Angel’s Envy Bourbon Dinner Recap
Thank you to everyone that joined us this past Thursday night for our Angel’s Envy Bourbon Dinner & Tasting. It was truly an amazing evening filled with great food, amazing whiskey and most importantly, lots of banter among old and new friends.
The evening kicked off with the traditional Bourbon & Banter Bourbon Lounge where guests enjoyed appetizers while sipping on the Angel’s Decree cocktail made with Angel’s Envy bourbon. During the Bourbon Lounge guests got a chance to mix and mingle while also spending some time with Louisville Distilling Co,’s very own COO, Wes Henderson. It was also during the Bourbon Lounge that I was able to finally meet Jesse and Linda Jackson, a couple that drove all the way up to St. Louis from Dallas, TX to attend our dinner, in person. Meeting them and spending some time together is really what Bourbon & Banter is all about. Making new friends and sharing a mutual love of bourbon.
After a few rounds of drinks, we ushered everyone into the main dining room of Glen Echo Country Club to get the dinner started. Wes Henderson kicked the dinner off by providing everyone with an overview of his family’s background in the distilling business and how Angel’s Envy got started. He then introduced the first bourbon of the evening, Angel’s Envy bourbon finished in port wine barrels, providing tasting instructions and an overview of what to expect from the whiskey as we started our first dinner course – a grilled romaine wedge salad with smoked Gouda, pretzel croutons, blueberries, and maple & raspberry vinaigrette.
With each new dinner course, Wes provided the group with an overview of Angel’s Envy whiskey paired with it for the evening. The second course consisting of bistro beef filet and Louisiana crab cakes was paired with the hard to find Angel’s Envy Cask Strength bourbon. It’s high-proof, yet smooth finish was a perfect match for the strong beef and crab flavors. (As a side note I have to say that folks were most excited to be trying the Cask Strength bourbon for the first time.)
Dinner concluded with a pairing of Angel’s Envy Rye finished in Caribbean rum Dinner concluded with a pairing of Angel’s Envy Rye finished in Caribbean rum barrels with Angel’s Envy Spiced Rye Sweet Potato Pie accompanied by cinnamon ice cream and a pure maple syrup reduction made from Glen Echo’s very own maple trees. All I can say about this final pairing is “holy crap it was amazing”. It was a beautiful way to round out the tasting and dinner.
At the end of the dinner, Wes was gracious enough to answer a wide array of questions from guests ranging from “What is your biggest challenge to date when it comes to making Angle’s Envy?” to “Do you think all six of your kids will follow you into the business?” I have to say the group was very interested in picking Wes’ brain and he did a great job of answering everything in great detail and with a level of passion that was infectious.
After Wes was done with QA we upheld another Bourbon & Banter tradition by giving away some attendance prizes. Prizes included various bourbon schwag items like bourbon books, hats, and t-shirts but the biggest giveaways included a bottle of each of Angel’s Envy’s whiskeys – including the hard to find Cask Strength. To say the guests were excited would be an understatement. It was a fantastic way to end the evening.
And just when you thought Wes Henderson couldn’t possibly give more to our And just when you thought Wes Henderson couldn’t possibly give more to our event he hung out after the event and custom signed bottles of Angel’s Envy for guests who took advantage of our bottle purchasing partnership with Randall’s Wine & Spirits. Each guest was able to get a bottle signed with a personal note from Wes. There were even some extra bottles signed by Wes that Randall’s will make available for purchase this weekend. Many thanks to Randall’s for partnering with us and providing the logistics to get bottles signed and picked-up in a store location of the guests choosing.
Man, what a night!
Bourbon & Banter wants to extend our sincere thanks to Wes Henderson and Angel’s Envy Bourbon for joining us and providing the whiskey for the evening’s tasting. Wes once said in an interview that Angel’s Envy’s business is “hand won” by making personal connections, engaging in dialog and meeting people who are passionate about whiskey. That quote stuck with me as it aligns with Bourbon & Banter’s guiding principles. I’m honored to have met Wes and spent some time with him this week. I look forward to developing our friendship and working together to help spread the bourbon gospel.
And for those of you that weren’t able to join us for the event make sure to check back often for news on upcoming events. We’ve got several in the works and we can’t wait to share them with you.
Cheers!