10:00 a.m. EST | Lexington, KY — “I love the smell of wort in the morning.” Master Brewer Mark Phipps and Master Distiller Mark Coffman sniffed the air as we walked past one Mark’s brewery on the way to the other Mark’s stills; Alltech, their parent company, has the unique distinction of brewing Kentucky Ale within bottle-tossing distance of their Town Branch Bourbon stills. It was the first distillery stop of our day, so instead of (read: in addition to) the usual tastings, the masters wanted to show us their morning cocktail. The Irish have Irish coffee, the Scottish have Highland Coffee, the Germans have Rüdesheimer Kaffee, college students have vodka and red bull and Kentuckians have the Kentucky Sundowner, thanks to the men and women at Town Branch.
The instructions are simple: 1. Fill 1/3 of a glass with Bluegrass Sundown, a dark roasted coffee infused with Kentucky Bourbon and sugar. 2. Fill the rest of the glass with boiling water to release aromas of a productive day. 3. Float a layer of heavy cream on top by pouring over a spoon or being inventive. 4. Drink hot boozy coffee through cold heavy cream. 5. Call in sick for work, elevate your feet and sit your ass down on something comfortable.
