Bourbon Cocktails With a Culinary Bent—All For a Good Cause

The connection between bartender and chef, between back of house and front, is sacred and symbiotic in all those ways that sound a little sappy the deeper in you get.

It’s so powerful, in fact, that it serves as the inspiration behind The Woodford Reserve Pair & Share program. For the month of September, featured bartenders throughout Richmond, Virginia will design a Woodford Reserve-based cocktail inspired by a signature dish or personal favorite on their chef’s menu. It’s a unique chance to witness a personal spin on the delicate art of food and beverage pairing, and we’re into it.

As bourbons go, you can’t really ask for a better palate paint-box than Woodford Reserve, which boasts more than 200 detectable flavors, from warm caramel and woody tobacco all the way to rose and honeysuckle.

The cherry on the bourbon sundae: Woodford Reserve will donate $1 from each cocktail sold at participating restaurants straight to No Kid Hungry, so you can spread the good vibes with every drink you try. The program has raised over $30,000 for various food-related charities since 2016—one perfect pairing at a time.

Below, the 12 match-ups to plan your month around:

 

Acacia: “Tres Stellas”
Mike Truxton's ode to Chef Dale Reitzer.

Brenner Pass: “Bourbon, Brûléed"
Shannon Hood considers the pastry prowess of Chef Olivia Wilson.

Heritage: “Monkey Trick”
Lindsey Scheer's got two tricks up her sleeve behind the stick—she'll also offer a non-alcoholic option to honor the sobriety of Chef Joe Sparatta.

L'Opossum: “Throwing Shade”
A friendly jab from Will Seidensticker to Chef James Garland at the tiny spot that's won everyone's heart.

The Jasper: “Golden Boy”  
An ode from Jeremy Wilson to Chef Chris Stough.

Lemaire: “Peachy Keen”
End-of-summer stone fruit gets in on the homage from Tara Schleinkofer to Chef Patrick Willis.

Metzger Bar & Butchery: “Sage Words”
Kjell Anderson's nod to their whip-smart leader, Chef Brittanny Anderson.

Pasture: “The Apple of My Rye”
Eloquence meets eloquence in this liquid letter from Brittanny Jones to Chef Jason Alley.

Perch: “Rust and Stardust”
Consider it an opening gift at this buzzy new spot from Kristel Poole to Chef Mike Ledesma.

The Roosevelt: “It’s LITT”
Shelby Hastings knows they've got a good thing going at this iconic stop, thanks to Chef Lee Gregory.

Saison: “Woodford Collins”
A classic cocktail with a little more oomph from Justin Ayotte to Chef Adam Hall.

Shagbark: “Papa Bundy’s Paw Paws”
Derek Salerno makes it personal for Chef Walter Bundy.

 

This story is brought to you in partnership with Woodford Reserve | Crafted Carefully. Drink Responsibly.

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