To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Four Roses Bourbon created this cool infographic. You can see it larger here. Also as part of the celebration, Four Roses has dubbed this “The Year of the Toast” and is running a related contest: If your toast is selected, it will be printed along with your name on the 2014 Limited Edition Single Barrel bottle. Now that would be a keepsake.The contest ends Aug. 31. Click here for the details.

It’s fairly well known that Marge Samuels, wife of Bill Samuels Sr., came up with the name, the label and the now-iconic red-wax seal for the Maker’s Mark brand. But did you know she had to fight to keep the shape of the bottle? The craft bottle often came in broken and chipped in the early days. Bill Sr. wanted to switch to a more conventional bottle. Her reply: “You will figure it out.” And he did.

I didn’t know that until my friend, whiskey and wine writer and photographer Fred Minnick, shared it with me. He’s uncovered all sorts of fun stuff like this in his forthcoming book, “Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey.” The book drops in October, but if you want a taste of what’s to come, join us for “Women and Kentucky Bourbon: A History,” from 7-9 p.m. June 20 at the Filson Historical Society, 1310 S. Third St.

This Bourbon Women Association-sponsored event also features BW founder Peggy Noe Stevens, bourbon historian Mike Veach, authors Susan Reigler and Albert Schmid, bartender Joy Perrine and - oh, yes, how could I forget? - Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell and his charming wife, Joretta, who persuaded him to come to work for the distillery more than 50 years ago. The cost is $35 and you’ll need to register. Click here.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest to win a copy of Mike Veach’s “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage.” I conducted a random draw over the weekend, and the two winners were Tyler Montell of Shelbyville, Ky., and Joshua Smith of London, Ky. Congratulations, guys - I’ll put your books in the mail later this week after Mike autographs them.

I like to sip a cocktail while watching “Mad Men,” and often that cocktail is an Old-Fashioned. It’s classic, and it was invented right here in Louisville.

But unlike poor Don Draper, who seems unable to change his ways, I’m open to variations on this classic drink, such as the one provided by chef Mario Batali yesterday in ”What I’m Drinking,” part of the New York Times Magazine’s remarkable “One-Page Magazine.” Seriously, it’s remarkable: 12 (or more!) intriguing little stories on one tabloid page, every single week.

Anyway, here is Batali’s recipe, which varies from tradition by using a simple syrup made with brown sugar, and which I tried last night:

“Make a simple syrup with equal parts water and light brown sugar, and let it cool. Pour 2 tablespoons brown-sugar syrup in an old-fashioned glass and add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and 3 fresh ice cubes. Add 3 ounces Blanton’s bourbon and top with an orange twist. (Skip the cherry — we’re adults.)”

This is a great twist on a classic. The brown sugar provides a new depth to an old favorite. I didn’t have an orange, so I used a lemon twist, and I think I actually preferred it; it was less sweet and more refreshing. I’ll be mixing more of these this summer.

Happy National Bourbon Day! Which one will it be? It’s a tough choice, but the good news is, there is no wrong answer. How will you celebrate? While you’re deciding, be sure to reblog this post for a chance to win a copy of Mike Veach’s “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.” Tonight’s the deadline!

It’s never too soon to decide how to mark National Bourbon Day. Celebrated on June 14 (that’s Friday), this I’m-not-quite-sure-it’s-official holiday commemorates the day in 1789 that the Rev. Elijah Craig is said to have first distilled whiskey in Kentucky.

Now, if you’ve poked around in bourbon lore at all, you’ve come across the Rev. Craig. The Baptist minister is widely credited with creating what would become known as bourbon, and also with being the first person to have aged whiskey in charred barrels - barrels made from staves he salvaged from a fire, one story goes.

His name is memorialized on the label of a premium bourbon produced by Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Ky.

The bourbon is legit - particularly the limited-edition barrel-proof version released earlier this year. But the story is less so.

In his excellent book “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage,” also released earlier this year, bourbon historian Michael Veach notes that “no contemporary source tying Craig to the invention of bourbon whiskey has ever been found.” Mike should know; as associate curator of special collections at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Ky., he has spent years poring over all manner of records related to the evolution of bourbon production.

Further, it’s highly unlikely that barrel staves would burn only on one side in a fire, isn’t it? That seems obvious, but I’d never questioned the story until I heard Mike shoot holes through it at his Bourbon Academy, an all-day seminar held several times per year.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending the Academy, I  encourage you to enroll. Until then, reading Mike’s book is a close approximation. It doesn’t quite capture his personality - he can get almost giddy when dispelling myths - and no bourbon samples are  included. But this is no dry history tome (pun intended). Like the Academy, the book takes you on a fascinating journey from the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s to the bourbon boom of today, commandingly demonstrating the spirit’s inexorable tie to the history of Kentucky. Each chapter is a fine mix of conversational narrative, historic documents and photos, and pull-out boxes of trivia.

Around here, every day is Bourbon Day. So to make Friday special, I’m going to give away two copies of “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.”  Everyone who reblogs this post, retweets it on Twitter (@carlacarlton) or shares it on Facebook by the end of the day on June 14 will be entered in a random drawing; the two winners will be selected over the weekend. I might even be able to persuade Mike to autograph the books. Good luck!

The popular photo-sharing app Instagram began as a start-up called Burbn, “a game-play location-based service… named, in whimsical Silicon Valley fashion,” after co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom’s interest in “fine whiskeys and bourbons.”

Source: “The Money Shot” by Kara Swisher, Vanity Fair June 2012

It was a Google alert that finally pushed me over the edge. There among my daily results for the word “bourbon” was this headline from Forbes: “Special Bourbons for Celebrating Father’s Day.”

“If your father is a bourbon fan, this is the year to give him something special,” the story began. “To say bourbon is hot is a gross understatement; this brown spirit is enjoying a welcome and powerful renaissance among consumers of all stripes, but most especially among men.”

Now, don’t misunderstand. I think that bourbon would make a wonderful Father’s Day gift, assuming your father partakes of spirits. And some of the suggested brands are terrific, including W.L. Weller 12-year-old, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel and Booker’s.

But now let’s Google “bourbons for Mother’s Day.” We find a list of Mother’s Day brunches at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, some bourbon-blueberry-basil doughnuts you can make for Mom (or, more likely, she can make for you), and details on Mother’s Day flower delivery to Bourbon, Ind.

That’s right: Mom gets a dainty brunch or a bunch of daisies; it’s Dad who gets the good stuff. Well, not in my house. I drink just as much bourbon as my husband (and more rye whiskey). And I know that I’m not the only woman who enjoys “this brown spirit.” Close to 500 others have joined me in the Bourbon Women Association, and we aren’t just networking. We are drinking bourbon, and we are often the ones who make the purchasing decisions in our families.

Yet bourbon brands by and large continue to overlook women in their marketing efforts. Buffalo Trace Distillery capitalizes on its status as the home of the highly sought-after Pappy Van Winkle brand with an annual “Pappy for Your Pappy” Father’s Day Dinner. There is no similar Mother’s Day event; then again, there are no bourbons named for women, so it’s more of a challenge.

Back in April, I received a news release touting Angel’s Envy’s new limited-edition rye, to be released in May. Headline: “Unique finish in hand-selected Caribbean rum casks arrives in time for Father’s Day.”

I couldn’t resist. “What about Mother’s Day?” I asked the president of their marketing firm. “It’s a great point!” he responded. “More and more women are appreciating bourbon, as you know firsthand!”

And yet. There is a certain irony in the fact that the Forbes writer (a woman) turned to my fellow Kentuckian, bourbon writer and photographer Fred Minnick, for recommendations on those Father’s Day bourbons (and let me be clear that this is in no way intended as criticism of Fred). She correctly identified him as “the author of the soon-to-be-released ‘Whiskey Women.’”

But here’s the full title of the book: “Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey.” There’s a reason that story hasn’t been told until now. Distilleries haven’t viewed women as an important market.

Tip to distilleries: We are.

Tip to my family: Mother’s Day is over, but my birthday is coming up. And I don’t want any damned doughnuts.

Over the weekend, I mentioned 1792 Ridgemont Reserve. You might know that the 1792 in the name is a reference to the year that Kentucky became the 15th state. But did you know the bourbon was called “Ridgewood Reserve 1792” when it was released in 2003?

Barton Brands was forced to change the name the following year after Brown-Forman Corp. won a trademark-infringement suit in which it claimed the name and packaging were too similar to its Woodford Reserve brand. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman agreed that the two names “roll off the tongue in the same fashion,” but rejected Brown-Forman’s claim that Barton had copied its logo and bottle designs.

Coffman also allowed Barton to sell any remaining inventory that had been stocked in Kentucky before the lawsuit was filed, so you might see these bottles offered by collectors.

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve

Aged 9 years; 120 proof

Suggested retail: About $40/750ml

This is a single-barrel, higher-proof (120 vs. 100) version of one of Jim Beam’s small-batch bourbons. Here’s what the company says about this expression: “You’ll find more pronounced flavors and a smokier aroma. And although it packs a high proof, the finish is still smooth and complex.” Read on for what the Bourbon Babe says about it.

Nose: Molasses, vanilla, charred oak, lots of alcohol

Taste: Very fiery on the front, much more so than “original recipe” Knob Creek, but also very sweet. Burnt caramel, almost a creme brulee. Spice from the rye, white pepper. Finishes with a slow, smooth burn.

Verdict: While I enjoy most bourbons neat, I enjoyed Knob Creek Single Barrel even more after adding an ice cube. The ice opened the flavors up, smoothed out the fire and eased the smokiness a bit. This is a very good bourbon, particularly for the price.