21 September 2012

Top Five Friday: National Bourbon Month!

I know folks all have a tizzy about it, but I like a little bourbon of an evening.
It helps me sleep.
I don't much care what they say about it.
 ~ Lillian Carter

A
ccording to Liquor.com, in 2007, Congress declared September National Bourbon Month ~ one of the few decisions handed down from Capitol Hill that I can get behind 100%.
Once I found that out, the topic for today’s Top Five Friday was easy: recipes that use bourbon.  Narrowing it down to five was more difficult.

Bourbon is the perfect Autumn alcohol ~ it’s full bodied, smooth, and pairs well with apples and pumpkins, not to mention pork and beef recipes that call for heavier sauces. 

Brisket, when marinated and prepared correctly, is heavenly.  This recipe calls for veggies to be cooked with it.  I personally serve this with garlic-mashed potatoes, and dark greens on the side.
Another great pairing of meat and bourbon.  You can substitute tenderloins for the sirloin.
A bourbon martini?  Oh yeah, baby.  For me and the small group of friends with Southern sensibilities, gin is the alcoholic equivalent of white shoes ~ not to be worn ~ or in this case, sipped ~ after Labor Day.  Admit it, gin and tonics just seem summery.  But with this cocktail, the gin is replaced with bourbon.  Brilliant!
No list of bourbon-related recipes is complete without mentioning the Old Fashioned.  Whenever I think of this nineteenth century cocktail, I see deep chairs, a library with richly-coloured walls, rain tapping on the windows, and a springer spaniel asleep in front of a warm and cheery fire in the fireplace.   In reality, I’ve got at least the chair, rich walls, and the fireplace covered.  Perfect for a trip back to a more genteel and relaxed age.
This would make a sweet ending to an autumn-themed dinner.  And I bet this sauce would be scrumptious on top of gingerbread too.  Hmmm, I think I need to have an autumn-themed party!

Oremus pro invicem,
~ Mikaela
What are your favorite bourbon recipes ~ either food or drinks?

1 comment:

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