Private Bourbon Dinner - North 45 Pub

As I noted on Twitter the other day "Heading to North 45 Pub for a private bourbon dinner. Pairing bourbons with family style BBQ. mmmm..."

At $80 a head, I had high expectations. What we got was fantastic. North 45 shut down the entire restaurant for the event. The intimate, family style setting was great for meeting our table-mates, the food was amazing, and the bourbon tasting was interesting. Now, I like bourbon. I'm pretty particular though - I mostly only ever drink Maker's Mark on the rocks. I'll go for Bulliet or Woodford Reserve if the mood strikes. I am not a Scotch fan, nor do I like Irish Whiskey. So, I was pretty happy to be at this thing to try & expand my palate, or at the very least to indulge in something I already like. When the first bourbon was Woodford Reserve, I knew we were in for some fun. I've posted the menu & the whiskey list below.

What did we learn? Well, I thought bourbon had to be made in Kentucky. I was wrong. Bourbon has to be made with 51% corn, and has to be aged for 2 yrs in oak barrels. That's it. All in all, we tried 5 different bourbons and a rye whiskey. What's the difference between bourbon & rye whiskeys? Rye has to be made with 51% rye... There ya go.

North 45 will be doing future pairing dinners. I know they have a Scotch and a Tequila dinner planned for later this year. If you're interested - you should contact Josh for more information.


Bourbon Menu:

• Woodford Reserve
• Black Maple Hill 16 yr.
• Van Winkle Lot B 12 yr.
• A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 yr.
• Sazerac Rye 6 yr