Join Heaven Hill Distillery at the 4th Annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival Bourbon Pairing Dinner at the Levee Bourbon Bar on May 1. Last year’s sold-out Derby-week dinner returns this year, presented by the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Enjoy an evening of camaraderie, bourbon, cuisine, and views of the Ohio River and the Kentucky Derby Festival's Great Steamboat Race.
Heaven Hill Distillery Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll will guide guests through a tasting experience of the distillery’s whiskeys, including Elijah Craig Small Batch, Elijah Craig Toasted, Elijah Craig Rye, Elijah Craig 18 year & Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. The official 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival cocktail will be revealed and served upon arrival plus a dinner cocktail and dessert cocktail in addition to the flight of five neat bourbon pours.
The four-course dinner will be crafted by Chef John Varanese, chef and owner of the Levee Bourbon Lounge. Varanese settled in Louisville because of its appreciation for and success of the independent dining scene. Varanese is known for his culturally diverse and creatively curated menus, along with his dedication to incorporating local food to provide fresh and signature dishes.
Doors open at 5:15 p.m. The dinner takes place from 5:45 to 9:00 p.m. The menu for the event includes:
WELCOME COCKTAIL AND PASSED APPETIZERS
Elijah Craig cured salmon on house-made blini, fried capers, and crème fraiche
House-made smoked chicken sausage, with kalamata olives, fennel sprigs, and fresh citrus
Kenny’s Cranberry Fromage Blanc baked on brioche topped with Elijah Craig sorghum glaze
SALAD (Flight in pre-poured on tables)
Crisp Roma Crunch Lettuce topped with apple chips, Elijah Craig-soaked dried cherries, shaved Kenny’s Bleu Gouda cheese and finished with a toasted
vanilla bean vinaigrette
DINNER (Entrée Cocktail)
Smoked beef tenderloin topped with a duck confit ragout over a savory cornbread
panzanella, roasted asparagus, heirloom carrot and red peppers finished
with Elijah Craig caramel demi-glace
DESSERT (Dessert Cocktail)
Milk chocolate genoise, with a dried apricot marmalade, fermented honey and
a vanilla panna cotta
We will also serve three cocktails, a welcome cocktail, dinner cocktail and dessert cocktail
FEATURED BOURBONS
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Elijah Craig Toasted
Elijah Craig Rye
Elijah Craig 18 year
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
ABOUT THE LEVEE BOURBON LOUNGE
Levee at River House has become Levee Bourbon Lounge, an upscale bourbon bar attached to River House Restaurant and Raw Bar at 3015 River Road. The lounge’s speakeasy feel is completed with the various bourbon decorations covering the walls that remind us of Kentucky’s bourbon heritage. One wall is filled with bourbon barrel heads, some rustic and some finished, the bar shelving has been expanded to include the majority of their extensive 277 bourbon bottle collection and the warm colors of the room make you feel like you’ve transported to a different place. The sultry and stylish vibe takes you back to the 1920s with a modern twist. With the amazing view of the Ohio River and the exclusive, chic atmosphere – the Levee Bourbon Lounge will be an experience like no other in the city of Louisville.