The Dark Knight & Wild Turkey

About a week or so ago I was fortunate enough to attend a Wild Turkey tasting dinner at Blood and Sand, a St. Louis dining club. The dinner was absolutely amazing. Each course was paired with a different cocktail featuring one of Wild Turkey’s bourbons or ryes. After 4 stunning courses of food I had consumed at least 5 cocktails with a healthy dose of whiskey in each. To say that I was enjoying myself would be an understatement.

Despite how good the food was it wasn’t my favorite part of the evening. The best part was that we were joined by the legend himself, Jimmy Russell. That’s right folks. Jimmy was in St. Louis for a few days promoting Wild Turkey and we were lucky enough to have him join us for dinner. He kicked things off with a little history about bourbon and Wild Turkey and then mingled with all of us throughout dinner. But it got even better.

After dinner, Jimmy brought all of us to the bar where we were invited to sample any of the Wild Turkey products we wanted with Jimmy himself just hanging out and pouring glass after glass. Talk about an amazing end to a fantastic dining experience. The final icing on the cake was getting my photo taken with Jimmy. Perfect end to a perfect day.

It was great to meet Jimmy in person and it makes me even more excited about him leading our tour and tasting at Wild Turkey in October for the 2012 Bourbon & Banter Pilgrimage. Jimmy is a true Kentucky gentleman and just hanging around him will make your smarter about bourbon and might just elevate your enjoyment of the drink as well. I hope you are planning to join us in the fall. You can learn more about the trip right here.

To thank Jimmy and Wild Turkey for such an amazing evening I thought I’d share their recipe for the Gotham Chill. It was created to help celebrate the release of The Dark Night Rises. It’s a little more complex than your typical bourbon cocktail but just like the Dark Night himself – complex is good.

Gotham Chill Cocktail

1 oz Campari®
1 oz Wild Turkey® 101
¾ oz Ruby Port
5 drops of Orange Blossom Water
2 dashes of Orange Bitters

Stir all ingredients, except orange blossom water, in a mixing glass briefly. Add 5 drops orange blossom water over ice in rocks glass. Strain liquid in mixing glass into rocks glass. Garnish with ground cinnamon and an orange half-wheel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patrick "Pops" Garrett

Founder | Bourbon & Banter | Website

Patrick Garrett, "Pops" as he's known to his friends, is the founder of Bourbon & Banter, LLC and claims the title of Chief Drinking Officer (CDO). A long-time marketing professional and photographer, Pops hopes to use his professional experience and love of Bourbon to spread the Bourbon Gospel and help everyone realize the therapeutic power of having a good drink with friends. Read Patrick's full profile.

The Dark Knight, Wild Turkey & Jimmy Russell

Patrick "Pops" Garrett

About the Author

Patrick "Pops" Garrett