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For those of you like me who enjoy Bulleit Bourborn you know the great whiskey that comes that company. Back in 1987, the Bulleit Distilling Co. was founded by a young entrepreneur who quit his job as a lawyer to pursue his true passion – creating quality bourbon. Now after millions of cases of whiskey later, the Bulleit brand is proud to celebrate its 30th anniversary with the official ribbon cutting event for the opening of its new distillery in Shelbyville, Ky. Governor Matt Bevin and a number of other elected officials and dignitaries joined Bulleit Distilling Co. Founder Tom Bulleit for the festivities and tours of the new distillery.

“We’re so proud to open the Bulleit Distilling Co. here in Shelbyville,” said Tom Bulleit. “Seeing this distillery come to life has been a truly surreal experience that couldn’t have been achieved without the tireless work of so many men and women. We can’t wait to share the delicious whiskey that will be produced here for centuries to come.”

Under the supervision of Vice President of Distilling, Pauline Rooney, the distillery employs approximately 30 people for the whiskey distillation and maturation processes. While the distillery is opening at the previously announced capacity of 1.8 million proof gallons annually it was built as a modular distillery and expansion opportunities are being explored.

“Today marks a huge achievement for Tom Bulleit and everyone at Diageo, as we open an amazing facility that will further establish the legacy of Bulleit here in Kentucky,” said Deirdre Mahlan, President of Diageo North America. “We look forward to continuing to watch the brand grow as we become part of the Shelbyville community.”

The distillery, which has already begun producing Bulleit Bourbon represents the latest technology in warehousing and distillation, including enhancements that help conserve and reuse resources, resulting in improved efficiency and less impact on the environment. The 300-acre campus includes four barrel houses (each capable of holding 55,000 barrels), a 52-foot still that was crafted by Vendome Copper and Brass Works in Louisville and the first industrial solar array in Shelby County, which will collect enough energy to run all on-site mobile equipment.

Diageo’s initial investment in building the distillery is $115 million for the Shelbyville site. Combined with the $18 million investment that was made to open the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at Stitzel-Weller, Bulleit has contributed more than $130 million to Kentucky’s economy since 2014.

As they celebrate the opening of the Bulleit Distilling Co., they hope fans of the brand will join them in raising a glass responsibly, of course.

This is second attempt with Bulleit Bourbon to find a beer that will make the perfect Boilermaker. This time I needed to find something that would pair well with the Bulleit Rye. Before I tell you which beer I chose let me educate you on how the Boilermaker came to be.

Most of you know that a Boilermaker is created when you combine a cold beer with a shot of whiskey. There are few theories on when the Boilermaker was created. Some say that Boilermaker came to be in the 1800s when blue collar workers headed to the bar after a long shift and it is believed that the drink was named after the workers who built and maintained steam locomotives during that same time period.

Another idea is that the first Boilermaker was created when Richard Trevitchick and his friends celebrated after his steam powered vehicle made its first successful climb up his village’s steepest hill on Christmas Eve in 1801.

No matter how the Boilermaker came to be the popularity of the Boilermaker is making a comeback. So with that notion Bulleit is asking for my help and yours as long as you are 21 years old or older to find the beer that when paired with any variety of Bulleit Bourbon will create the best Boilermaker.

Since we are a few days away from St. Patrick’s Day I thought that it would be very appropriate if I use the a beer from the Guinness line. Recently Guinness came out with a Milk Stout. The stout has a roasted malt taste that is offset by a cream-like sweetness flavor to it. The aroma has hints of chocolate and coffee. I was curious to see how it would pair with the Bulleit Rye. It did not disappoint.

Just like the last month I enjoyed this version of the Boilermaker with the Bulleit Rye. The mixture was a good blend of beer and bourbon. I could see myself making this a St. Patrick’s Day tradition. I would say that this one had a score of 8.0 out of ten. So far between the two I gave this combination a slightly higher score that my first attempt.

What beer would you choose to go with a Bulleit variety? Below is the recipe you can use. Let me know which beer you used with Bulleit. I’m always looking for some good suggestions.

Boilermaker

1 oz. Bulleit (Bourbon, Rye or 10-Year-Old)

6 oz. Beer

Last week Hilhaven Lodge partner and famed Hollywood director Brett Ratner was in attendance, introducing the brand to its fifth market with a nice speech. Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed three The Hilhaven Lodge cocktails – The Hilhaven Lodge Old Fashioned, Highball and Smash – as well as guided tastings led by National Whiskey Educator Doug Kragel.

If you are a fan of Hilhaven Lodge you should definitely check out these cocktails.

The Hilhaven Lodge Old Fashioned

1.5 oz. of The Hilhaven Lodge Blended Straight American Whiskey

Sugar Cube

3 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Orange Peel

The Hilhaven Lodge Highball

1.5 oz. of The Hilhaven Lodge Blended Straight American Whiskey

Sparkling water

Lime wedge

The Hilhaven Lodge Smash

1.5 oz. of The Hilhaven Lodge Blended Straight American Whiskey

.75 oz. of Simple Syrup

.25 oz. of Lemon Juice

3 Lemon Wedges

5-6 Mint Leaves

Club Soda

Some say sleep is overrated. Others, like 17 year Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf will disagree. He as teamed up with Tempur-Pedic by going to extremes to demonstrate the power of life-changing sleep.

Out of the 6,000+ skydives Stumpf has achieved throughout his career, he has never attempted to land on a queen size mattress in the middle of the drop zone from 13,000 feet in the air…until now. Performing at that level requires a unique focus that’s only possible with consistent, restful sleep.

When faced with that challenge from Tempur-Pedic to help raise awareness for the power of sleep, Stumpf gladly accepted and managed to precisely hit the target’s bullseye in a tandem skydive stunt. As a result, Tempur-Pedic – as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting our nation’s heroes – pledged to donate 500 mattresses to a military organization to help special ops fighters get great sleep.

Leading up to Daylight Saving Time and throughout 2017, Tempur-Pedic is shining light on the positive effects that great sleep can have on everyday life by showcasing stories of extraordinary people who have harnessed the power of life-changing sleep. Andy’s remarkable story is featured in Tempur-Pedic’s “This Sleep Is Power” ad campaign.