This stuff has traditionally been released to select states, yet it’s a prominent part of the culinary landscape in these places. Now, you can actually order Big Red from their website from where you live.  I personally was bottle fed this soda- red, yet not a crème. It is simply described as “Red,” to be truthful.

Next, we will show a familiar recipe that illustrates the use of a soda simple syrup in a culinary role. This will be based in part upon our last two articles from the Maker’s 46 series including our Blueberry/Coca-Cola Infusion and Maker’s and Coke Reengineered. We hope that you enjoy the technique and will enjoy using it with some of your own local soda selections.

For the Syrup:

1 part Big Red or local soda variation
1 part Sugar

Bring Soda to a boil. Add sugar and dissolve. Let sit to room temperature. Store refrigerated, up to two weeks. Combine:

1 part Soda Syrup
1 part water
1 part white vinegar

Warm till just below simmer.

Add: 1 medium onion, yellow, sliced.

Cover.

Let sit overnight. Serve.

Recipe and article by BourbonBlog.com‘s Chef/Mixlogist Stephen Dennison

Like this article? Here are some other articles of interest:

1. Bourbon and Champagne Cocktail Recipe
2. Maker’s and Coke Reengineered
3. Chocolate Mint Julep Cookie Recipe from Maker’s Mark Distillery’s Toll Gate Cafe

Most people simply do not order hot toddies in the middle of summer and pina coladas tend to fall out of favor in the winter. Now reverse the roles and both drinks find favor in their respective seasons. Fresh berry smashes aren’t nearly as good out of season, when they are produced in the assembly lines of hothouses. I’ll hold that some drinks are timeless, but there is a reason that mint juleps are consumed almost exclusively, in Spring around Derby-time- even in Kentucky.

The following is a wonderfully light, refreshing summer cocktail meant to use the first of the year’s tomatoes and cucumbers. Drawing inspiration from Spain’s archetypical chilled summer soup, it finishes with the surprise of sweet balsamic vinegar exploding out of what appears to be a simple grape tomato in the bottom of the glass. Salud!

For the mix:

4 Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
2 Large English Cucumber
1 Garlic Clove
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Pepperoncinis, destemmed
1 Tbspn Pepperoncini brine
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Place all in a blender and blend until fine. Press through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer with the back of a ladle. Discard pulp (yet it does make a nice salsa with the addition of cilantro.) Strain the liquid through coffee filters (you will have to use more than one.

For the drink:

1 part Crystal Head Vodka, or other neutral vodka
3 parts Mix

Shaken, Served up.

For the garnish:

Grape Tomatoes
Balsamic Vinegar
Meat Injection Needle

Simply inject the tomato, where the stem met fruit, with the injection needle. You will find that if you stir the inside of the tomato up a bit, it will absorb more vinegar. Take it slow, being careful not to pierce the bottom or to inject the vinegar too quickly. It can make quite the mess, if you let it!

Recipe and Article by BourbonBlog.com Beverage Consultant/Mixologist Stephen Dennison

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What you will need:

Sheet Pan

Large Plate

Paper Towels

Sautee Pan

Whisk

Ingredients:

2 oz. Butter

2 oz. Margaritaville Dark Rum

3 Tbsp. Sugar

10 Pieces Thick-Cut Bacon (we used hickory-smoked)

Food Release Spray

Black Pepper

Procedure:

Lay out bacon on sheet pan. Bake in 300d oven. Cook until still soft, almost crispy, approx 10-14 minutes. Remove from oven. Place on paper towel-lined plate. Pat dry.

In sauté pan, add butter and rum. Melt on medium heat until incorporated, whisking occasionally. Add sugar and whisk until fully incorporated. Reduce heat to low. Add bacon, taking care not to over-crowd the pan. Allow bacon to sit in the glaze for 2 minutes. Remove and place upon the sheet pan, wiped free of excess bacon fat and sprayed with food release. Do not allow the bacon slices to touch each other! Pepper, to taste. Allow to set for at least 3 minutes prior to serving.

Article written and recipe created by BourbonBlog.com’s Beverage Consultant Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison.

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3. Bayou Fondue

Kentucky Native Bun Cake

1 (18.25-oz) package yellow cake mix with pudding
4 eggs
2/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 C water
1 (8-oz) carton sour cream
1/2 C firmly packed bround sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 C chopped pecans
Glaze

- Combine first five ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat at medium
speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans; set aside. Pour half
of batter in a greased and floured 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan.
Sprinkle half of sugar mixture over batter. Repeat procedure.
Gently swirl batter with a knife.

- Bake at 350F degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Drizzle
glaze over cake, and cool. Cut into squares. Makes 15 to 18
servings.

- To make glaze: Combine 1 C sifted powdered sugar, 2 Tbs. milk
and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat at medium speed with an electric
mixer until smooth. Makes 1/3 C.

I use the following sauce on this cake. The liquor adds a little
different and unique taste.

Kentucky Sauce

1/2 C unsweetened apple juice
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C Maker’s Mark bourbon whisky
2 Tbs. margarine
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 C water
2 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

=> Combine apple juice and next four ingredients in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves.

=> Combine water and cornstarch; stir well, and add to apple juice
mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Serve warm. Yummy!

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Medium can sliced pineapple
Medium can peach halves
Medium can apple rings
Medium can pear halves
Medium can apple halves

Sauce:

2 Tbs flour
1/2 C brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 C Maker’s Mark bourbon (adjust to taste)
1/4 C apple juice or water

- Drain fruit well and place in alternate layers in a 2-quart
casserole dish.

- In top of double boiler, combine sauce ingredients. Cook,
stirring over hot water until thick and smooth.

- Pour hot sauce over fruit; cover and refrigerate overnight or
several days. When ready to serve, heat in preheated 350F oven for
25 to 30 minutes until bubbly.

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Ingredients:

1 box family size brownies
½ cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup Knob Creek Bourbon
½ cup soft butter
2 cups sifted powered sugar
3 tablespoons Knob Creek Bourbon whiskey
1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Make brownies with nuts in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Cool brownies. Brush brownies with ¼ cup of Knob Creek Bourbon. Cool brownies in refrigerator.

Cream ½ cup butter and powered sugar with 3 tablespoons of bourbon. Spread over brownies. Cool. Melt chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of butter in double boiler or a microwave. Spread over top of the filling. Refrigerate.

You can make brownies several days ahead of time. Just keep at room temperate for a while before serving.

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10 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Bourbon whiskey
2 teaspoons Bourbon whiskey
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao if marked) — chopped
1/4 cup pecans — toasted and cooled
3 large eggs — separated
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon confectioner’s sugar

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut out 4 rounds of parchment paper to fit just inside bottom of each mold, then set rounds aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, and brush the molds with some of it. Line bottom of each mold with a round of parchment and brush parchment with some melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes (to set butter), then brush parchment and side of each mold with more melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes more. Dust molds with flour, knocking out excess, and set aside.

Simmer cranberries and 1/4 cup bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until cranberries are tender and bourbon is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt chocolate and remaining stick butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

Pulse pecans with flour (2 tablespoons) in a food processor until finely ground, being careful not to process to a paste.

Beat together yolks and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined, then stir in pecan mixture and cranberries.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl using cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among molds (they will be very full), then put molds in a shallow baking pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out with tip wet and remainder of pick dry, about 25 minutes. (Batter will rise above rims but will not spill over.) Transfer cakes to a rack and cool in molds 30 minutes. (Cakes will continue to set as they cool.)

Beat cream with confectioners sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons bourbon in a small bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.

Remove side from each mold, then slide each cake from bottom onto a dessert plate, discarding parchment. Lightly dust each cake with confectioners sugar and serve with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.

Recipe from TheSaucyGourmet.com

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Pour Old Pogue Bourbon over the chopped pecans and let sit at least 3 hours or overnight.

Mix the confectionery sugar with the butter. Add the chopped pecans and mix well. Shape into balls, cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 1/2 hours.

While the bourbon balls are chilling, melt in the top of a double boiler, the semi-sweet chocolate, the unsweetened chocolate and the paraffin. Keep over low heat and dip the balls in the chocolate using tongs or toothpicks. Place on lightly buttered cookie sheets and chill until set. Store in covered containers in the refrigerator. Makes approximately 7 dozen.

Recipe Courtesy: OldPogue.com

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BourbonBlog.com gives you an easy recipe for Oatmeal Bourbon Cookies and we invite you to join us for our special video tour of Maker’s Mark in the video below this recipe, and check our more bourbon recipes on BourbonBlog.com.

Easy Oatmeal Bourbon Cookies

1 c. margarine, softened
½ c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
¼ c. water
1 yellow cake mix
3 Tbsp. Maker’s Mark Bourbon
3 c. quick cooking oats
1 c. nuts, chopped

* Preheat oven to 375º
* Cream margarine and sugar in mixer; add egg, water and ½ pkg. of dry cake mix, blending thoroughly.
* Stir in remaining cake mix, bourbon, oats and nuts.
* Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake exactly 10 minutes. Do not over bake! Cool slightly and remove from baking sheet.
* These cookies will appear “not quite done” when you remove them from the oven, but they will continue cooking on baking sheet.
* Yields 4 dozen

BourbonBlog.com is on The Kentucky Bourbon Trail today as we visit Maker’s Mark Distillery for a special tour by Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith. For information on planning your Kentucky Bourbon Trail tours, visit this site. And for information on visiting the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky Distillery Tour, click here

Like this article? Here are some other articles of interest:

1. Chocolate Mint Julep Cookie Recipe from Maker’s Mark Distillery’s Toll Gate Cafe
2. Bourbon Cookies
3. Kentucky Native Bun Cake with Maker’s Mark

Bourbon Fudge Topping
2 cups melted chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semisweet, whichever you prefer)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon

Preheat conventional oven to 350 degrees or convection oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, baking soda, salt and mint chocolate candy pieces. Gradually add to butter mixture until incorporated. Scoop out with a two ounce scoop and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in conventional oven, 10 minutes in convection oven. Allow to cool and add bourbon fudge topping.

Topping:
Melt chocolate in double boiler, remove from stove. Add sweetened condensed milk and bourbon and mix until incorporated. Top cooled cookies with warm fudge and enjoy.

BourbonBlog.com is on The Kentucky Bourbon Trail today as we visit Maker’s Mark Distillery for a special tour by Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith.   For information on planning your Kentucky Bourbon Trail tours, visit this site. And for information on visiting the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky Distillery Tour, click here

Recipe Courtesy Maker’s Mark

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2. Easy Oatmeal Bourbon Cookies With Maker’s Mark Recipe
3. Bourbon Balls Recipe with Old Pogue Bourbon