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Ben TobinLouisville Courier Journal

Ale-8-One Bottling Company is rebranding its diet selection to emphasize the zero-sugar product offering to customers.

The Winchester, Ky.-based company announced Monday that the Diet Ale-8 is turning into Ale-8 Zero Sugar, with the new brand appearing on shelves in early February at major retailers throughout Kentucky and southern Ohio.

Though the packaging is changing, the “beverage inside the bottle is exactly the same,” Ale-8-One marketing director Chris Doyle said in a statement.

“The phrase ‘Zero Sugar’ better communicates that this drink tastes as great as the Original Ale-8 without the sugar or calories,” Doyle said. “‘Diet’ can also be perceived as outdated and doesn’t always come across as zero sugar. We wanted a brand that was more in-line with how consumers think today in a soft drink category that continues to grow.”

First bottled in 1926, Ale-8-One is the only soft drink invented in Kentucky that is still in existence. The diet brand was first introduced in 2003, and the rebrand follows the launch of Cherry Ale-8 Zero Sugar from last year.

Fourth-generation owner Fielding Rogers said the company “took our time in developing” the diet product 18 years ago “to ensure we could deliver on a zero sugar beverage that tasted as close to the original as possible.”

“That same great taste is staying, but it is time to update the branding to better reflect that it tastes just like the original without the sugar,” Rogers said in a statement.

Other Ale-8-One products include caffeine-free Ale-8 Zero Sugar, Cherry Ale-8 and Orange Cream Ale-8.

• By Nicole Ziege @NicoleZiege

Ruthie and Timothy Caldwell, a local couple from Pikeville, are weaving food, history and storytelling together to create a unique culinary company.

Mr. Tibbs’ Trading Company is an e-commerce business that sells handmade gift boxes, containing hand-picked foods and activities from different cultures and heritages, specialized to each box and each theme. Inside the box, there is also a letter detailing the adventures of a fictionalized character named “Mr. Tibbs,” who is the company’s namesake and a 1920s explorer. Mr. Tibbs’ adventures, Timothy said, are inspired by real food, places, people and events and create a unique storytelling experience for their customers.

“You’ll open the box and be greeted by a letter that’s sealed in wax by a 1920s explorer named Mr. Tibbs, and him and his pet pig Squeebah in the 1920s went across the world discovering the great flavors that the world has to offer,” Timothy said. “They send the boxes to you and talk about their adventures in the 1920s in that place. They also tell you why anyone should be proud to be of that culture or heritage. Then, the food itself continues the story where each food, we describe its significance to the people and how it tells a story of that people.”

The Pikeville duo started Mr. Tibbs’ Trading Company in August 2019 after they wanted to start an old-time candy store in downtown Pikeville. Due to cost barriers, they decided to take a different route with their company and focus on how to start a business in a more manageable way.

The couple started selling specialized homemade drinks in pop-up booths at several festivals, including the Jenny Wiley Festival and the Pikeville Winterfest. From there, they decided to expand into e-commerce and create a new culinary experience for their customers. Since the pandemic, they have sold items at special events for the motorsports non-profit organization Backroads of Appalachia, with which they hope to partner in the future.

“Every day we saw an increase in sales. People

really appreciated our drinks because all of the drinks are our own creation, and the business really started to pick up from there with the drinks,” Timothy said, regarding their initial pop-up booths. “We kind of used it as a stepping stone to get to what we really wanted to do, which is e-commerce business, which brings us to the real heart and soul of the company.”

Each box they sell contains different types of foods and activities. For example, the Appalachian Snack Box contains some snacks from Appalachia — like Ale-8-One soda, banana Moon Pie, apple butter and crackers and shredded Mingua beef jerky, among other items — in order to provide customers with a taste of Appalachia. That particular box was developed for Backroads of Appalachia and is still available on sale on the company’s website.

Another example was the Christmas Heritage Box, which allowed customers to explore Christmas traditions of a country of their choice (between Great Britain and Germany), taste traditional foods from that country and play a traditional game that tells the story of that people. This box is now sold out on the website.

In their heritage boxes, Ruthie said, they provide six items, including a food made during the good times, a food made during the low times, an iconic food of that culture, a delicious treat from that culture, a unique food to “challenge taste buds” and a traditional game or activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Timothy emphasized why they wanted to provide this kind of unique experience to their customers.

“The idea is that you have a truly immersive experience with your box,” Timothy said. “It’s not just another food box. It’s all hand-curated stuff that we pick out and that we think is really the best that represents those things. On top of that, you have a story to go along with it. The idea behind it is that by the time you’re done, that it’s not just eating food but you’re experiencing another culture.”

Ruthie and Timothy have participated in SOAR’s Invest 606 accelerator entrepreneurship program, and their company was recently named one of the eight company finalists competing for the program’s $15,000 grant. The final pitching competition takes place on April 17.

One of the company’s next boxes, Ruthie said, will be an Appalachian Heritage Box that features food items made from the produce of local farmers, and Timothy said that they plan to introduce new products in the spring. As the company grows, Ruthie said, they also hope to employ local Appalachians, as well as people in addiction recovery, to assemble their boxes.

“There probably won’t be too much until the springtime because we’re just really trying to get everything together to ramp up for a bigger launch,” Timothy said. “We’re hoping to have a new website, a bunch of new boxes and all sorts of stuff.”

For more information about Mr. Tibbs’ Trading Company, visit, www.tibbstradingcompany.com, the company’s Facebook page (Mr. Tibbs’ Trading Company) or contact the company at, tibbstradingcompany@gmail.com.

By Winchester Sun

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Published 4:16 pm Monday, January 25, 2021

BY CHUCK WITT

Sun Columnist

How about a trip down memory lane?

Recently, Handyman Tips, a daily email supported by Family Handyman magazine, sent a list of 10 things that most people no longer do, and probably haven’t done in a very long time.

You, the reader, can rate yourself as to how many of the things you have done … or may still be doing.

1. Adjusting rabbit ears to secure a stable and (mostly) snow-free TV picture. Apparently the manufacture of rabbit ears did not cease until 2007!

2. Thumbing through the yellow pages to find a service. Today’s yellow pages are almost non-existent, and most people simply Google or go online to find a reference to a particular service.

3. Dialing a rotary phone. There is a good selection of rotary phones in the Telephone Room at the Bluegrass Heritage Museum. It has been noted that some of the younger visitors to the Museum have not been able to determine exactly how the rotary works, unable to fathom the action of twirling the hole above a number to the stop and letting go. There are many in Winchester who can remember when the numbers were odd, without area codes. Some local numbers had as few as three digits and some were combinations of letters and numbers.

4. Reading a paper map. Utilization of Google Earth and GPS systems (many installed in new cars) has become the norm. Regardless, there is a certain beauty in printed maps. The oldest surviving map is called the Imago Mundi, dating from between 500 and 700 BCE, created by the Babylonians, incised in clay and housed in the British Museum in London.

5. Driving a stick shift. It is difficult to find a stick shift in a new car. They must often be special orders. Those who have driven stick shifts can probably recall the difficulty of learning to let out the clutch on a hill without letting the car move backwards.

6. Setting an alarm clock. Of course, along with setting the clock came the practice of winding it sufficiently to make sure that it was still working when morning arrived. The alarms of those early metallic alarm clocks was a raucous affair which were capable of arousing one from a coma.

7. Penmanship. Recently many school systems have given up teaching cursive writing, but many can remember the elementary classrooms in which the cursive alphabet was posted above the chalkboard and students were drilled in copying those letters and learning to combine them into coherent words and sentences. Some school systems are re-introducing cursive writing, a welcome change since the printing skills of students today seems to have deteriorated significantly.

8. Changing the ink ribbon in a typewriter. Taking a typing class in high school always included having to occasionally change the ribbon and it was impossible to do so without the resultant inky hands that stuck with one until bath time.

9. Cleaning a VCR head. VCRs have pretty much gone the way of the vinyl record, and cleaning the heads of the machines was not a chore that one tackled happily.

10. Using a library card catalog. What a joy it was to leaf through those card catalogs, sometimes coming across an unexpected jewel. The people who are nostalgic about about card catalogs are the same who would probably never consider reading a Kindle book, opting instead for the feel of paper in their hands.

Even the beautiful wooden cases which housed the card catalog were a ubiquitous part of the library, replaced now with computer terminals.

In another generation there will likely be no one still around who indulged in any of these practices.

Time marches on … and today’s alarm clocks are probably Alexa awaking one with a dulcet female voice or some other selected method of arousal.

Chuck Witt is a retired architect and a lifelong resident of Winchester. He can be reached at chuck740@bellsouth.net.

Source: Hall’s Beer Cheese

01.19.2021 By Emily Park

LEXINGTON, KY. – Hall’s Beer Cheese LLC is releasing a new addition to their line of specialty dairy products during SFA Live 2021. The new Hall’s Pimento Spread will be available in the spring.  

Several years in the making, the Hall’s Pimento spread features a creamy blend of cheese with the snap and savory of fresh pimento peppers. The Hall’s Pimento spread is a prefect pairing for crackers, flatbreads, bagels and dipping vegetables, Hall’s said. 

“Our success with the Hot-N-Snappy, Original Beer Cheese, and our seasonal Hall’s Benedictine is a tough act to follow, so we wanted to make sure this recipe met the standards loyal customers expect from the Hall’s brand,” said Kit Crase, Hall’s Beer Cheese majority owner. “The SFA Live 2021 is really our first introduction of the Hall’s Pimento spread to buyers, along with our entire existing line. Like many other companies, we have had to adapt quickly to the virtual meeting space. We are looking forward to putting Hall’s on virtual display and showcasing the full scope of our dips and spreads line this week.” 

Jan 19th, 2021

By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist

Though I’m not sure I’ve been to all 120 Kentucky counties, I believe it is pretty close to that number.

I’ve found that if you study the history, culture, and geography of each, you’ll learn some quite interesting trivia, though the people who make up those counties would not prefer to call them “trivial matters.” Ha.

I thought it would be fun for my readers to test their own knowledge of these places, so I’ve been researching our counties and have come with questions for each. I’ll present 60 this week and the other 60 next week. As best as I know, there is only one right answer for each. To check your answers, email me at sflairty2001@yahoo.com with “Kentucky County Quiz Part 1” in the subject. I’ll promptly respond…but take a shot at ‘em before you give up! You might also want to make this a family activity.

Here goes!

What Kentucky county…

…includes the town of Grant’s Lick? (#1)

…had its courthouse destroyed by fire in 1872 and 1901, resulting in the loss of county records? (#2)

…is the location of Happy Top Mountain? (#3)

…is the home of writer Wendell Berry? (#4)

…was the home of the iconic Appalachian novelist, James Still? (#5)

…is where the hard rock band, Black Stone Cherry, was formed in 2001? (#6)

…is where a 2011 Medal of Honor winner was born? (#7)

…is where Robert H. Grubbs, co-recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was born? (#8)

…was the last of the original nine counties established that formed the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792? (#9)

…is the location of the archaeological site, Ramey Mound? (#10)

…is known as “The Saddlebred Capital of the World”? (#11)

…is where Margaret Garner lived as a slave and became the inspiration for Toni Morrison’s book, Beloved? (#12)

…includes the communities of Sunrise, Shawhan, and Oddville? (#13)

…calls Bardwell its county seat? (#14)

…is the location where the first successful hand transplant was performed? (#15)

…is the birthplace of Johnny Depp? (#16)

…is the birthplace of former Kentucky governor Louie Nunn? (#17)

…is the site of Pleasant Hill, or Shakertown? (#18)

…originated and still bottles the soft drink, Ale-8-One? (#19)

…is where the original “Aunt Jemima,” Nancy Green, was raised? (#20)

…had Farmers and Clearfield as its first two settlements? (#21)

…lost 31 of its residents as a result of an F5 tornado on April 3, 1974? (#22)

…is where country music singer Tom T. Hall was born? (#23)

…is noted for its “Wooden Bridge Festival” in the community of Island? (#24)

…did Medal of Honor winner Andrew Jackson Smith, born into slavery, reside? (#25)

…is the location of Wolf Creek Dam, built in 1952, creating Lake Cumberland? (#26)

…is the location of the Kentucky Veteran and Patriot Museum? (#27)

…has the gravesite of the great-grandparents of department store founder J.C. Penny? (#28)

…includes the communities of Elsie, Logville, and Falcon? (#29)

…is the birthplace of former WKU and NBA basketball star, Jim McDaniels? (#30)

…is the smallest in population and second smallest in land area? (#31)

…is the home of the politician who finished second to Andy Beshear in the 2019 Democratic governor’s primary race? (#32)

…is where the author of The Dollmaker was born? (#33)

…holds the “Monkey Dumplins Story Bridge Theater”? (#34)

…is where Oliver Lewis, the jockey who rode Aristides to victory in the first Kentucky Derby, in 1875, was born? (#35)

…is the site of the Old Friends Retired Thoroughbred Farm? (#36)

…was the early home (not birthplace) of Forrest C, Pogue, U.S. Army historian and biographer of George Marshall, author of the iconic Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after WWII. (#37)

…was the birthplace of Wayne Edwards, noted NASCAR driver. (#38)

…was the birthplace of country and bluegrass music star, Ricky Skaggs? (#39)

…had its county seat originally named Moore’s Station and Boone’s Station? (#40)

…is the burial site of the Iwo Jima flag raiser from Kentucky, Franklin Sousley? (#41)

…is the home of the Casey Jones Distillery? (#42)

…is where the southern gospel group, The Crabb Family, originated? (#43)

…is the home of the newspaper, The Mountain Eagle? (#44)

…is where Annie Fellows Johnston wrote her famous Little Colonel children’s book series, which was adapted as a movie starring Shirley Temple? (#45)

…is the home of Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie? (#46)

…has Swift Creek, named after Jonathan Swift, who is thought to have buried treasure in the area that was never found. (#47)

…boasts as their native son Joel Owsley Cheek, who started the coffee company Maxwell House, advertised to be “good to the last drop.” (#48)

…is the home of the annual “Wooly Worm Festival”? (#49)

…is the primary location of the Mammoth Cave system? (#50)

…is the location of the Kentucky State Penitentiary” (#51)

…would you find the small community called Slaughters? (#52)

Kit Carson, circa 1860 (Photo from Wikipedia)

…is the home of John Rosenberg, founder of the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, Inc. (AppalReD)? (#53)

…is where the December 30, 1970, Hurricane Creek mine disaster, killing 38 people, occurred? (#54)

…is Chicago White Sox pitcher Nate Jones a resident? (#55)

…is the birthplace of noted western frontier explorer Kit Carson? (#56)

…is located at one point at the junction of Kentucky Route 32 and Route 36? (#57)

…was named after the fifth president of the United States? (#58)

…was part of the setting for Paul Russell’s 1992 novel, Boys of Life? (#59)

…was the place The Six Million Dollar Man grew up? (#60)

This column originally appeared at NKyTribune July 16, 2019

January 12, 2021

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES — Hall’s Beer Cheese LLC, the company behind the nationally recognized Hall’s Beer Cheese, considered the original beer cheese, expands its rapidly growing footprint into the Midwest market. Hall’s newest retail partner, Hy-Vee Supermarkets, is the perfect home for this specialty dairy best seller.

The product has been a staple for years on the Kroger, Sam’s Club, and Liquor Barn shelves in the Southeast market, and also to fans across the nation on beercheese.com. The demand for this snack-time sensation is on a huge upswing thus pushing the product beyond the regional retail border. Hy-Vee stores in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area are currently stocking two varieties: Original Hall’s Beer Cheese and the Hot-N-Snappy.

“The response by fans has been tremendous. We are thrilled to be able to offer our Iowa customers easy shelf access to Hall’s Beer Cheese. We are grateful to the team at Hy-Vee for working with us to make this happen. We look forward to a long partnership with them as we continue to expand the brand footprint.” says Kit Crase, Hall’s Beer Cheese owner.

About Hall’s Beer Cheese: What started as a spicy appetizer enjoyed by Central Kentuckians dining by the Kentucky River has developed into an internationally recognized brand. Taste of the South, Southern Living, The Wall Street Journal, Food Network, and others have featured the fan favorite beer cheese spread. The unique flavor of Hall’s Beer Cheese begins with aged Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese and finishes with a bit of spice that provides the “snap” to Hall’s Snappy Beer Cheese.

Hall’s Beer Cheese is a majority female owned business based in Lexington, Kentucky.

For more info on Hall’s Beer Cheese please visit; beercheese.com

January 7, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Hall’s Beer Cheese LLC, the company behind the nationally recognized Hall’s Beer Cheese, recently expanded its growing footprint into the Midwest market. Hall’s has partnered with Hy-Vee Supermarkets.

The product has been a staple for years on the Kroger, Sam’s Club and Liquor Barn shelves in the Southeast market, and also to fans across the nation on beercheese.com.

What started as a spicy appetizer enjoyed by Central Kentuckians dining by the Kentucky River has developed into an internationally recognized brand. The unique flavor of Hall’s Beer Cheese begins with aged Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese and finishes with a bit of spice that provides the “snap” to Hall’s Snappy Beer Cheese.

Hall’s Beer Cheese is a majority female-owned business based in Lexington, Ky.

BY RYAN C. HERMENS NOVEMBER 19, 2020, 12:26 PM

Wildcat Willy’s Distillery at 31 E. Broadway St. in Winchester, Ky., offers moonshine, bourbon and food made with local ingredients, many from Laura Freeman’s Mt. Folly Farm.

Kentuckians are no stranger to spirits. But when Laura Freeman, owner of Mt. Folly Farm, wanted to open a distillery, she had two things in mind: Do something that was NOT bourbon and so something that was a boon to Winchester, Kentucky.

This led to the purchase of a more than 100-year-old property on 31 East Broadway (it has been both a factory and a church since being built in 1833) and the creation of Wildcat Willy’s Distillery.

“She wanted to improve downtown Winchester. She wants to bring traffic down and pretty much revitalize downtown. That was her goal,” said Zach Pasley, the establishment’s president and head distiller.

Wildcat Willy’s Distillery was initially supposed to be just that when Freeman and husband Bill “Wildcat Willy” Kingsbury purchased the property in 2016, utilizing the abundance of sweet potatoes and various types of corn from their Mt. Folly Farm to make craft varieties of moonshine.

Pasley said for people who only know moonshine as coming from people “back in the ’30s and ’40s that were running it out of car radiators” or who have only tasted major brands prominently displayed at the local Liquor Barn, this is something different.

“We’re right in the middle,” Pasley said of the two extremes. “I think once I explain the process and how many times my hands have touched certain products, a lot of people are more amazed.”

As the distillery got up and running, they realized it could utilize the Mt. Folly Farm for a lot more than moonshine ingredients, eventually building on a full kitchen and becoming Wildcat Willy’s Distillery and Restaurant when it officially opened in Dec. 2019.

The establishment’s corn and sweet potato moonshines end up in the restaurant’s signature cocktails, like Liquid Apple Pie that comes in a caramel drizzled cup mixed with apple cider and a splash of Fireball with a cinnamon stick, or its Brambleberry Blast with blackberry brandy, triple sec and house sour mix. During the summer time, moonshines also gave a kick up to what was deemed “adult Capri Suns” and popsicles.

Once the mash is drained of alcohol, the leftovers are taken back to the farm to be fed to its cows and chickens, which may end up back at the restaurant in best-selling dishes. These include its popular bacon jam burger with house garli aioli or its hand-breaded chicken tenders.

“I’d say the biggest niche we would have is most of our ingredients come from the farm, which is seven miles away,” Pasley said. “There will definitely be a distinct difference.”

In addition to having a station to sell CBD products, Wildcat Willy’s has stepped out of its usual moonshine production to take a crack at crafting its first Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

A collaboration with Kentucky Artisan Distillery outside of Louisville, the four-year-old, four-grain bourbon is something Pasley said has a complex taste bourbon fans will appreciate. You can come in and try it straight or in the restaurant’s Brown Derby with grapefruit juice, honey syrup and Laura’s Homestead Alternatives CBD Honey.

Whether it is what is on customers plates or in their glasses, the citizens of Winchester seem to appreciate what Wildcat Willy’s is doing as it does its part to contribute to what Pasley calls the “circular economy.”

“The small community that we live in, they definitely care about the future of downtown,” he said. “That is the biggest thing we took back (from people) is, thank you for investing in downtown.”

WILDCAT WILLY’S DISTILLERY AND RESTAURANT

Where: 31 E. Broadway, Winchester

Open: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday – Saturday

Call: 859-355-5000

Online: https://www.wildcatwillysdistillery.com

To listen to the article: https://www.kentucky.com/lexgoeat/bourbon/article247290099.html

By Winchester Sun

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Published 10:09 am Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Main Street Winchester is partnering with the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and Kentucky Main Street Program for a special holiday promotion highlighting small businesses in Main Street communities across the commonwealth.

Kentucky Main Street works to encourage downtown revitalization and economic development through preserving historic buildings.

KYMS features 29 participating local programs that support restaurants, art spaces and retail unique to Kentucky, including Main Street Winchester.

During December, individual Main Street communities are being highlighted on social media (@KyTAHC) using the hashtags #ExploreKyMainSt and #ShopKyMainSt.

“The holidays are going to look and feel different for everyone, but small businesses throughout Kentucky are taking the necessary precautions to ensure Kentuckians can safely shop this holiday season,” Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Mike Berry said. “Supporting local is more important than ever. We encourage people to take advantage of local holiday shopping to see firsthand the unique finds created by Kentucky artisans, and help keep dollars spent locally circulating within the community.”

Main Street Winchester has introduced a variety of creative promotions and other activities geared to maintain safety in light of the pandemic, such as  an Online Parklet Concert Series promoting native Winchester artists, the Walk Through Winchester Video Series, which highlights downtown businesses and their adapting to current times, and promoting downtown businesses social media pages as much as possible.

“We invite shoppers to also use these hashtags to share your Main Street experiences with us on social media,” KYMS State Coordinator Kitty Dougoud said. “These unique historic downtowns are ready for you to explore during the holiday season – in person, using curbside pick-up, and online. It’s a wonderful opportunity to create memories while supporting local businesses.”

Because of the continued escalation of COVID-19 cases throughout the commonwealth, Kentuckians are encouraged to take advantage of online shopping. Kentuckians who choose to shop Kentucky Main Streets through safe in-person shopping should follow the Red Zone Reduction Recommendations.

For more about Main Street Winchester, visit DowntownWinchesterKY.org.

November 30, 2020

Christmas Past. Christmas Present.
BY TOM YATES

No doubt, it’s been a heck of a year. After months of masking up, being apart, and staying socially distant, we’ve missed birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, weddings, holidays, and much much more. And now, it’s coming on Christmas. Different and distant.

In our new normal, Christmas won’t be like Christmases past. Even so, we can wear those past memories like warm tattered sweaters, live in the present, and look to the future. 

As we navigate change during the holiday season, embrace joy and hope. Hold onto the good things. Hold fast to small indulgences. Go ahead, pull out the good china, polish some silver, glaze a fatty ham, roast a Christmas goose, or simply order take out. Whatever it takes, indulge just a little, and embrace Christmas present. 

Around here, we’ll be scaling back and dialing things down. Simple is good. We have time. 

Agood Christmas ham starts with a great ham. Browning’s Country Ham, from Dry Ridge, cures and ages their hams for 12 months. Both mild and robust, it’s one of the go-to hams around these parts. 

Although I was forewarned to expect mold, it got the best of me. When I ripped open the butcher paper surrounding the ham, plumes of green-ashen powdered mold exploded from the package. Caught by the rays of the morning sun, the dust cloud dangled in the light for what seemed like an eternity. After a quick wipe down and clean up, I scrubbed the ham under warm water with a sturdy brush to remove the mold. Luckily, I had an enormous canning pot large enough to accommodate the ham. After plopping it into the pot, I filled it with enough water to cover the ham, maneuvered the lid over the protruding bone (most folks remove the hock), and scooted the ham into a corner of the kitchen to soak for two days, changing the water every 12 hours.

On the third day, I drained off the water and lifted the pot containing the plumped ham onto the stove top. After filling it with cold water, I topped it off with 6 bottles of Ale-8-One soda and a cup of pure maple syrup before cranking the heat to high. When the sweet gingery water came to a boil, I reduced it to a gentle simmer, covered the pot, and let it rip for 5 1/2 hours, about 25 minutes per pound.

When the internal temperature reached 160 degrees, I carefully removed the pot from the heat before wrapping the entire pot with several old quilts to let the ham slowly steep in its own juices overnight. Yep. Overnight. Pig in a blanket. 

The next morning, I carefully removed the ham to a roasting pan and discarded the cooking liquid along a fence row in our backyard. Still hot from the quilted insulation, I removed the skin from the ham and trimmed some off some of the fat.

I lightly scored the soft fat cap on top of the ham, splashed the meat with bourbon, slathered the entire surface with good dijon mustard, and encrusted it with a thin layer of light brown sugar before sliding it into a preheated 400 degree oven.

When the brown sugar dissolved into the mustard and started to caramelize, I pulled the ham from the over to rest. At that stage, it could have been wrapped and chilled. Didn’t happen.  After letting it rest for 30 minutes, I transferred the ham to a serving platter, scattered a few quartered Red Bartlett pears to the side, and finished with fresh lovage from my garden.

____

This article also appears on page 18 of the December 2020 print edition of ace magazine

By Alex King -October 26, 2020

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – This year’s Kentucky Proud Beer Series begins Wednesday, the focus is creating Kentucky Proud Beer with Kentucky agriculture.

“Just, you know, seeing your product go into beer and bourbon.”

The beer series is a staple of Kentucky’s fall calendar.

Many of the breweries are using Kentucky malt made from locally grown grains, produced by South Fork Malthouse in Cynthiana.

RT Case is the malthouse owner, he says the series is a chance for brewers and farmers to work together and create new flavors.

“It’s kind of like a small nit community. Once you kind of get in the group, you’re pretty good to go. They’ve been super supportive and I know a lot of customers have been really seeking out local ingredients in their beer and bourbon so I think the timing just worked out perfectly,” Case said.

Ethereal Brewing and Country Boy Brewing in Central Kentucky are just two of the breweries he’s worked with for this series.

These beers include everything from grains and hops to berries.

Last year, Fusion Brewing in Lexington used grapes.

This year it wanted to do something different and went with local and fresh, right from the vine.

“It’s a german helles lager and if you ask me it tastes great. It’s semi malty but very light in color, it’s golden, it’s beautiful,” Co-Owner and head brewer Christian Paumi says.

The beer is now on tap for customers.

Brewers participating in the 2020 Kentucky Proud Beer Series include:

• 3rd Turn Brewing, in Louisville and Crestwood;
• Abettor Brewing Company, Winchester;
• Alexandria Brewing Company;
• Broken Throne Brewing, Pikeville;
• Country Boy Brewing, both Lexington and Georgetown locations;
• Dreaming Creek Brewery, Richmond;
• Dry Ground Brewing, Paducah;
• Ethereal Brewing, Lexington;
• Flywheel Brewing, Elizabethtown;
• Fusion Brewing, Lexington;
• Gallant Fox Brewing, Louisville;
• Goodwood Brewing, both Louisville and Frankfort locations;
• Gravely Brewing Co., Louisville;
• Hopkinsville Brewing;
• Maysville Brewing;
• Monnik Beer Co., Louisville;
• Old Louisville Brewing, both Louisville and Shelbyville locations;
• Paducah Beer Werks;
• Pivot Brewing, Lexington;
• Ten20 Beer Exchange, Louisville;
• Turtleback Ridge Brewing, Ewing;
• Uncrafted Territory Brewing Co., Beaver Dam;
• West Sixth Brewing’s Lexington, Frankfort and Louisville locations;
• Wise Bird Cider, Lexington; and
• Wooden Cask Brewing Company, Newport.

EVENTS / TRAVELOctober 23rd, 2020

BY Penelope Miller

This year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland Race Course will be unlike any other: in addition to offering world-class racing, it’s going to be an at-home affair for all racing fans this year due to the ongoing pandemic. That means that you have a chance to get really creative with your Breeders’ Cup viewing party, whether it’s held over Zoom or with a socially-distanced get-together in the back yard. Need a little inspiration? We’re here to help!

The DécorKeeneland’s gift shop. (Coady Photography)

Purple and gold are the official colors of the Breeders’ Cup, and forest green is Keeneland’s signature hue; that provides a nice jumping off point for your decorating needs. First off, consider the Breeders’ Cup shop as a one-stop place for your party needs. From mugs to rocks glasses and more, the collection is a great way to show your BC pride in the Bluegrass.  Another great option is the Keeneland shop; it’s one of the great racetrack gift shops I’ve ever encountered, and they have a huge selection of home goods that will serve your racing viewing party needs for years to come.

Looking for something a little less permanent? These racing-themed paper plates and napkins are perfect for a Breeders’ Cup party. I’m also very partial to these jockey silks cocktail napkins, as well as these Thoroughbred popcorn holders. These plastic julep cups will be perfect for housing the bourbon cocktail of your choice, and a racehorse pennant banner is the ultimate Zoom party backdrop.

The FoodKeeneland’s burgoo. (ABR Photo)

Keeneland has some food that’s not only legendary in racing circles, it’s pretty easy to recreate at home, too! Here are some ideas inspired by the tracks’ beloved offerings, plus a few others that I think would work nicely for your viewing party.

Keeneland Burgoo

A hearty stew that’s perfect for fall, burgoo is deceptively easy to make despite its lengthy ingredients list. Kathy Miller Time has a great copycat recipe based on Keeneland’s classic.

Mini hot brown tarts

While the hot brown originated in Louisville, not Lexington, it’s still a quintessentially Kentucky food. Spicy Southern Kitchen helps you make the iconic sandwiches party-ready by switching the bread for mini tart shells for ultimate snackability.

Benedictine Dip

The Spruce Eats is here with a great recipe for this easy and delicious traditional Kentucky dip that’s perfect for a party.

Beer cheese

The first time I tried beer cheese, I was holed up at a dive bar in a small Kentucky town called Millville. When it was offered, I figured I’d try it because it would be so gross as to make a great story. Was I ever wrong: tangy and rich, it’s a great snack and perfect for watching races on TV. Let Smitten Kitchen be your guide to making this instantly addictive dip. 

Keeneland bread pudding

This is a stick-to-your-ribs dessert (and the bourbon sauce will possibly make you tipsy!) and it’s so, so good. I can see breaking this recipe from Food.com up into a cupcake pan to bake and making personal servings for a viewing party! Just don’t with the strawberries if you want to stick to the Keeneland recipe.

Bourbon Balls

Want your dessert and your digestif combined into bite-size form? Enter the bourbon ball, a delightful treat that’s heavy on both the booze and sugar. Check out Tasting Table for an easy recipe that packs a bourbon-y punch.

Oatmeal cookies, but more complicated than this actual recipe because I’m difficult that way

I love oatmeal cookies, and I feel like they’re perfect for watching horse races because they have strong sweet feed energy. I love this recipe from Kitchn, but over the years I’ve tweaked it a little bit. Before we get to those changes, an important note: when the recipe tells you to pre-toast the oatmeal: do it. It adds so much dimension to the cookies, and you’ll be glad you did. Now the tweaks: instead of softened butter, brown your butter and let it solidify back to room temperature; it’s a big extra step and it takes a long time, but the flavor you get from this is indescribably good. Pro tip: when you’re transferring your butter from the saucepan to cool, put it in a Pyrex measuring cup and add more butter to it until you get back to a full cup. A lot of water evaporates through the browning process. Finally, the recipe calls for raisins. They are the devil’s candy and are to be avoided at all costs; replace with dried cranberries and chopped chocolate and you’re in for a good time.

The CocktailsMaker’s Mark bourbon. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Bourbon is going to be your go-to here; after all, the only true bourbon comes out of Kentucky, so you’ll be supporting Lexington-area businesses as you imbibe! The official bourbon of the Breeders’ Cup is Maker’s Mark, and they even have a cool commemorative bottle just in time for the world championships. Here are a few cocktail recipes to check out for your Breeders’ Cup watch party:

The Torrie Cup

One of the official cocktails of the Breeders’ Cup, the Torrie Cup is a mix of bourbon, sweet vermouth, orange juice, and lemonade. It’s the perfect mix of refreshing and potent!

Maple Old Fashioned

The perfect meld of fall flavors and Kentucky bourbon, the maple old fashioned puts an autumnal twist on a classic cocktail.

Hot Toddy

If you’re having people over and staying safe outside, consider a hot toddy for a warming cocktail. They’re delicious, warming, and right on-theme for the Breeders’ Cup.

Ale 8 One

Provide for the non-drinkers, designated drivers, and kids with some Ale 8 One, the official soft drink of the Bluegrass State. It’s a soda conceived of and wildly popular in Kentucky, and it’s kind of like if a ginger ale and a Sprite had a baby. Which is to say: it’s really good! (Also, you can mix it with your bourbon if you so choose. That’s good, too!)

West Sixth Brewing Company

My friend and colleague Greg recommends the offerings from this Lexington-based microbrewery; it can be hard to find outside of Kentucky and Ohio, but I have intel that’s spied it as far as Chicago. If you can get your hands on some of this very tasty brew, be sure to have it for your viewing party for the authentic Lexington experience.