Chef Mike Crowley and beverage consultant Frank Oley
Drink: Apple Smoked Old-Fashioned — Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, apple tincture, spiced cordial, Oley’s Barrel-Aged Apple Bitters, cinnamon, coriander, orris root, cedar smoke
Dish: Border Springs lamb shank braised in Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey with grilled plum-anise mostarda, smoked polenta, vadouvan roasted baby carrots, caramelized cipollini onions, Manakintowne baby beets
Cooking with local ingredients is important to Mike Crowley. When considering what to serve with Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey, he wanted to stay close to home. Thinking, “braised lamb would be perfect for a fall-forward dish,” he turned to Border Springs Farm in Patrick County, a farm known for tender, pasture-raised lamb. He procured plums and beets from Manakintowne Specialty Growers. With quality ingredients in line, he and beverage consultant Frank Oley wanted to highlight the smokiness of the rye. Oley created a cedar-smoked apple old-fashioned using his own apple bitters, while Crowley pan-smoked polenta, stirring it over smoldering wood chips. Using vadouvan, a French spice similar to curry, Crowley then roasted baby carrots to serve alongside caramelized cipollini onions and beets.
Apple Smoked Old-Fashioned
CRAFTED CAREFULLY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 45.2% Alc. by Vol.
