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.
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