The Gold Dust western fifth excited bidders for several reasons. It boasted loads of embossing, even with an embossed horse (which happened to depict a famous race horse of its time). It had a beautiful yellow olive coloration, with a ton of whittle and an applied top. The Gold Dust has become a “must-have” western fifth for serious collectors able to afford one.

The Gold Dust Kentucky Bourbon was a very popular brand from the moment it was introduced to the Pacific Slope by Barkhouse Bros. through their agent the John van Bergen Co. of San Francisco. The name is a natural for the early California and Nevada trade, it probably was a significant factor in the brand’s popularity. The Gold Dust name however, is in reference to the horse depicted in the trade mark, and of course embossed on the bottle.

Made up of two simultaneous releases of hand-crafted Bourbon from two time “Distiller of the Year” Heaven Hill Distilleries the dueling bottles will create the biggest buzz ever seen around a consumer product at election time.

No matter which side they’re on, voters can make a real party statement with America’s Native Spirit in the form of Red State and Blue State, a smooth-tasting Kentucky Bourbon. Labeled with America’s political party colors of Republican red and Democrat blue and featuring the famous elephant and donkey symbolsthese unique bottles will be available nationally beginning January 2012.

 ”During this topsy-turvy election year, we wanted to launch a fun and unique Bourbon brand that will be the life of both parties, as the race begins for the next President of the United States. What better way to, not only show your patriotic spirit, but kick back, relax and watch the action as the success of each brand becomes an entertaining results indicator of Election 2012,”

said Kate Latts, Director of Marketing at Heaven Hill Distilleries.

Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam assure that the quality of the Bourbon will be beyond debate. A product of America’s largest independent family-owned and operated distillery, and the second largest holders of aging American Whiskey in the world, Red State and Blue State Bourbon come from a tradition of American Whiskey making that goes back to the times of the very first elections. Made from the finest grains using the Master Distillers’ seven generation old family yeast strain, Red State and Blue State Bourbon will make any political conversation, more lively.

In addition, Heaven Hill Distilleries has announced it will be contributing a donation for every legal drinking age consumer that “likes” Red State or Blue State Bourbon on Facebook to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation, making it an even more attractive choice for politically-savvy consumers. “We are pleased to be helping to support the good works of the VFW for our Armed Forces with Red State and Blue State,” noted Latts. “Donations will go toward the VFW Foundation’s Return the Favor campaign which honors, celebrates, and supports active-duty military, veterans and their families.”

For more information visit www.redbluebourbon.com .

The Maker’s Mark bottle is sealed with silver wax, and a scarlet label includes the university’s own seal and text about the national championship. The bottle is signed by Bill Samuels Jr., the distiller’s chairman emeritus. Samuels is a member of the university’s Board of Trustees and is leading Bellarmine’s $100 million capital campaign.

Bellarmine fans and bourbon collectors can obtain this limited-edition keepsake on Saturday, December 10, at 9 a.m., when Bellarmine will dispense with their remaining stock of the bottled sets, available for $200. The event takes place in Frazier Hall at the university’s George G. Brown Center, and proceeds benefit Bellarmine’s capital campaign, dubbed The 100 Million Dollar Question (www.100milliondollarquestion.org).

The brands have never before been available in the same package.

“The Samuels and Brown families go back a long way together in the whisky business,” said Samuels. “We can be fierce competitors, but we’re also close friends. Both families share the belief that a strong private university is critical to the region’s development, so if we’re going to have a strange bedfellow in this fundraising effort, I can’t think of a better one.”

“As master distiller for Woodford Reserve, I never thought I’d see the day when Woodford would be co-packed with Maker’s Mark, one of our fiercest competitors,” said Morris. “But as a graduate of Bellarmine University, I’m proud to join in helping my alma mater answer the 100 Million Dollar Question so that it can become the leading private university in our region.
”

The show’s two lead investigators, Jason and Grant, said Buffalo Trace was one of the few sites they had been to where all of the investigators on the team had a paranormal experience. The show’s producers came to Buffalo Trace asking to film there, due to viewer demand. It is the first time the TV show had ever filmed at a distillery.

Although the Ghost Hunters® findings are confidential until the show airs, it did prove to be a “touching” experience for Jason and Grant.

Visitors can have their own experience as Buffalo Trace Distillery kicks off its Ghost Tours on Thursday, Nov. 17th at 7 p.m.The tours will run Thursday-Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. each evening, starting Nov. 17th and running indefinitely. (No toursThanksgiving evening, Nov. 24th, Dec. 1st, or Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.)  Admission to the tours is complimentary, but guests do need a reservation, which they can make at 1-800-654-8471 or email giftshop@buffalotrace.com. Children are permitted, but those under 18 do need to be accompanied by an adult. The tours will conclude with a tasting.

The Ghost Tours will last approximately an hour, and follow the path as seen on “Ghost Hunters®,” including some rarely-toured areas of the Distillery.

“We’re really excited to be able to offer this new tour to complement our other three tour offerings. In addition to our Trace Tour, Hard Hat Tour, and Post Prohibition Tour, we now have a Ghost Tour that will undoubtedly appeal to a whole different audience. We’re hoping it will really increase visitation to this region in Kentucky.”

said Elizabeth Hurst, visitor center manager for Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Made from soft red winter wheat, barley and corn and aged in American oak barrels, Maker’s Mark is a smooth tasting premium bourbon with caramel, vanilla and spice notes. These flavors are even bolder and more complex in new Maker’s 46, which undergoes an additional aging process with seared French oak staves.

The historic Kentucky distillery is sharing with some great recipes  which incorporate Maker’s Mark bourbon and will be easy to make at home. Acclaimed chef and TV personality Amanda Freitag recommends this delicious bourbon-infused sweet potato side dish and Chef Elizabeth Karmel of New York City’s Hill Country Barbecue has whipped up a pecan pie recipe that will have everyone asking for a second slice. Pair these with an Apple Manhattan or Pomegranate Smash cocktail and you’ve got yourself one heck of a Thanksgiving meal!

Check out the new recipe section at www.makersmark.com.

Apple Manhattan

RECIPE:

2 parts Maker’s Mark®

1 part Berentzen® Apple Liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a granny smith apple wheel.

Pomegranate Smash

RECIPE:

2 parts Maker’s 46™

1 part POM Wonderful® Pomegranate Juice

1/2 part honey

1/2 part fresh squeezed lemon juice

Garnish with pomegranate seeds

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour over ice into a rocks glass.

 Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Maker’s Mark®, Chestnuts and Sage

Recipe by Amanda Freitag, Executive Chef and TV Personality

Prep Time: 15 minutes. Cook Time: 30 minutes. Level: Easy.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled & large dice

1/4 cup Maker’s Mark®

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup celery, small dice

1 1/2 cups whole peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chiffonade

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1.      Place diced sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt to the sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer the potatoes for approximately 25 minutes or until just tender, not too soft.

2.      Drain the potatoes until dry and place them back into the pot. Stir in the 1Ž2 cup of butter and the Maker’s Mark® while the potatoes are still hot. As you stir the potatoes they will naturally mash and still hold some of their shape. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a ceramic serving dish and hold.

3.      Prepare the chestnuts by first melting the 2 tablespoons of butter into a sauté pan and sauté the celery on a medium heat. After 2 minutes add the chopped chestnuts and the maple syrup to the celery and cook together until incorporated. Finish the chestnuts with the sage and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the chestnut mixture over the sweet potatoes and serve.

Maker’s Mark® Double-Nut Pecan Pie

 Recipe by Elizabeth Karmel, Executive Chef, Hill Country Barbecue Market

 Prep Time: 2 hours. Cook Time: 1 hour.  Level: Easy.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup whole pecans

3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons Maker’s Mark®

1 pre-baked 9-inch pie shell*

1.      Preheat oven to 350˚F. Put chopped nuts into the bottom of the prebaked pie shell and set aside.

2.      Combine melted butter, granulated sugar, the dark and light corn syrups, eggs, vanilla extract and bourbon.

3.      Pour this mixture on top of chopped nuts.  Place a decorative row of whole pecans on the top.  Bake about 50-60 minutes on the center rack of the oven or until cooked through.  The pie will spring back on top but still giggle a little until it cools.  If the top is getting too dark before the center is done, tent with aluminum foil.

4.      Cool for a minimum of three hours. The pie is best made the day before.

*Note: Pre-bake the pie shell according to package directions at least two hours beforehand to allow time to cool.

 Note from Chef Karmel: “The classic pecan pie made better with the addition of both chopped and whole pecans and a splash of both vanilla and Bourbon. Serve with Maker’s Mark® spiked whipped cream for a double treat!”