🥃The FIRST EVER Sip & Sense Woodford Reserve Dinner in partnership with James Beard Foundation! We are beyond grateful to be the first group of people to be a part of this unforgettable experience! We were greeted by a red carpet step and repeat outside of a private residence in Alys Beach, then welcomed inside the home’s beautiful courtyard.
🥃Inside we enjoyed a cocktail hour by @karl_the_whiskey_maven . My Versailles Lemonade and Russell’s Paper Plane were perfect to start the evening! They also had a unique “Build Up” the Bourbon Aroma Station where we smelled various scents used throughout their famous bourbons to get our senses ready for dinner.
🤩We were blown away by the gorgeous table scape and menu! We had no idea what to expect and didn’t think it was going to be a 5 course dinner! Before we got started Chef @thewellkeptchef and Karl shared their stories, details on the legacy of the distillery and briefed us on what we were about to experience. Each course was perfectly paired with a new Bourbon drink and/or infused within the meal itself!
Let me start off by saying that I’m all about energy and Chef @thewellkeptchef ‘s energy was all about giving and passion. He was so incredibly humble and happy to cook us a meal from his heart and I could feel that from across the table. (Not to mention that he worked at two awesome Disney World restaurants that I love - Sanaa and Artist Point! Loved geeking out over being former Cast Members. 🤓)
🍴Charcuterie Slate was the perfect start of bites! Such a delicious variety of flavors. 👏I could have eaten the Lemon Curry Buttered Crab Claws and Shrimp all night! WOW! Seafood in traditional butter doesn’t do it for me - but add curry and herb broth - YES PLEASE!
👏Russell has thought about the Cornish Hen dish every day since. Woah y’all. The skin on this bird: smoked Bourbon-infused. What?! The best we’ve had, hands down. Additional ways to our Southern hearts: black eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread that looks like actual 🌽! Jeez Louise.
🥃Drinks crafted and paired perfectly by @karl_the_whiskey_maven throughout our meal. Our favorite was the Air Foam with hibiscus notes and mint cocktail foam. We also had a fun Willy Wonka moment of figuring out what we were drinking without context.
📸 VLOG of our whole experience and more of our personal review coming soon! Thank you again to @hellonimbus@alysbeachcrafted@edmondsprod and team for creating this exquisite night!