Louisville is ready to party like it's 1933! Repeal Day is celebrated on December 5th to mark the date when alcohol became legal again following the 13 years of prohibition.
So St. Charles Exchange and Bluegrass Barrels are celebrating Repeal Day with barrel-aged cocktails and 1920s-era foods to pay homage to 21st Amendment. The St. Charles Exchange bar manager, Colin Shearn, and Bluegrass Barrels founder, Jeff Ames, explain how their party works.
On December 5, 1933, Americans raised their glasses as the 21st amendment ended Prohibition. St. Charles Exchange and Bluegrass Barrels are teaming up to toast Repeal Day with a special Prohibition-era celebration on December 5th.
The Repeal Day Party will take place at St. Charles Exchange on Wednesday, December 5th from 5-7p.m. Bluegrass Barrels, a Louisville company offering small bourbon barrels, is adding a unique element by providing barrels for St. Charles Exchange's bar team to create a Prohibition-era cocktail aged in bourbon barrels, giving it a special twist.
Vintage-style foods including deviled eggs and Elvis on Horseback (bacon-wrapped dates) will be available, and revelers are encouraged to dress in period attire. Bluegrass Barrels will give away a barrel to one attendee and will also be on hand to take orders for personalized barrels. St. Charles Exchange is located at 113 South Seventh Street. For more information about the event, please visit www.stcharlesexchange.com
Opera Cocktail (this is the one being aged in barrels for the Repeal Day event)
2 oz Bombay Dry gin
.75 oz Lazzaroni Maraschino liqueur
.75 oz Byrrh quinine aperitif wine
1 dash orange bitters
-stir with cracked ice for 10 seconds. strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Old Fashioned
2 oz Bourbon or Rye (we use Old Forester Signature at the SCE) teaspoon Demerara syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic bitters
-stir with cracked ice for 10 seconds. strain into double old fashioned glass with fresh ice. garnish with an orange and a lemon twist.
About St. Charles Exchange
St. Charles Exchange is located in the former bourbon distillery on South Seventh St. in one of the oldest buildings in Louisville. The menu features innovative seasonal variations of food classics, and the beverage program celebrates American estate grown wines and craft beers, while focusing on a lengthy list of cocktails that showcase the art of a fine mixed drink. Doused with bourbon history, St. Charles is furthered established as the premier local cocktail destination as host to Tom Fischer's Bourbon Country television show, taped on-site monthly.
Open for Power Lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30am-2:00pm and open seven days a week (502) 618-1917 or visit www.stcharlesexchange.com , Facebook, or Twitter.
Bluegrass Barrels Sample Recipes
Cinnamon Barrel-Aged Bourbon
1 liter of bourbon poured into a 1 liter barrel
Dropped a ~ 2-3 inch cinnamon stick in the barrel
Taste once every two weeks until the bourbon meets your desired flavor profile
Vanilla Barrel-Aged Bourbon
1.75 liters of bourbon poured into a 2-liter barrel
Drop 3 vanilla beans in the barrel
Taste once every two weeks until the bourbon meets your desired flavor profile
About Bluegrass Barrels
Founded in 2011 and based in Louisville, Ky., Bluegrass Barrels provides small barrels as gift ideas and for aging spirits at home. Recognized by AskMen.com as a top groomsmen gift, the products are available online and in select Louisville retail stores. For more information, visit www.bluegrassbarrels.com or on Twitter.
