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Tastes and tips for a backyard barbecue with a bourbon twist

  • Housetrends
Family celebrating the holidays together in the back yard.

It’s going to be a great summer for outdoor get-togethers. We’re all ready to set up our tables, fire up the grill and string some lights to create an inviting atmosphere for family and friends to gather and celebrate.

With that in mind, we bring you a few ideas to plan your backyard barbecue, with bourbon—an adult beverage that’s all the buzz right now playing a starring role.

Create a signature drink
Booze and barbecues go hand in hand. Create a cocktail just for the occasion. Give it your own stamp and a clever name. Find a shady corner to situate a space dedicated to beverages. Be sure to include non-alcoholic options like iced tea, lemonade, and flavored waters for non drinkers and designated drivers. Search: Bourbon Slush for a Crowd

Bourbon slush is a favorite summer drink for Housetrends’ creative director Gina Miller.

Feed with unexpected food
There’s no doubt that food tastes better when it’s eaten outside. But it also tastes better when you feed your friends something out of the ordinary. While brats, metts, burgers and steaks are perennial favorites, consider a different take—perhaps an elegant beef tenderloin or an option that is easily adaptable for vegetarians—such as kabobs. Try a new take on traditional condiments, adding a kick to the ketchup, providing a tasting of mustards, or creating your own chutney. Search: Bourbon Charred Tenderloin and Bourbon Tomato Jam

Courtesy of Chateau Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky
Courtesy of Chateau Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky

DID YOU KNOW?
Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world’s bourbon supply. There are now 9.1 million barrels of bourbon aging in Kentucky, which is 2 barrels for every person living in the state.
—The Kentucky Distillers’ Association

Outdoor kitchen with 42-inch built-in grill, two side burners, dual-tap beer dispenser and refrigerator, trash drawer and storage areas, all from Hestan.

“Bourbon contributes flavor and complexity to both sweet and savory dishes, with notes of warm caramel and vanilla to earthy, smoky oak.”
-Missy Hillock, Owner/Innkeeper, Chateau Bourbon in Louisville

Add a bit of magic
String a few sets of lights overhead or in nearby trees to set a romantic tone in your yard. Citronella candles or torches ward off mosquitoes while contributing to the ambience. And a fire pit provides the perfect focal point for gathering on an evening where there is even the slightest bit of chill in the air.

Tommy Bahama Cypress Point Ocean Terrace seating and gas fire pit
Bamboo citronella torches to repel mosquitoes and other insects.

DID YOU KNOW?
In order for whiskey to be bourbon, it must be made with a minimum of 51 percent corn, aged in new, charred oak containers, stored at no more than 125 proof and bottled at no less than 80 proof.
—The Kentucky Distillers’ Association

Entertain the masses
Yard games are a great way for guests to mingle. If children are present, provide sidewalk chalk and ask them to draw portraits of party guests. Or go for the win with a projector, a bedsheet, and individual bags of popcorn to set up a movie area, a bit away from the main hub of activity.

Vintage lawn darts, which are sometimes called JARTS.
Sitting on pillows, eating popcorn and watching a movie.

Anticipate special requests
So that you don’t need to leave your own party to rummage through your medicine chest or closets, fill a fun container with bandages, sunscreen, bug repellent, sunglasses, visors, handheld fans, soft blankets and throws.

Sunscreen and bug spray provided for guests at a party.
Cornhole board game

Bourbon boom
Sales have been soaring in the U.S. bourbon market for the past decade. Production has grown by over 150% and the number of craft distilleries over the period has more than quintupled. Upscale cocktail bars are serving premium alcohols and social media is working to promote small-batch businesses.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center

“In this region, the age of bourbon drinkers goes across six or seven decades,” says Paul Miguez, liquor store manager for Jungle Jim’s Fairfield location. “So many people are into it. We are seeing new customers, who have grown up seeing their parents drink or sip bourbon, coming in ready to start a tradition of their own.”

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a road trip for bourbon lovers. For information visit: kybourbontrail.com. Please note some of the distilleries have limited access due to Covid restrictions. Check with them regarding their policy.

Barrels aging in rickhouse

We have more recipes!
Famed Kentucky bourbon chef Ouita Michel shares a couple of her favorite summertime recipes. See recipes for Tomato Bourbon Bombs and Grilled Chicken McCracken Style.

RESOURCES
chateaubourbon.com
Hestan available at Custom Distributors and The Appliance Loft
Jungle Jim’s International Market
kybourbontrail.com
Tommy Bahama available at Watson’s, Studio J and Best Furniture Gallery



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