"kentucky bourbon" news and stories

The enduring image of William Howard Taft is of the corpulent president stuck in the White House bathtub, unable to free his 300-pound frame from its generous confines. But Taft's gluttony may have had an upside for generations of American epicures: When whiskey makers began squabbling over standards for their industry, he immediately recognized the threat posed by artificially colored and flavored spirits -- and issued a groundbreaking set of definitions protecting Kentucky bourbon.

In recognition of the 1909 "Taft Decision," which still regulates distilling today, the Bourbon Hall of Fame recently inducted Taft as its newest member.

"To get a president in there is phenomenal," says fellow Hall of Famer Mike Veach, who nudged the Hall's leadership to consider Taft and stood in for him at the Dec. 17 ceremony.

Veach, a noted bourbon historian, heartily approved of the very swanky ceremony, held in the Kentucky Governor's Mansion: "They had an open bourbon bar, and a wine and beer bar down the hall," he reports. "They weren't serving any vodka or gin."

We've seen mint juleps here on Slashfood before. There's a mint julep flavored soda and the 132nd Kentucky Derby will serving ooh-la-la $1,000 mint juleps on Derby Day. If you'll be betting on watching the races from home, you can mix up a proper mint julep at your own home bar. But first, a little bit of historical trivia, or trivial history.

The mint julep, though most popularly associated with the Kentucky Derby, wasn't invented by some bartender mixing drinks track-side. The cocktail was first appeared officially in 1803 when it was described as a "dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning." However, the mint julep's history may go back even a century before that to the early 1700s. Mint juleps today are made with Bourbon, but the first mint juleps were likely made with rye whiskey or rum (in which case, doesn't that make it a mojito?!?!).

To make a mint julep, start with a silver cup, which is frosted over. If you don't have a silver cup, a regular tumbler is fine. Some recipes call for a simple syrup, and others have mint leaves muddled with granulated sugar. If you're using granulated sugar, muddle fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the glass with 1 tsp. sugar. Add crushed ice, the pour in 3 oz. Bourbon.

If you plan ahead, you can prepare the simple-syrup version of the mint julep. Bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil and completely dissolve sugar. Add a handful of mint leaves to the syrup, then chill syrup overnight. To make the mint juleps, place crushed ice in glass, add 1 Tbsp. of the chilled mint syrup, and pour in 2 oz. Bourbon.

On May 6, the Kentucky Derby will be pouring $1,000 mint juleps for the first 50 people to lay down the cash. The money will go toward a charity for retired racehorses.

Mint juleps have been synonymous with the Kentucky Derby for decades. Race-goers traditionally sip the drink from silver or pewter cups. The $1000 mint julep will be served in a gold-plated cup with a silver straw. The mint is from Morocco, ice from the Arctic circle, and bourbon from one of the state's finest producers, Woodford Reserve.

Now all they need to do is serve a $10,000 slice of Derby Pie.

[Photo Woodford Reserve]