LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
A quick dissection reveals Whiskey Dry’s roasted veggie burger’s stylish paper-thin layers.
“Whiskey” or “whisky”? What’s the difference? For Chef Edward Lee, the “e” option was the way to go for his new liquor bar and diner, Whiskey Dry. This makes sense, since by general practice – enshrined in The Associated Press Stylebook that guides American media editors – bourbon, rye and Irish are whiskey with an ey, while Scotch, Canadian and Japanese are whisky with a y.
But Louisville people who grew up with Old Forester whisky and Makers Mark whisky aren’t so sure about all this. Whisky or whiskey? This is the kind of whiskey-nerd discussion that would go just right with a glass or three at Whiskey Dry, Lee’s latest venture that opened in Fourth Street Live last month.
The first thing that strikes your eye when you step in to Whiskey Dry is the wall of liquor, a floor-to-ceiling lighted back bar illuminating some 200 bottles of liquor on shelves like a drinkable library.
Lee, who founded 610 Magnolia and Milkwood , now spends much of his time in Washington, D.C., nurturing his new Succotash property there . He and Stacey Stewart, who adds Whiskey Dry to her duties in charge of the bar program at Milkwood, have fashioned an extensive drinks menu . Its vast roster of bourbons and other world liquors are listed in geographical categories, with house favorites marked by a ♥︎. Drinks come in 2-ounce pours, mostly ranging from $8 to $10 but rising upward for trophy items.
The simple, striking style features wood tones, whites and grays, highlighted by imaginative koi, wooden bourbon-barrel ends, and framed photos of bourbon in the making. In short, Whiskey Dry is a great bar, and it adds another big gun to Louisville’s effort to stake our claim as the world center of bourbon tourism.
If you’re expecting 610 or Milkwood-level food, though, your expectations may fall short. Liquor is the draw here, with a relatively affordable, tongue-in-cheek diner-style menu offering noshing opportunities to accompany the beverages. What’s more, you’re not a whole lot more likely to find Lee in the kitchen than you are to spot Guy Fieri in his joint down the block.
My friend Laura and I checked the cocktail list before we even got to the food. It features a half-dozen classic cocktails and a dozen creative house cocktails, priced from $8 to $16. ...
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/whisk ... bon-burger
You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly’s Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/
Whiskey Dry
412 S. Fourth St.
Fourth Street Live
749-7933
http://whiskeydryrestaurant.com
https://facebook.com/whiskeydrylou
https://instagram.com/whiskeydry
Robin Garr’s rating: 82 points
