Now available from Bourbon Barrel Foods are two ingredients sure to delight bakers and chefs looking to add a special something to pies, cookies and holiday cocktails. The products are Bourbon Vanilla Sugar and Bourbon Barrel Aged Vanilla Extract, both flavored with genuine Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans. The vanilla is a Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract aged for 6 months in bourbon barrels, a process that imparts rich tones of oak and caramel. The sugar – natural raw cane sugar – is available in a 12-ounce jar for $6.95 and the vanilla goes for $8.95 for a 4-ounce bottle. Both products can be purchased along with other Bourbon Barrel Foods favorites at the company’s website.

Although they are staple items in many bakery items, raw cane sugar and vanilla extract can also add an unexpected twist to sweet cocktails. Use a bit a vanilla to moisten the rim of the glass and then add a bit of sparkle by pressing it into the sugar to coat.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

An exciting company recently celebrated the grand opening of its new shop and manufacturing facility in the Historic Butchertown Market at 1201 Story Ave. The open-to-the-public event included product tastings, tours of the facility and live music by the Kentucky Fried Pickin’ bluegrass band. Known as Bourbon Barrel Foods, the venture relies on previously used whiskey casks to impart Bluegrass flavor to a wide variety of spices, condiments and sauces.

Owner Matt Jamie sees the Butchertown Market location as a perfect fit for Bourbon Barrel Foods because it allows the company to share a retail presence with other local businesses and artists for a memorable shopping experience. “Our products are available in a number of stores, but we wanted to create a special place that celebrates Kentucky’s bourbon heritage,” he says. “Our shop features many nods to the bourbon industry including items salvaged from shuttered distilleries.”

Kentucky native and self-taught chef Jamie started the venture in 2006. He began his career in the food industry by cooking his way through school. He earned a degree in exercise science from the University of Louisville. When asked how he came up with the innovative – and tasty – idea to use spent whiskey barrels, he said it was inspired in part by California’s famed Napa Valley.

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“I wanted to create high-quality gourmet sauces and seasonings that reflect the rich heritage of Kentucky’s bourbon country,” he said.
In addition to using authentic local food items, he uses only the best ingredients from regional farmers and producers. Jamie uses the aged oak barrels to instill the products with nuanced flavors of bourbon and smoky wood.

“The barrels have so much to offer after the bourbon is emptied, and I’m happy to take whatever they have left and add it to my sauces and spices,” he said.

Adhering to a three-word philosophy that governs his approach to production (slow, small, simple), Jamie has developed a growing line of edible merchandise that “portrays the essence, mystic and style of Kentucky’s bourbon country.” Bourbon Barrel Aged Worcestershire Sauce, the first to join the ranks, combines all-natural, vegetarian Bluegrass ingredients with the sweetness of pure sorghum.

Charred barrel staves lend the subtle flavors that characterize the Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt, a natural salt domestically harvested from the Pacific, and woody flavors also define the Bourbon Smoked Paprika and the Bourbon Smoked Peppercorns. Jamie recently unveiled a new line of sorghums as well. Blueberry Sorghum, Kentucky Sweet Sorghum and Bourbon Vanilla Sorghum will bottle the earthy goodness of “Kentucky’s maple syrup,” inspiring a variety of uses in both sweet and savory dishes.

Most exciting of all, Jamie has started using Kentucky-grown soybeans to produce Bourbon Barrel Aged Soy Sauce, a meaty brew with undertones of charcoal and spice. “We are the only company in the country that makes its own soy sauce from scratch with locally grown soybeans,” he adds.

According to Jamie, the flavors imparted by his condiments are “unique, identifiable and full of southern charm,” and he sees endless options for products that pay homage to the Bluegrass State. “I think we’ve really hit on something here,” he says, confident that Bourbon Barrel Foods will evolve into a whole range of lifestyle products sold across the nation. “I enjoy making products that are representative of Kentucky and I love being even a small part of the bourbon industry.”

For more information,, call 877-307-6418. Tours are available by appointment.