New Years

What are you 2017 bourbon resolutions?

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

It’s the time of year when everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions. I am suggesting if you are a true Bourbon or Whiskey lover it’s the time of year to start planning that trip, party, or purchase for 2017. With the growth in bourbon, and spirits as a whole, in the past few years there are many exciting things you can do.

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Some memorabilia from our trips to bourbon country!

The first I would suggest is a visit the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky “Where the Spirit Leads You” – especially if you haven’t been before. There are many ways to see it and several tours. There are two trails – you can do the Bourbon Trail, or the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour (or both in an extended trip). You will cover a lot of the state; from Lexington, to Bardstown, to Maysville, and beyond. Lexington and the surrounding area has much more to offer with Keeneland Racecourse, the horse farms you can visit, and all the history there.

On our most recent visit to bourbon county, we did the Urban Bourbon Trail which was a bar hop through Louisville. There are a lot of great bourbon bars and restaurants in Louisville. While in Louisville there is always Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby), the Louisville Slugger Museum, and the Speed Museum just to name a few places to see beyond the bourbon. I’ll do a visitor’s guide to Louisville in the next couple months.

If you can’t make it to Kentucky, there is a pretty high likelihood there is a distillery in driving distance to where you live that you could make a trip too in 2017. Lynn and I visited distilleries in Virginia and Washington State this year. Bourbon and whiskey is everywhere.

Consider events like the Kentucky Bourbon Classic in Louisville March 3-4, 2017. There is tasting, food, & education.  .

WhiskyFest is another way to learn about Whisky and Bourbon. These events are put on by Whisky Advocate Magazine (I know what you are thinking, where is the “e”). If you are you wondering about the “e” you need to attend a festival. The hold them in Washington, DC, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.

Events like these offer a lot of fun and fellowship amongst people with a very common interest which in this case is the spirit

Or maybe it’s the year you want to start a collection of bourbons. Do some research on line, through your knowledgeable local store, or ask an expert. There are lots of forums and websites. Plan now to make this the year to do that “Bourbon Experience” you always wanted. Whether its sipping a whiskey you always wanted by the fireplace this winter, or meeting a Master Distiller at a festival or Distillery. Cheers to 2017!

Bar Review: The Cellar Restaurant & Spirit Room (Fullerton, CA)

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

The Cellar Restaurant & Spirits Room as penned on their website says:

The Cellar in Fullerton is Orange County’s premier fine dining experience featuring one of the country’s largest and most exclusive wine lists. Whether it’s a romantic dinner for two or a larger gathering of friends, family or for business…

What it doesn’t say is they have a great bar! This is a place to go for a drink, small plates at the bar, or an elegant dinner. It is literally in the cellar of Fullerton, California’s Historic Villa del Sol, built in 1922.

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The interior of The Cellar was conceived and designed by craftsmen from Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean in 1969. You descend a flight of dimly lit stairs into the old world. The dimly lit restaurant is true to the 20’s and festive at the same time. Fun Fact: Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth Taylor (for the second time) in a secluded booth in the cellar.

Photo from Urban Dining Guide

Ryan Dudley, the owner, has worked hard to keep it current, yet classic, including hiring bartenders with a flair for the history of classic cocktails and spirits (you can check out their bar menu here). They have a good selection of quality Bourbons and Ryes and they make a terrific “Old Fashioned.” Orange Coast Magazine’s February 2016 issue named the “Original Manhattan (1870)” from the Spirit Room at The Cellar as one of the tastiest cocktails in Orange County!

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Photo from The Cellar’s website

Ryan’s creative approach to marketing the restaurant is to even have classes in the bar. We attended one on making “The Classic Old Fashioned.” What great fun we had that night.  It’s become my regular recipe, which I’ll share in the next couple weeks.

After a play last Thursday, Lynn and I wandered down to The Cellar for dinner (we’re in walking distance!) and split the “Steak Sandwich.” I had an Old Fashioned and Lynn had one of their specialty cocktails, “Just Peachy,” with peach, lemon, bitters, and bourbon. We like The Cellar for drinks and a bite after a play or movie, champagne after midnight on New Year’s Eve, or a well deserved dinner out.

I can’t say enough about the feeling of drinking an old fashioned in the ambiance of The Cellar.   You feel like you are back in the 20’s when Vila del Sol was built. It is truly as magical as the Disney artisans intended. Sit at the bar or one of their cozy booths and check out their list of specialty cocktails or order your favorite, you won’t be disappointed.

This is a Bourbon Blog but I have to mention they have a spectacular wine selection if you or your company doesn’t want bourbon (on Wednesdays they have 1/2 price bottles of wine). As I sit here writing this week’s blog I am dying for some of their Truffle Macaroni and Cheese and they are closed on Mondays! You can order small plates or a full meal at the bar. We love making a meal out of small plates. You can have the Lobster Bisque, Bone Marrow, Escargot…   There is no end to the choices but do end the evening with a Soufflé!

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From The Cellar’s Facebook page

New Year’s Resolutions and Bourbon

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

As I started this blog with the encouragement of our friends Ray & Jeannine, the support of my wife and best friend Lynn, and the writing and internet expertise of our daughter Taylor, I debated what would I write as my first post. Then it hit me while we were on a family vacation over Christmas and New Years: resolutions and bourbon.

What is your New Years Bourbon Resolution? It could be as simple as starting a collection of some of good bourbons, or finally getting that long sought after bottle of Pappy.

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With my latest Pappy acquisition.  Fun story coming later this week on how I got it.

Maybe it’s time to start planning a trip to the Kentucky Derby this spring and see the “Most exciting two minutes in sports” while drinking a Mint Julep. Or spend the spring on the Bourbon Trail (if you want the full fall in Kentucky experience attend a day of fall racing at Keeneland Racetrack, or a college football game, then do a few days on the Bourbon Trail).  Or, to find a new favorite local restaurant/bar with a great bourbon selection.

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Outside Buffalo Trace during our visit to the Bourbon Trail in 2013.

Loving bourbon creates endless possibilities for special occasions, a celebration, or a regular weekend enjoying your favorite distilled spirit. Whether you are just sipping bourbon or enjoying it as part of a special sports or arts event. The possibilities are endless.

Now is the time to make your “Bourbon Resolution.” Plan your year and combine your love of good bourbon with good friends. The possibilities are endless. Over the next few weeks I will be giving you more ideas on how to make that resolution a reality.