Our Bourbon-Fueled Feast with Wild Turkey and The Meat Hook

On January 12, we welcomed Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell into our Manhattan test kitchen for a tasting of some of his finest spirits. SAVEUR publisher Kristin Cohen and editor-in-chief Adam Sachs hosted the festivities, featuring a multi-course feast from our favorite Brooklyn butcher shop, The Meat Hook, and cocktails from bartender Masa Urushido of Saxon + Parole—all in all, not a bad way to spend a Monday night. Other highlights from our #WildTurkeyFeast:

SAVEUR publisher Kristin Cohen and editor-in-chief Adam Sachs with the legend himself, Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell.

Our friends at The Meat Hook prepared an all-out feast—we couldn't stop talking about the miso-braised turnips, smoked pork leg, and braised greens.

Lardo-topped toasts and three-year-aged country ham kicked off the feast. (Overheard at the event: "This meat is BANANAS.")

The 80-year old Russell claims never to have had a hangover. "I don't drink; I taste," he says. His top bourbon tasting tips:

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More tasting tips from Jimmy:

One of our guests' favorite drinks of the night began as a happy accident: A few years ago, a tank of bourbon and a tank of rye were accidentally mixed together. The result was a spicy-sweet blend that Jimmy generously named "Forgiven."

Bartender Masa Urushido of Saxon + Parole developed cocktails for the event, including a pepper-spiked switchel made with apple shrub, Wild Turkey Rye, and Wild Turkey American Honey Sting, a whiskey liqueur infused with ghost peppers.