LeNell It All - Kentucky Joe

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Nov 25th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Photo: LeNell Smothers

I've been a bit in my own isolated world lately trying to unpack into a new home in a foreign land. When a friend in New York told me on the phone that he's busy making plans to serve 18 people for Thanksgiving this week, I gasped. How could I forget that this week is Thanksgiving?

Casa Cóctel's kitchen is still a work in progress, so we won't have a full-on Thanksgiving dinner in Mexico this year. We are still waiting for the arrival of the wine and spirit collection and the newly restored vintage Faema espresso machine. With all that in my mind, I decided to just make it all easier with a Kentucky Joe, a tasty dessert drink made with bourbon and coffee liqueur.

My buddy Ben came up with this one years ago. Simple enough, this drink is a great pair with desserts after you stuff your face with turkey and are too tired to get into complicated drink makin'.

I love it with sweet potato pie, chocolate cake or pumpkin pie. Surely you will have one of those for your Thanksgiving dinner, right?

And what bourbon should you use for this drink Thanksgiving Day? Wild Turkey, of course. Try the Wild Turkey 80 proof for the lighter side or the signature 101 proof for fuller flavor. For a proof in between, go for the 90 proof Russell's Reserve, named after Master Distiller (and sweetheart of a man) Jimmy Russell. For a sip on its own, splurge on the 101 single barrel or the barrel proof Rare Breed bottled without the addition of water at 108.4 proof so you can splash in as much water as makes you happy.

Kentucky Joe

2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce coffee liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into ice filled rocks glass, or for a fancier look, strain into a chilled cocktail glass sans the ice.

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

Filed Under: Drink Recipes, Holidays
Tags: cocktails, fall, kentucky joe, lenell smothers, spirits, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinner, thanksgiving drinks