Bourbon on Parade

By Steven Lindsey

Whether you like yours neat, on the rocks, or think you hate the stuff, bourbon is enjoying a new surge of popularity thanks to cocktails that no matter your bourbon disdain or devotion, you’re going to love.

At a recent Maker’s Mark Bourbon tasting dinner, delectable southern-inspired courses from celebrity chef Blythe Beck of Central 214 in Dallas were paired perfectly with cocktails made from a bourbon known for its own boisterous southern charm.

Starting off the night was a Spiced Apple Soup with Aged Cheddar Crouton, paired with Art of War, a bourbon cocktail with fresh squeezed lime and orange juices, simple syrup, Fuji Apple Cider, Chinese 5-spice and soda. Served on the rocks in a Collins glass, it is as refreshing as it is complex in flavor. Enjoyable in summer on the rocks, it’s easy to imagine sipping fireside in the colder months with snow falling gently outside.

Next up, Bacon Wrapped Lobster and Maker’s Mark Mac and Cheese. Yes, please. I was tempted to pull the fire alarm and steal everyone’s plates as they fled for safety. Instead, I carefully savored each bite while I sipped a Saint Lawrence cocktail. Made with Maker’s 46, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice, real maple syrup, then topped with soda and a cherry-soaked lemon wheel, it won me over despite my aversion to the current elderflower craze.

Few cocktails are more classic than a Manhattan, so the Maker’s 46 version masterfully reinterprets the recipe. Combining sweet vermouth, cinnamon bitters, orange angostura bitters and cherry herring liqueur, it’s served chilled, neat and garnished with a cherry. The flavors are delightful when the cocktail is ice-cold, but not as much as it warms to room temperature. But that wasn’t anybody’s fault but mine. I was busy scarfing down BBQ Beef Short Rib with Mushroom Bread Pudding and a Maker’s Mark Demi-Glace.

Yet it was the dessert cocktail that could easily convert bourbon haters and fence-sitters forever. Dubbed the Bourbon Ball, this one didn’t even need the real dessert (a Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich) that accompanied it. Composed of Maker’s 46, hazelnut liqueur and white crème de cacao served chilled in a martini glass with chocolate shavings, this is the one for which you’ll want to lick your glass. And your neighbor’s.

Dallas-based Steven Lindsey writes about cocktails, wine and food for multiple regional and national publications. In his travels, he searches for the cuisines and libations that define a culture.

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