sharp yet sweet flavor also works beautifully with bourbon.

Sit down with a bottle of small batch Four Roses, Elijah Craig 18-year-old single barrel or Kentucky Vintage Small Batch and taste the magic of whiskey and cheese together.

And if you really want to get crazy, pick up some Roquefort, any Rogue Creamery blue from Oregon, or British Harbourne blue and pair it with the oldest bourbon you've got around, like Elijah Craig 18, Vintage 21 or Pappy Van Winkle 23.

LeNell, an American whiskey evangelist, can be reached here.

Filed Under: Drink Recipes
Tags: bourbon, cabot, cheese, lenell smothers, lenells, LenellSmothers, north america, pairings, rogue creamery, RogueCreamery, spirits, whiskey, whisky