The Journey Begins

Not until I was older did I realize what an amazing privilege it was to grow up in the heart of bourbon country. Going for a Sunday drive through the winding roads and rolling hills of Kentucky's backcountry is magical. It remains one of my favorite childhood memories. My parents, sister, two brothers, and I would pile into our baby blue 1963 Chevy Nova station wagon and set off for our next big adventure. As the youngest, I had to strain to get a glimpse of the graceful thoroughbreds lazily grazing in fields of bluegrass. I can still smell the scent of tobacco drying in open barns and the sweet aroma of corn mash wafting from the aging warehouses that dotted the countryside. This was home to me. Little did I know that years later I would once again travel those same backroads to discover and explore the magic of Kentucky bourbon.

When I was younger and we were celebrating a birthday or special occasion, my dad's parents, Pepaw and Memaw, would take us to the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. It was just a few miles outside downtown Louisville, but for a child it was a destination. The Melrose meant fresh-baked yeast rolls, tangy corn relish, and the sweet flavor of spice cake with bourbon caramel frosting or, if we were really lucky, a piece of Kern's Kitchen's famous Derby-Pie®. Of course, on our way out there, we had to stop at a roadside "package shop" to buy a pint of bourbon, since Prospect was in a dry county. We settled into the private family dining room, where set-ups for cocktails awaited us. Well, not for the kids, but for the adults. I watched in fascination as my regal grandfather meticulously measured the shots and carefully balanced the portions of whiskey, soda, and ice for the perfect Bourbon Highball. It's no wonder I developed a taste for that caramel brown elixir and a love for all things Kentucky.

The truth is, my bourbon-tasting days started early. My oldest brother, Rob, loves to tell this story. On a Christmas Eve when I was just a few years old, my parents were entertaining in the basement, and just like every Christmas Eve, they were making frozen Whiskey Sours for the crowd of family, friends, and neighbors. They were too busy to notice the little girl in footie pajamas with a natural curiosity and a knack for getting into trouble. I spotted that bright red maraschino cherry on top of that sweet frozen concoction, and before anyone noticed, I had downed the entire drink. Rob told on me, the family panicked, but I managed to survive. I have no memory of the incident. Perhaps I was too young. Perhaps the bourbon had something to do with it. To this day, bourbon will always be connected with family, friends, and celebration.

Everyone's journey with whiskey and bourbon is different. For me, bourbon conjures up pleasant memories from my childhood: Making bourbon balls with my favorite aunt. My mother soothing our scratchy throats with a shot of Yukon Jack. From the basement steps, watching my parents prepare for the party I was not invited to attend but so wanted to be a part of. For others, it brings back not-so-nice flashbacks of a night of overindulgence in college. Still others may see whiskey and bourbon as too intimidating to even consider as a drink option. When I created the Whisky Chicks, I simply wanted to meet other women over a topic other than job, spouse, or kids. It has evolved into a warm and welcoming place where women of drinking age, from their early twenties to their nineties and from diverse backgrounds and experiences, can come together to savor the depth and complexity that a good glass of bourbon can contain. It's where the novice, the enthusiast, and the connoisseur can learn from each other and enjoy the pleasures of life.

I have been very fortunate to accompany many women on their journey with bourbon and whiskey. Watching others take their first sip of bourbon has taught me several things, the first of which is don't start with a straight shot of bourbon or it may be your last. If you are a red wine drinker, chances are you did not start out drinking a heavy zinfandel. You probably started with something much sweeter and lighter. Over time you probably began to venture into bigger, bolder flavors. Even if you like cabernet, you probably don't like every cabernet you taste. Your palate may prefer a sweet wine over a dry wine. Your tastes and preferences about wine will also change over time and can be influenced by what you are eating, the time of the year, or the occasion. Your journey with bourbon will be similar. That is part of the adventure.

As you might have done with wine, I suggest you try lots of different bourbons until you find the characteristics you like. Spirits with almost the exact same ingredients can taste dramatically different, sometimes in bold ways, sometimes in subtle ways. The great news for whiskey novices and explorers is that an increasing number of boutique and chain liquor stores have tasting rooms, not just for wine but also for bourbons and whiskies. A good bourbon purveyor will guide you beyond the old standards, like Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, or Jack Daniels (which technically is not bourbon but Tennessee whiskey instead). In most metropolitan areas, a Google search will lead you to at least a few restaurants that offer extensive whiskey selections. Some may even offer bourbon "flights," which are a way to taste a variety of small samples for a nominal cost. Your best bet is a good bartender who already knows his or her bourbon and will walk you through your first pioneering steps into bourbon country.

Living in Louisville, Kentucky, I'm fortunate to have a wide variety of distilleries within driving distance — a good reason to visit the Derby City. Much of my passion and knowledge about bourbon can be attributed to Chris Zaborowski, the owner and proprietor of the Louisville-based Westport Whiskey & Wine. Chris has been a tour guide for many on their whiskey journey. Perhaps the reason he is so good at his craft is that, like many of us, he started with wine. He dedicated many years to learning and teaching about the wine industry. It all started when he was working for a liquor store and asked to take a class on wine. Two years later Chris was teaching the class. He was the first in Kentucky to be recognized as a certified wine specialist by the Society of Wine Educators.

Chris has spent most of his career in the wholesale spirits business. He began his bourbon journey in the late '90s. The distribution company where he worked as vice president of sales and marketing had just acquired Jim Beam as a client. He was asked to visit the distillery and get to know their products. That is where he met and toured with master distiller Jerry Dalton, assistant distiller Pam Heilmann, and the infamous Booker Noe. Chris was awed by the many steps it took to make a single bottle of bourbon. The attention to detail required at every stage, from milling the grains to getting the label exactly right on a completed bottle of Booker Noe, was fascinating. The distillers were seeing, doing, and tasting at all stages. Chris was hooked.

In 2008, he...