Trip To The Party Source
I visited Party Source in Newport KY recently. We were in the area and I’ve not been inside the store in quite a while. I don’t think I’ve been in there since they’ve remodeled it. I did find that they had the same great selection of items, but it seemed to me at least the wine selection improved. Here are a few products I found that I liked.
Chartreuse Liqueur -This was one of the driving reasons I visited. For context, I enjoy fly fishing. Chartreuse is a color we often use for our small mouth bass flies. We often argue about what is/is not chartreuse. There is a chartreuse yellow and a chartreuse green. I was watching the Tour De France and a stage was passing through Grenoble and the commentators talked about this liqueur while the helicopter passed through. I had no idea honestly that this was where the name came from.
According to what I can find, the liqueur is produced by Carthusian monks in order to support their monastery in a region of France surrounded by the Chartreuse Mountains. It uses a variety of unique flavoring that is kept secret by said monks. There are two colors, with the yellow being sweeter and less intense. Most recommendations were to freeze it, but I found serving it over ice with carbonated tonic water to be quite satisfactory.
Boone County Distilling Company Bourbon Cream – I’ve been on the lookout for a good bourbon cream ever since a friend let me sample a bottle of it during a camping trip many years ago. I unfortunately almost lost said friend when I proceeded to drink most of the bottle. My bad, Todd.
There are a few manufacturers of this type of drink but honestly they’re not that good. However, Boone County’s stands up quite well and saves the segment. It doesn’t have that manufactured/bottled flavor that shelf stable cream mixes seem to possess. It’s a good option when it’s pre-bedtime and you want a cocktail but don’t want to go through the whole rigamarole of getting out a bunch of bottles and the shaker. Just pour it over ice and you’re good to go.
A To Z Wineworks Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris – Oregon makes really good Pinot, but it’s not on many people’s radar. A To Z is my favorite winery of the region and they make great, affordable wine. As of this point Oregonian Pinots might be my go to variety whenever I reach for a glass. It’s totally like me to hyper specialize, and Party Source seems to have this in stock regularly.
When I find something I like I tend to stick to it!
NuLu Straight Bourbon Whiskey – I wasn’t there for a bourbon, but I saw this was a Party Source exclusive so I gave it a try. NuLu is a cool area in Louisville if you ever get a chance to visit it. It’s kind of like OTR in Cincinnati. Run down but having new life breathed into it. This particular bourbon is not bad. It’s actually manufactured in Lawrenceburg IN so it doesn’t fit my bill of a Kentucky Bourbon, and then mixed in Louisville. To me you’ve got to use that limestone water to make bourbon, but I am not an expert on the matter. I do not think this will be my go to bourbon brand though in the future. It isn’t bad, it’s just not unique enough as I thought it was when I found the bottle.
