Now is the Perfect Time to Plan Your Bourbon Tasting Party

By bbqandbourbon on Feb 18, 2010 in Featured, Kentucky Bourbon

There is a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding bourbon. As a Bourbon lover, you owe it to your non-Bourbon-drinking friends (you have some?) to help them discover the fun and pleasure of drinking Kentucky’s favorite.

Here are some tips to help get you started planning for your Bourbon Tasting Party.

First, study up on Bourbon. BuffaloTraceSaloon.com is a great resource. They have distilled (pun intended) the making of bourbon into a few paragraphs.

Second, beg, borrow, or steal enough rocks glasses and shot glasses to provide everybody a change of glasses for each taste. Don’t underestimate the number of glasses you will need. A back-up would be to gather up used glasses as the evening progresses and hand-wash them (please, no dishwasher or soap residue.)

Third, be ready for resistance from non-bourbon drinkers. When you send your invitation. Send along a recipe for a cocktail that uses bourbon. Some people (!) don’t care for the taste of straight bourbon, which can be said for any other adult beverage. Tease them with the ingredients for:

or any of the dozens of other recipes available on the web. Have the ingredients for the classic Mint Julep – even if you don’t have enough silver cups. Everyone should have at least one Mint Julep in their life and your party could be the perfect chance.

Fourth, who provides the Bourbon? If it’s not you from your liquor cabinet, ask each guest to bring a specific brand of bourbon to make sure you have a variety of brands and flavors represented. Specify the size of the bottle to bring based on the number of guests. (Try to keep it to no larger than 1.75 liter bottles, you do want your guests to leave and get home safely.)

Fifth, what to serve? If you are providing the Bourbon and are offering a tasting party as a special event, then great menu selections are imperative. BuffaloTraceSaloon.com has a wonderful collection of recipes from appetizer to dessert to make it an “all-Bourbon” experience. On the other hand, if you are having more casual gathering of bourbon novices mixed up with bourbon lovers, consider some simpler snack-food – all on the salty side.

Sixth, who is the expert? Everybody! Especially if everybody brought a bottle. In the invitation, ask them to visit the website of the distiller to learn about the Bourbon they brought. This breaks the ice, gets people talking and comparing notes. If you have a “self-proclaimed” expert, don’t let them dominate. It’s a party! If you provide the Bourbon, encourage people to talk about their taste experience. Keep reminding your guests: there are no wrong opinions.

Don't Crowd Your Bourbons

Seventh, Provide a large enough table to give people elbow room to approach the bottle, pick it up, read the label, take a sample. Don’t let people form a line like the local buffet joint. Encourage mingling. You may choose to have two or three tables around the room.

Eighth, speaking of ice. Have more than plenty. Buy the good stuff.

Ninth, it’s a party. Live, laugh and enjoy! Take pictures (find a Bourbunny!) and upload them to the Buffalo Trace Saloon for all to relive the fun they had at your Bourbon Tasting Party.