A Visit to the Woodford Reserve - Our Holiday Tradition

My home state of Kentucky has a strong heritage connected to the making and distilling of fine bourbon whiskey. Our natural resources of wheat, corn, oats, and swift flowing rivers for transportation made Kentucky a primary manufacturing site for bourbon whiskey as early as the late 1700's. Kentucky's naural limestone filtered waters are the key ingredient to making exceptional bourbon whiskey~~



Our family has a holiday tradition of visiting the Woodford Reserve Distillery at Christmas time to enjoy their wonderful holiday buffet. The Woodford is the oldest of nine bourbon whiskey distilleries in our beautiful state. The buildings and grounds are listed on the National Historic Register and it has been cited as a National Historic Landmark.






Kentucky's famous Bourbon trail is a listing of all the distilleries in this state. Each year thousands of visitors make a project of visiting each of the distilleries listed on the trail. Once you have accomplished this goal and successfully retrieved a sticker from each location - you will be rewarded with a (highly coveted!) Tshirt that highlights each of the Distilleries. This is a great way to tour our beautiful state.





You don't even have to like bourbon whiskey to be excited about the Bourbon trail! (We don't drink (well, not too much!) but I LOVE to cook with bourbon!) Each of the distilleries are unique and beautiful - they have beautiful grounds, gift shops, and the opportunity to tour each distillery and see the manufacturing process at each location. The Gardener and I, along with my son and his family are in the process of making this tour. We will complete our rounds of visiting the distilleries this summer. The Woodford is definitely my personal favorite.

So~~welcome to the Woodford. You can take your beautiful tour of the grounds here with me and never even have to put on your coat or boots! The grounds are absolutely lovely in every season - truly this is one of my favorite places in our state to visit. Our special day here was cold and icy - the snowy blanket and frozen grounds made everything look especially beautiful. You would not believe the crazy risks I took to take these fabulous photos!

Enjoy~~

the welcome center and gift shop

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these buildings date back to the early 1800's

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the fabulous buffet

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I love how they use the bourbon bottles in the festive decorations

Now we're talking!

This is alone is worth the trip!!

Guess what?

I'm giving you the recipe at the end of this post!

This was Keri Beth's first big Holiday outing!

Her little Christmas bib says -

"are these people really my relatives?"

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love this photo!

The Woodford is lovely in the spring and summer also.

They serve a lovely lunch here on the outdoor patio

that overlooks the stream and dam.

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love these gray limestone buildings

the bourbon barrels are stored in here

(can you see the ice on these trees?)

the entrance to the distillery

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just me - tryin' to be fancy!

that 's the welcome center in the reflection

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we're talkin' solid ice here!

I scooted across this just to take these photos!

click on this photo for a close up view of the horse

There is a lovely painting of the Woodford grounds

on his side.

the dam had floating ice chunks everywhere

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the tour bus

we have taken the tour here several times - love it!

Later this year, I will post photos

taken during the tour.

(it will be the next best thing to being there!)

solid ice again!

and for everyone in the Gardener's fan club!~~

here he is!

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(my sister's gave me these mink leg warmers

for Christmas last year - LOVE these!)

My all time favorite picture

that I have EVER taken at the Woodford.

Love these snow covered

whiskey barrels.

the beautiful gift shop

is located inside the Welcome Center.

I am just warning you now~~

I am obsessed with taking photos of these

fabulous

whiskey bottles!

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our sweet baby ~~

she always steals the show!

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ho hum~~

another whiskey bottle photo!

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she makes me laugh!

We bought this Bourbon vanilla sugar - (to die for)!!

Everybody on my Christmas list is getting this next year!

Maybe I should give one away to you guys too - what do you think ?

Ahh - these bourbon balls are out of this world.

You see the place where one is missing?

( this was the BEFORE I pigged out picture!)

These treats are free

for guests at the Welcome Center

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~~just want to kiss on those sweet cheeks!

now we are on the road out of the Woodford grounds~~

(Did you notice?

his belly is a whiskey barrel)

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we wander past beautiful pastures

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check out those icicles!

the end


Woodford Reserve Mocha Bread pudding

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate ships

2 teaspoons instant coffee powder

3 1/2 cups French bread cubes

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place bread cubes in prepared baking dish. Combine sugar, chocolate chips and coffee granules in small bowl. Beat evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until well blended; stir in sugar mixture, add bourbon. Pour over bread, pressing bread into milk mixture. Place dish in 13 x 9-inch baking dish; fill 13 x 9-inch dish with warm water to 1-inch depth.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Serve with Bourbon sauce.

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon (or more!) Woodford Reserve Bourbon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon white corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a sauce pan mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Serve warm.

***Vicki's notes -

I like to double this recipe for the sauce because I like a LOT of sauce with my bread pudding - and because what is not used for the pudding - (I just eat anyway!)

Enjoy~~

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Coming up next - in about 10 days or so - a little blog posting about what is keeping me so BUSY right now! (I can hardly wait to show you the photos!!)

AND our first give away of the NEW YEAR.

A little something to keep you warm and cozy~~

Vicki