This was a night, in one of the country’s top Bourbon cities, to connect with an old friend and be introduced to a new one.  First, let me get to the venue.  Repeal Oak Fired Steakhouse is in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.  Located right in the heart of Whiskey Row.  This is an entertainment district once used as offices and warehouses for the bourbon industry. These historic building were built in the mid-to late-nineteenth century.  Now it’s home to various restaurants, bars, tasting rooms, shops and new hotels. The proximity to the KFC YUM Center makes this a vibrant area on weekends and event nights.

Inside the Distil Hotel, located on entry level, is where you will encounter Repeal. This so happens to sit on the former site of J.T.S Brown & Son’s wholesale warehouse and bottling operations.  This is the site that this company’s heart was broken when the Prohibition Act took everything away from them. This is the site where they attempted to soldier on once Amendment 21 of the US Constitution was ratified on December 5^th, 1933, and REPEALED the previous 18^th Amendment, which had established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. The brand is still available as part of the Heaven Hill portfolio, easily found at retail shops in Kentucky and some parts of Tennessee and other states.

There’s your history lesson for the day.

My guests for an Old-Fashioned tasting included a couple of Kentucky Country Radio dignitaries- iHeart’s Michael Jordan (No, not that MJ) and Rachel Elliot. These two are responsible for programming a great number of Country Radio stations throughout Kentucky, West Virginia and South Carolina. I’ve known Michael for a good number of years, and this gave us an opportunity to catch up on all things music industry.  But this was my first meeting with Rachel.  From a previous phone conversation, Rachel admitted she was not a whiskey girl.  Vodka was her choice, and I was looking forward to converting her with a tasty low proof whisky offering.  As it turns out, Rachel was on the mends from a brief Covid setback and would not be participating in our tasting.  It was mocktails for her.  But I did order one for her anyway and made her hold it in the above photo.  It gave me an extra to sip on. It was a very hot evening and luckily Repeal had a couple of refreshing choices.  Michael went for the ‘Summertime Old Fashioned.’ This was Buffalo Trace + Solerno + vanilla honey + orange bitters. I went with the ‘Gold Rush Old Fashioned.’ Michter’s Rye + lemon honey syrup + Bitters.  They were both light, refreshing and perfect pours for a sweltering Kentucky summer evening.

We enjoyed a nice, long dinner & great conversation.  We all chose steaks as our entrée.  I was attracted to their preparation, cooked over the flames of staves from aged oak barrels. The meal was excellent as well as the service. I highly recommend Repeal, their Old Fashioned’s and menu. I loved the history that surrounded us.  There is so much to do in Louisville attached to the bourbon industry.  You could easily spend a weekend here.  Hit up the Louisville Slugger Museum.  Directly, across the street is Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery.  Within an easy few blocks walk you hit Old Forester’s Distillery and tasting rooms from Bardstown, Evan Williams, Angel’s Envy, Buzzard’s Roost, Rabbit Hole, Peerless and some new ones nearing completion.  The Repeal at Hotel Distil Louisville area is the place to go to for your ‘Urban Bourbon’ experience.