Jeptha Creed Distillery is offering a fantastic Valentine's Day event for those who would prefer an interactive experience, rather than your ho-hum dinner-and-a-movie routine that most of us do year after year. This is your chance to enjoy the beautiful charm of the Jeptha Creed Distillery conveniently located in Shelbyville, Kentucky, at the same exit for Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass. Leigh and I had a preview of this cocktail and food pairing class, so trust us when we say it is an extremely fun and taste-full experience sure to stoke the flames of love, or in the case of just gal pals, a chance to bond over some delicious food and drinks.
During the course of the evening, you will eat tantalizing appetizers created for you by Chef Bobby Benjamin of Butchertown Grocery. How does barrel smoked pork belly with a spicy carrot puree grab you? Jeptha Creed grows their own "Bloody Butcher" corn, and this cornmeal is used to make the most heavenly biscuits you have ever tasted. Chef Benjamin adds ham and a mustard aioli. It's so good you won't be able to stop with just two or three. There will also be a demonstration of how to make gnocchi, small dumplings made from potatoes. Served with a sauce of mushrooms, fine herbs and parmigiano-reggiano cheese, they're simply the best thing ever. If you never thought beets would make your heart go pitter pat, you will be pleasantly proved wrong when you taste the roasted beets with pistachio, poached red pair, bleu cheese, garlic confit and jalapeno. It helps that they're red, too; makes it more festive. And to top off the rounds of appetizers are beignets the size of the palm of your hand dusted with powdered sugar and swimming in a bourbon and bacon anglaise. Café du Monde might want to watch out! These beignets give theirs a run for the money.
The heart-stopping fun doesn't end with the food, however. Oh, no. You will also get the chance to channel your inner Bryan Flanagan, the bartender Tom Cruise played in the 1988 film, Cocktail. As you stand in front of a beautifully adorned table with copper barware, the Jeptha Creed Beverage Director Mackenzi Peohlein will walk you through how to make two cocktails, one savory and one sweet, using some of the Jeptha Creed products like their Lemonade Moonshine and Original Vodka. It really is the most fun and gets you talking to those around you as you mix and shake your concoctions. The best part is you get to consume your creations.
While you're at the distillery, be sure to buy your sweetie some goodies from their gift shop so you can recreate the magic of the evening at home. You will also want to come back to check out some of their other events they have such as their Jammin' at Jeptha music night they have every Friday where they have live music, food trucks, and craft cocktails at the bar! Music from different bands is from 6-10pm, dinner is available from 5-9pm, and the bar is open until 10pm. You can see their whole calendar by clicking here.
This Valentine's Day, get out of that rut. Take your schmoopie to Jeptha Creed to experience something new and different. And remember, the couple that plays together, stays together.