Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced in Woodford County, Kentucky. A couple of months ago, I was invited to attend a Woodford Reserve x Richmond Station collaboration dinner. Woodford Reserve collaborated with the restaurant to create a menu that fully complements the flavor of the bourbon with the dishes already on the restaurant's menu. Bourbon has many flavor characteristics, so it's not a surprise that the notes pair very well with many of the dishes that night.

 Richmond Station is an upscale farm-to-table restaurant offering Canadian dishes using fresh ingredients. It is helmed by the winner of Top Chef Canada (Season 2), Chef Carl Heinrich, who opened the restaurant in late 2012. They opened their door about 5 years ago and has since become a mainstay in the downtown core. Richmond Station specializes in local cuisine with an every changing Canadian based menu. I have been here on a few occasions and was looking forward to the dinner.

Here are the dishes paired with a fine selection of Woodford Reserve's offerings.

Paired with Woodford Sparkler - Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select, Briottet Cerise, Kew Vineyards Pinot Meunier

Chicken Fried Oyster Mushrooms ($12) - kewpie mayo, sweet & sour sauce, togarashi

Paired with Woodford Sour - Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select, Montenegro, lemon, red wine float

Richmond Station Charcuterie ($16) - a selection of meats and preserves from the pantry

Scallop Crudo ($13) - sweet tamari, macerated peppers, lime, ginger, cilantro

Penny Potatoes ($12) - contomme cheese, beer mustard, garlic emulsion

Woodford Glazed Koginut Squash Salad ($14) - pickled quince, spiced cilantro yogurt, pumpkin seeds, green, blue basil vinaigrette

Duck 2 Ways ($29) - Woodford Reserve Double Oaked BBQ sauce, steamed curly kale, grilled shishitos, cranberry gastrique, sweet & sour vegetables. Bourbon pairs well with most fattier meats, so it was understood that this was a delicious pairing. The duck itself was juicy and flavourful. 

Paired with Woodford Mushroom Tea - Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Amaro Nomino, porcini mushroom, lavender lemon bitters

Chocolate Pie - Woodford Reserve Ice Cream, dark chocolate custard, peach gel, brown butter crumb

Paired with Black Forest Manhattan - Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Briottet Cerise, Woodford chocolate bitters

Overall, the dinner was an absolutely fun, and delicious dining experience. Thank you to Evangeline PR for the invitation.  

Disclaimer: Collaborated post with Woodford Reserve. The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.