Frankfort may not be the Bourbon Capital of the World…that’s a few miles down the road in Bardstown…but it is the capital of Kentucky and it is well known the world over for its fabulous bourbon. And if I haven’t mentioned it before, my hometown.

Recently, Downtown Frankfort Inc. organized a fun, bourbon-themed event. Designed and marketed to highlight a variety of bourbon-related experiences and products to showcase the best of the city, Bourbon Week was accentuated with a challenge. About a dozen bars and restaurants accepted the challenge to create a signature cocktail for the city. This inaugural event truly had everyone on their toes to come up with the best of the best. A panel of judges tasted each cocktail and, believe me, this must have been a hard decision. There were a variety of taste sensations from fruity to exotic paired with our favorite libation but finally a decision was made and House of Common: A Bourbon LIbrary took the honors.

House of Commons, located on the corner of St. Clair Street and West Main Street in the very heart of downtown Frankfort, is a relatively new establishment and quite the destination for those making the stop on the Bourbon Trail. When I was growing up, it used to be a bank!

“The Frankfort” not only impressed the judges but is quite the fan favorite. Developed by owner, Dave Sandlin, and, no doubt, taste-tested many times, The Frankfort is a delightfully refreshing and curious twist on a Manhattan-ish type of bourbon libation. It begins with a mixing vessel of ice, a strong pour, about 2 ounces of Benchmark Single Barrel bourbon, ½ ounce Carpano’s Dry Vermouth and ½ ounce Carpano’s Antica Sweet Vermouth (both are Italian and both are pretty spectacular,) a splash of Pappy and Co. Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup and a few shakes of orange bitters. While they do not use In the Curious Kitchen Bitters–yet–I think it would be perfect for this drink. It’s shaken with ice, strained, and served in a coupe glass with a thin orange wheel slice across the top. It’s a beautiful cocktail and it certainly matches its surroundings.

House of Commons is a full bar, although the bourbon inventory certainly stands out as nothing less than spectacular and the shining ingredient in several cocktails including the H.o.c. Old Fashioned and H.o.c. Manhattan.

The House of Commons is lovely. The seating is beyond comfortable complete with a cozy sofa/coffee table vibe. Large windows make sure plenty of natural light is there and then there’s the light fixture. Maybe the light fixture of all light fixtures, which can be explained in a word: custom. It is sprawled across the ceiling and looks like a cross between an octopus and something from outer space but in an elegant and definitely NOT understated way. It’s simply gorgeous. And HOC is quite a wonderful addition to downtown.

If you invented a bourbon cocktail to represent your town, what would you choose? This may be a lot of fun. Should I invent “The Fort Thomas?” Oh, the possibilities!

Cheers!

MK

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