Our slogan–exploring the whiskies of the world—truly sums up this week’s programming. Needless to say, we’ve been busy lately! We’ve added LOTS of new videos this week, all shot on location by SMTV crews.

Join us on Louisville’s newly-expanded Urban Bourbon Trail (the new passports look great!) for extended coverage of each of the UBT’s nine eateries. These establishments are complimentary in their diversity—from the best pork chop we’ve ever tasted at Baxter Station, to the cheerful red penguins that assume a life of their own at Proof on Main- representing “Urban” and “Bourbon” intermingled with history and Kentucky hospitality.

Ali Mutch mixes it up at Jockey Silks on the Urban Bourbon Trail.

The newly expanded Urban Bourbon Trail Passport includes new additions Z’s Fusion and Baxter Station.

In a land far, far away from the rolling pastures of the Bluegrass–on Orkney, off far Northern Scotland– is Highland Park.

In addition to holding the distinction of Scotland’s Northernmost distillery, Highland Park is the backdrop for a plethora of remarkable stories. Gerry Tosh, Head of Brand Education at the Edrington Group owned distillery, is a master at weaving Highland Park’s rich history into his tastings. Singlemalt TV’s live webcasts from Highland Park have attracted live viewers from all over the world, eager for Gerry’s input on their questions regarding the storied malt.

This week SMTV brings you two very special Highland Park tastings with Gerry,  Highland Park 1977 and Highland Park Ambassador Cask. You won’t want to miss these exceptional tastings shot on location at the distillery.

Gerry Tosh discusses his tasting notes on Highland Park Ambassador Cask.

And another treat for Bourbon Lovers–our brand new mini-distillery profiles from each of the eight distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Also on the docket this week—the launch of our video podcast check us out in the iTunes store and subscribe to our free podcast. We’ve got some great stuff available now (including the mini-distillery profiles) and we’ll be adding more regularly.

Pour a dram of whatever whisk(e)y of the world you prefer and enjoy our new videos. Subscribe to our podcast and leave your thoughts on the SMTV videos you think would be great podcasts. Cheers!

The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau debuted the second edition of their Urban Bourbon Trail Passport today. The UBT has expanded to include nine premiere Louisville restaurants, each revered for great food and a great bourbon selection!

Singlemalt TV crews filmed profiles of each of the nine restaurants including Bourbon’s Bistro, Proof on Main, Baxter Station, Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar and Lounge, The Old Seelbach Hotel Bar, Blu Italian Grille, Z’s Fusion, the Brown Hotel Bar and the Maker’s Mark Bourbon House and Lounge.

Check out our segments from Proof on Main and Baxter Station.We’ll have the rest online shortly!

Curious about the UBT? Hear the Trail explained by Stacey Yates VP or Tourism Marketing at the CVB HERE. Here’s an excerpt from their press release sent this afternoon, which explains the UBT concept:

…Open to all residents and visitors age 21 and older, the Urban Bourbon Trail Passport program allows individuals to collect unique stamps from each of the nine participating stops and be rewarded with a special gift. New with this passport printing is a tiered prize system. Participants are encouraged to take their time enjoying Bourbon responsibly. The pace is entirely up to the participant as there is no time frame for completing the Passport. Those who visit all nine locations receive a t-shirt and a premium prize making them a “Trail Master,” while anyone who visits at least four locations will receive the t-shirt and be deemed a “Trail Blazer.”

Within the 60-page Passport, each location is identified on a map with its address and a short description, along with space for notes and the stamp. The booklet also includes instructions on how to use the Passport, and pointers on how to taste bourbon like an expert. The “Just a Step off the Trail” section describes additional attractions, stores and restaurants where bourbon culture is celebrated. There is also a map and guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries.

Passports can be picked up at any of the stops on the Urban Bourbon Trail or at the Louisville Visitors Center, located at 301 S. Fourth Street. Visitors at the Center can explore an introductory exhibit of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and purchase Bourbon Country merchandise, including the popular “Just Add Bourbon” line. For more information about planning a vacation to Louisville…The Gateway to Bourbon Country and the Urban Bourbon Trail visit www.JustAddBourbon.com.

The new UBT Passport.

Proof on Main was SMTV’s first stop on Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail, so it seems only fitting that it would also be our first segment to hit the channel in full. Proof on Main and the attached 21C Hotel made international waves earlier this month when Conde Nast Traveler Magazine announced that the 21C hotel was their 2009 Readers Choice Award for Best Hotel in the US. WATCH THE FULL PROOF ON MAIN SEGMENT HERE!

Having visited 21C  and Proof just last month we have no questions about why Conde Naste Readers would favor the unique destination. Situated in renovated Tobacco and Bourbon warehouses in the heart of Louisville, this industrial space has been transformed into a restaurant/ art museum and 90 room boutique hotel. The light-and-art filled space attracts travelers from throughout the world who are drawn to the unusual and conveniently located establishment which opened in 2006.

Sarah Robbins of Proof gives Ali Mutch a tour of the gallery as one of the famous penguins looks on.

One of the most popular and identifiable characteristics of both Proof and 21C are the big red penguins—these beloved statues are a permanent fixture in the art museum and can often be found in peculiar places (guest’s rooms, bathrooms…etc.) so renowned are these unmistakable creatures that guests often request them as props in playing practical jokes (a penguin in the bed? no problem at the 21C).

Sarah Robbins shows Ali Mutch around Proof on Main.

Hear from Sarah Robbins, Proof on Main Director of Operations as she regales the Singlemalt TV crew with tales of the penguins, the great food, art and some TERRIFIC bourbon cocktails (courtesy of bartender Jenny Pittman). See it all on Singlemalt TV as we take you to Proof on Main in the first installment of our full coverage from the Urban Bourbon Trail in Louisville, KY.

Proof on Main Bartender and bourbon cocktail Maven Jenny Pittman.

Singlemalt TV fans who happen to also be iphone users can now get a Singlemalt TV button right on the home screen of their iphone, how cool is that? It’s simple too, here’s how it works:

Step 1: launch Safari on your iPhone,
Step 2: Navigate on over to www.singlemalt.tv
Step 3: Tap the “+” at bottom of your screen, tap “Add to Home Screen”

Just like that you’ll have an SMTV button right on your home screen for easy access to your favorite whisk(e)y website. Enjoy!

I’ve been looking at The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book, a recently released bourbon bible of sorts written by food and drinks writer Susan Reigler and featuring the wonderful recipes of master mixologist Joy Perrine. Joy, who has been named Louisville’s Best Bartender, is a veteran of the iconic Equus Restaurant and Jack’s Lounge, is an expert on all things bourbon.

I’ve always been a fan of the Hot Toddy and figured The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book would have a tried and true recipe. I’m planning to make one as soon as I get home.

Hot Toddy Mug

5 oz boiling water

2 oz Kentucky Bourbon

1 oz Simple Syrup

Lemon Twist

Pour hot water in a mug, add bourbon and simple syrup, garnish with a twist.

Enjoy the perfect fall drink.

Do you have a seasonal bourbon or whisk(e)y drink you enjoy? Share your recipe with us!

I write this from the heart of Bardstown, where Singlemalt TV has two crews on the ground cover Kentucky Bourbon Festival….

Singlemalt TV’s Ali Mutch (left) clinks a glass with new friends at Bourbon, Cigars and Jazz on Friday.

….I guess that was all I had time to write as it is now a full week after I began this post and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival has come to an end. Back at Singlemalt TV Headquarters we’re already reminiscing about the seven days we spent in Kentucky, and while the week was packed it is impossible not to have a great time in Bourbon Country. From the incredible hospitality (bakery fresh donuts anyone?) to the fantastic bourbon (Evan Williams Single Barrel was a true champion of our cause) to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival itself–there is nothing that quite compares.

Competitors at the Legendary Barrel Relay where distillery employees show their strength.

Our Bardstown outpost, the old library right in historic Court Square, looked out over the very heart of town. The cavernous space was offered up to us by the community, and it served us remarkably well. Though our efforts were centered around that old brick building, our cameras (we were informed) were seemingly everywhere.

Our daily live webcasts were promptly followed by hours of shooting—footage was constantly arriving from the crews as they returned from each location–only to venture out once again Niki (our editor and Parker Beam’s biggest fan) working tirelessly from her editing suite in the center of the massive room. Each night, bone-tired, we gathered around her screen to watch the night’s show. Time was captured on screen as all of the meticulous detail of the day materialized on Singlemalt TV. From the red wax-dipping at Maker’s Mark in Loretto on Tuesday to the red carpet at Saturday’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival Gala–the essence of Bourbon Country seems captured in every frame.

Singlemalt TV’s Ali Mutch chats with bourbon industry icons Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey and Fred Noe of Jim Beam.

Singlemalt TV’s Ali Mutch talks with the Wild Turkey Barrel Rolling Relay team.

Then there were the people, each of them could perhaps occupy a blog post of their own. the Master Distillers—true geniuses of the drink in all of their laughing, good-natured glory at the Kentucky Bourbon All Star Sampler. Later we caught up with some of these icons of bourbon in their tuxedoes, a world away from their distilleries but smiling and carrying on just the same. The restaurant staff on the Urban Bourbon Trail–each with a little trick or special recipe that they happily shared with our presenter as cameras rolled. All the PR and media folks from each of the distilleries, eager to have Singlemalt TV visit, for the umpteenth time in some cases. The staff of the Tourist Commissions and Vistitor Bureaus In Bardstown, Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort–all elated to have our crews in town. We encounted the same struggle with drafting the credit roll for our last show, there are just too many to list.

Ali Mutch Shares a laugh with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear at Saturday’s Bourbon Festival Gala.

We joked that the old library had become our home, but truly it is hard not to feel at home in Bardstown–where the locals embrace strange camera-toting interlopers with open arms–and the hospitality is (truly) as good as the bourbon.

Tom Bulleit makes his Master Distiller’s Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

If you missed Kentucky Bourbon Festival we hope our coverage will transport you to Bardstown–if you were fortunate enough to attend I hope you had a chance to meet our crew (or even appear on SMTV!).

Bourbon Lovers stay tuned to Singlemalt TV, Kentucky we hope to see you soon.

We’ve talked a bit about food and whiskey pairings….but after interviewing Franz Scheurer and Jared Ingersoll about the American Whiskey tasting dinner they’re hosting next week in Sydney I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept. With the Kentucky Bourbon Festival around the corner I’m sure I will have the opportunity to taste some incredible bourbon and incredible food. Needless to say I wish I could be in Sydney to see the magic happen at next week’s  dinner.

Australia’s premier food and wine writer Scheurer and celebrated Chef Ingersoll have put together one tantalizing menu:

Several weeks ago I was talking with Paula Erickson, VP Of Global External Communications & Brand Public Relations at Beam Global regarding the Knob Creek Shortage. As Paula regaled me with tales of the clever marketing tactics employed by Beam Global to satiate Knob Creek loyalists I couldn’t help but laugh at their ingenuity.

To larger accounts Beam Global sent a safety-glass encased bottle of the precious Kentucky Straight Bourbon. “Break in case of emergency,” read the packaging mocking a fire extinguisher.

To other contacts Beam sent an empty bottle of Knob Creek and a note proclaiming “thanks for nothing.”

To 16,000 website subscribers Beam Global sent a T-shirt and note, you can guess what it said.

I thought the campaign was brilliant (albeit obviously something that few brands could pull off). She explained that the reaction to the shortage had been good, with Knob Creek lovers taking it in relative stride. The Bourbon, a bestseller among the four small batch varieties offered by Beam, will be all but gone by labor day. The Clermont, KY warehouse is empty now. Because Knob is aged nine years a several-month discrepency between the last batch and the upcoming batch (set to be bottled in November) will leave shelves empty for a bit.

The following morning I received an email from Paula informing me that shirts were on the way for our crew. They arrived a few days ago—thanks to Paula and Beam Global Wine & Spirits.

A few members of the SMTV crew model our gratis Knob Creek tees.

In my constant quest to taste new whiskies (and bourbons) I am always delighted to discover a new place owned by someone with an appreciation for the amber-colored libations. On Saturday we ventured to a little place we always think of, but don’t patronize as much as we should (and will now) seated on the deck and shivering a little as the sun set I thought it an appropriate night for a dram. Casually glancing at their list I supressed a squeal of excitement. Not only were all of the whiskies in their proper places (Scotch, American Whiskey and Irish Whiskey each with a heading) the little seaside eatery had a veritable boat load of all three!

I began to rattle on about each one, at least as much as I knew, having just finished Kate Hopkin’s 99 Drams of Whiskey I felt as though I could relate to her descriptions of entering cavernous and foreign whiskey shops and being floored by the selection. I finally settled on bourbon, Blanton’s, since I had just written a bit on the history of Buffalo Trace and had never tried this building block of their current array of bourbons.As the world’s inaugural single-barrel bourbon it had a certain mystique about it anyway.

It arrived generously poured over rocks, and in front of my boyfriend (naturally), while his Greyhound was delivered to me. I believe the waitress was close to fainting when I greedily grabbed the bourbon and dismissed the tropically colored fruit drink.

The deep-red bourbon was delicious. Smooth and a bit spicy. Needless to say after a few sips I was pleasantly relieved from any chill in the air.

As we departed the owner, parked at a corner table with a friend, sipped what appeared to be a whisk(e)y from my position across the deck. Desiring to compliment him on his selection I approached and was awarded handsomely with a taste of Jefferson’s Reserve (though not on the list the man loves his bourbon and keeps it to enjoy with friends). It was impeccable, sweeter than the Blanton’s but pleasantly so with strong vanilla notes.

I’m looking forward to speaking with this fellow more about his choices, stay tuned to SMTV. Do you have a favorite local haunt with a great whisk(e)y list? Fill us in!

Last evening after departing the SMTV studio I headed to the grocery store (a relatively large chain grocer) intent on selecting  a bottle of bourbon to use in testing out a few cocktail recipes I’ve received in my inbox the past few days. Since I wouldn’t want to steer you wrong, I thought I better take one for the team (written as I suppress a chuckle) and quality test a few of these recipes myself. Alas, I felt enveloped by guilt as soon as I entered the liquor aisle, with our bourbon/Tennessee whiskey shoot almost finished I feel a loyalty to each of the five distilleries our crew visited. I hear that each  has been as fantastic as the next and honestly I would have bought a bottle of all five if I could.

Luckily I was able to eliminate Buffalo Trace on the basis that it’s just not available up heeya’ (that’s Mainer speak for those of you who may not know!).  I also shelved the Jack Daniel’s on the basis of my bourbon cocktail theme (JD obviously is not a bourbon), I’ve had a good run with Makers Mark (first bottle purchased in Kentucky ironically, on my way from the airport to visit friends in Ohio), ditto for Evan Williams (the only Heaven Hill selection available) .

Two lone bottles of Woodford Reserve sat perched on the top shelf beside the remaining four bottles of Knob Creek (the ensuing shortage means that those are probably the last four bottles of Knob Creek Camden, Maine will see until November when the maturing spirit is ready to bottle once again). I plucked a bottle of KC from the shelf, would this be the best purchase in the interest of journalist diplomacy? I wondered. Setting the KC back on the shelf, I lifted a bottle of WR for inspection. Fingering the smooth, minimalist glass my eyes fell immediately on a small label at the bottom.

“Approved by: Chris Morris” said the right-hand corner of the sticker.

“Sold!” said my brain.

I looked around the crowded aisle smugly, thinking about the reports I had heard from the day’s shoot with Chris, and the fantastic photos of WR’s barrel delivery system already uploaded to SMTV’s facebook page. It was thrilling to purchase something that elicited such an immediate personal connection. The ability to retain that “small world” feel is a unique aspect of certain bourbons and whisk(e)ys, many drinkers seem to have a tale that gives context to their preferred spirit. As Kate Hopkins says in the very beginning of 99 Drams of Whiskey, it’s really all about the story.

Cheers to a happy and safe Independence Day and a good weekend to all!

Keep your cocktail suggestions coming…and stay tuned for my cocktail testing and tasting. You can leave us a comment or email them directly to jenna@singlemalt.tv