BY SUSAN REIGLER
It’s not merely alliteration. Beef and bourbon go very well together. Perhaps it has to do with the contrast of sweet whiskey notes with the savory meat. Whatever bourbon you choose should definitely be on the robust side, so avoid the 80-proof lightweights. Think of it as finding the robust red wine equivalent of bourbon, rather than the rosé.
Also bear in mind the sauce on your beef. If it has been treated to a vinegary marinade, you’ll want a sweeter bourbon to help soften the astringency. Cream sauces do well with yeasty bourbons.
And while bourbon makes an excellent companion to steak, know that you don’t have to break the bank for a classic pairing. Bourbon is great with burgers, too. Our fair city’s restaurants serve many fine variations on the classic hamburger theme. Here are a couple of examples matched with appropriate bourbons. Both burgers are available for curbside pick-up while we are all still cautious about venturing out. Plus, a recipe is included for grilling a bourbon burger at home.
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Bourbons Bistro serves its hefty half-pound burger on a brioche bun and tops it with cheddar, buttermilk slaw and a sweet and tangy maple bacon barbecue sauce. Any red sauce, barbecue included, needs a high intensity bourbon to stand up to it and the newest expression from Four Roses, the Small Batch Select, fits the bill. Weighing in at 104 proof, it is also non-chill filtered to retain as much complexity as possible and aged for a minimum of six years. Adding to that complexity is the use of both of Four Roses’ mash bills and three of its five yeast strains, which is described by the distillery as being “delicately fruity, slightly spicy and herbal.” In short, there’s a lot going on in the glass and it easily matches the kaleidoscope of ingredients on the bun.