Sidebar, Louisville’s newest Whiskey Row enterprise in the shadow of the YUM! Center, was the setting this week for the semi-finals of the Four Roses/Magic City Cocktail Competition. The contest was created by the United States Bartenders’ Guild in conjunction with Starz Network, and the winner, who’ll be crowned after the finals at the Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ky., on June 9 and 10, could win a walk-on role on the Starz show “Magic City.”

OK, that’s the fine print. I wasn’t judging this cocktail contest; I was mostly there to sip some Four Roses and to check out Sidebar. My first impression is quite favorable. It has a great location and a cool, slightly upscale vibe, and if the sliders that were offered as appetizers truly represent the burger-centric menu, I can’t wait to try a full-size one.

(The bar)

While I sampled, I watched the six contestants - five from Indianapolis and Louisville’s own Colin Shearn (St. Charles Exchange) - prepare their cocktails. You guys, the USBG is tough! Each contestant was judged on things like over- and under-pouring, spillage and “garnish neatness” - and they were being timed. And that’s before the four judges, who were in an adjoining room, even started assessing each drink’s aroma, taste, presentation, etc. No wonder most people’s hands were shaking a little.

Because they were already under a lot of pressure, I didn’t want to bother them, and so I took a photograph of only one. That would be Kendall Lockwood from Ball & Biscuit in Indianapolis, who is preparing her cocktail, “The Hooch,” above. It was a savvy choice, because she ended up winning. (The recipe is below.) Unlike some of these things, where only the judges get to taste the competing drinks, we hoi polloi also got a sip, and so I can tell you that Kendall’s cocktail is smooth and sweet and would make a nice dessert drink. 

I will be visiting Sidebar again soon for that burger and for a barrel-aged cocktail. Watch for updates.

The Bourbon Babe, left, with Nick Clark and Ellen King for Four Roses. (Yes, we often just stand around holding a bottle of bourbon while we chat here in Kentucky.) Photo by Jerry Zegart.

Kendall Lockwood’s “The Hooch”

1.5 oz Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon

0.5 oz Prunier VSOP

1 oz simple syrup

1 oz vanilla infused organic whole milk

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake and strain into Embassy glass and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

The Bourbon Babe is thrilled to announce that she - er, “I” - will be one of the judges this year for Four Roses’ 10^th Annual Rose Julep Recipe Contest. I’ll be joined on April 18 at the Ice House by My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan, nationally acclaimed bartender Joy Perrine and wine/spirits journalist Fred Minnick to sample variations on this classic theme by Louisville-area mixologists and declare a winner. We’ll evaluate each entry on taste, presentation and creativity.

Competing bars and restaurants include 211 Clover Lane, Asiatique, Bourbons Bistro, Doc Crow’s, Lilly’s, Monkey Wrench, Martini’s Italian Bistro, St. Charles Exchange, the Silver Dollar, Village Anchor, Varanese and Volare. The winner receives $500 cash, two tickets to the Great Steamboat Race, a silver engraved Mint Julep cup and an engraved plaque. Additional prizes will be presented to second- and third-place winners. Last year’s winner was Kyle Tabler of the Village Anchor.

But there’s something in this for you, too. The event is free and open to the public and includes Four Roses drink specials, a limited number of swag bags provided by Four Roses and a performance after the competition by local band Kudmani.

The Ice House is at 217 E. Main St. and the event is from 5:30-8 p.m. April 18. Join us, and be sure to say howdy!

Thanks to everyone who entered my contest to win a copy of “Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend,” by brand ambassador Al Young. The winner, chosen by random draw, is Whitney Cecil of Louisville, Ky. Congratulations, Whitney! If you didn’t win this time, don’t despair - I’ll have another contest soon. Keep reading! 

Bourbon Heritage Month is winding down, but prime bourbon-drinking season is just beginning. Won’t it be nice to curl up next to the fire with a glass of your favorite brand and a good book?

The Bourbon Babe is here to help you with that last part. I’m giving away a copy of “Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend,” written by brand ambassador Al Young. Al traces the somewhat complicated history of this iconic brand, which at one point couldn’t be purchased in the United States despite being produced in Lawrenceburg, Ky. Be sure to check out the wonderful collection of vintage Four Roses advertisements, too.

To be eligible to win, just reblog this post on Tumblr, retweet it on Twitter or share it on Facebook by 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 27. I’ll conduct a random drawing from all entries and declare a winner on Friday. Good luck!

The winner of “Not Your Pink Drink” - the Bourbon Women Association’s first-ever cocktail contest - was decided today at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.

The two finalists - amateur division finalist Karen Rego’s High-Doll and professional division finalist Rachel Isaac’s Not Your Subourbon Housewife - were served to attendees of “Any Way She Likes It,” a tasting session led by BW founder and president Peggy Noe Stevens. By an overwhelming show of hands, Rego’s refreshing cocktail was selected as the BW’s signature drink for calendar year 2013. (Those are the High-Dolls, above, looking for all the world like “little bourbon soldiers,” as bartender and BW member Joy Perrine, who mixed the drinks, put it.)

Here are recipes for the winner and the runner-up:

High-Doll

1 1/4 oz. Bourbon - 90 Proof

3/4 oz. Amaretto

2 oz. Chilled Lime Sparkling Water

1 lime wedge

1 slice orange

Fill a highball or rocks glass with ice.  Pour Bourbon and Amaretto over ice.  Add Sparkling Lime Water.  Squeeze juice of lime into glass and add lime wedge.  Stir gently.  Garnish with orange slice.

Not Your Subourbon Housewife (bonus points for the name!)

1 oz. or equal parts of the following:

90 proof bourbon

Butterscotch Schnapps

Frangelico Hazelnut Liquor

Splash Gran Marnier

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with raw sugar. Garnish with an orange twist and a dried apricot. Enjoy!

Honorable mention, amateur division, submitted by Jill Slavinsky:

Bourbonista Apple Pie a la Mode

2 oz. 80 Proof Bourbon

3/4 oz. Apple Caramel Schnapps

1 oz. Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer (or Half and Half)

Pinch of cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Time is running out to enter your cocktail recipe in the Bourbon Women Association’s Not Your Pink Drink contest: Entries must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. EDT Sept. 1 (tomorrow) at www.bourbonwomen.org.

There are two divisions: professional bartender (entry fee, $25) and amateur mixologist ($15). The winners from each division will be unveiled at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Ky., on Sept. 14 and will be the Bourbon Women’s signature cocktails for the coming calendar year.

Each recipe must contain bourbon and at least two other ingredients, and, as the name would indicate, cannot produce a pink drink. I explained why on a local newscast yesterday; tune in here to find out - and get those entries in! 

I want to thank everyone who entered the Bourbon Babe Birthday Contest - and, indeed, everyone who takes the time to read this blog. But there could be only two winners, and after a random draw from all entries, they were:

Tim Rozmus (@timrozmus), from the Twitterverse, who receives the Just Add Bourbon gear, and

Scott & Nix of Tumblr, who take home the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour shot glass holder. (Message me with your mailing info!)

Congratulations!

My sincere thanks also to the folks with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour shop and Bourbon Country for their generosity in donating those fabulous prizes.

It’s been a great first year of blogging. Watch for some big changes in the coming year - and keep enjoying America’s only native spirit!

OK, bourbon lovers, today’s the day. You have until midnight to enter the Bourbon Babe Birthday Contest marking the first birthday of this blog.

There are two great prizes: an assortment of “Just Add Bourbon” merchandise from the nice people in Bourbon Country, home of the Urban Bourbon Trail:

and an official barrel stave shot-glass holder donated by the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour (plus a Kentucky Bourbon Trail glass to get you started):

To enter the contest:

• reblog this entry on Tumblr,
• retweet it on Twitter, or
• share it on Facebook.

But remember: Today is the last day to enter! I will conduct a random draw from all the entries over the weekend and announce the two winners on Monday.

Good luck!

Have you taken the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour? If you haven’t, well, what are you waiting for? If you have, you likely took home souvenir glasses from each of the six distilleries on the trail: Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses and Wild Turkey.

But where to keep them?

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour shop has you covered. They’ve taken a barrel stave, above, and drilled holes in it for each of the glasses, with the respective distillery logos branded below. It makes an impressive display.

And you can win one of these nifty barrel staves from The Bourbon Babe. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour has donated one - plus an official Bourbon Trail glass for that center slot - to help me celebrate the first birthday of this blog.

To be entered in the random drawing, all you have to do is reblog this post on Tumblr, retweet it on Twitter or share it on Facebook by Friday, July 20. On July 23, I’ll announce the winner of the stave.

I’ll also announce a second winner, who’ll receive a basket of “Just Add Bourbon” merchandise from the nice folks in Bourbon Country (aka Louisville), home of the Urban Bourbon Trail.

Good luck and happy trails!

It’s hard to believe, but this blog is a year old this month. It’s been a fun year of tasting bourbons, meeting great people in the industry and connecting with lots of other fans of America’s native spirit. To celebrate, the Bourbon Babe is giving YOU a present - two presents, actually.

My friends in Bourbon Country, home of the Urban Bourbon Trail, have generously donated a collection of “Just Add Bourbon” items, above.

And the nice people with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour are providing a choice item from their new online shop. The reclaimed white-oak bourbon barrel stave, above, has a slot for a shot glass from each of the six distilleries on the trail, plus a spot in the middle for the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail logo glass. They’ve agreed to throw in the Bourbon Trail glass to get you started.

You can enter the contest in one of three ways:

• Reblog this post on Tumblr;
• Retweet it on Twitter; or
• Share it on Facebook (don’t just hit “like”).

From that pool of entrants, I will conduct a random draw for the prizes. You must enter by Friday, July 20. The two winners will be announced on Monday, July 23.

Good luck, and thanks for reading!