About a week ago, Four Roses held its ninth annual Rose Julep Recipe Contest, open to all local bartenders and mixologists. Above is the winning julep, created by Kyle Tabler of the Village Anchor, who broke the four-year winning streak of Varanese. Some commenters on Four Roses’ Facebook page noted that this sounds more like a recipe for a perfume or a potpourri than for a drink, but keep in mind, this is a contest for professionals who are going for the exotic. (Also keep in mind that last year’s winning recipe involved the boiling of boar bones for the simple syrup - honeysuckle sounds pretty great to me!)

I’ll be on the Belle of Louisville with Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge later this afternoon as we take on the Belle of Cincinnati and the American Queen in the Great Steamboat Race, part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Watch for updates!