MAGGIE KEITH: In this episode, we got to visit Maker's Mark.

Maker's Mark, for me, has been a staple of Kentucky bourbon and to meet Rob Samuels and Chef AuCo was really special.

To see their gardens and their landscape and focus more on that than the actual bourbon was really interesting to me.

Those are purple tomatoes.

LINDSEY MCCLAVE: The sustainability garden at Maker's Mark provides vegetables for the Star Hill Provisions restaurant, which is just down the hill.

It's a series of raised beds and it's truly a beautiful space to grow a variety of different vegetables that they experiment with and play with in the kitchen.

They had some mushrooms growing.

They had different creeks that they were really caring about-- of course, the water is important in bourbon-- and just the farmers that they had been working with for generations to have some delicious bourbon.

I'm Maggie Keith and I'm the farmer.

And I'm Lindsey McClave and I am the foodie.

So, Rob, thanks so much for having us out to Maker's Mark!

Honored that you're here.

It's a hot summer day, but the garden is thriving and just excited.

I think it's an appropriate backdrop to kick things off.

Yes, definitely.

It makes me feel right at home.

And you can really feel your all's commitment to nature when you come down the drive and see the wild grasses.

What initiatives are you all taking to care for the land?

Even within the world of whiskey, the most passionate whiskey lovers, oftentimes, they don't acknowledge nature's influence on the whiskey, and ultimately, all of the whiskey we make comes from nature.

And thinking about our 100-year vision, our team is so inspired to really help preserve and protect Star Hill Farm and what this represents for the next generation of whiskey lovers.

So there is collaboration with academia to prove out in many ways nature's influence through regenerative farming on pushing flavor boundaries of our core ingredients, which are corn and soft red winter wheat.

We're working with several of the foremost experts on wheat in the world.

We're working with soil scientists from the University of Kentucky to actually document.

Our pallet tells us that it's these responsible farming practices that allow us to produce more flavorful ingredients, but we want to prove it, and once we prove it, we're going to share all of these learnings with the world.

Oh, that's so nice.

To share is a huge part of this, especially as farmers, we're constantly needing to share knowledge and learn from each other because it is so important that we go back to those regenerative agriculture practices.

And so, Lindsey and I are very passionate about flavor and we know that that comes from good ingredients.

Can you tell me more about where you source your ingredients for your...?

So Maker's Mark, our ingredients, corn and the soft red winter wheat, we've purchased from the same family since the beginning for decades.

All of the soft red winter wheat is within 30 miles and then the corn, all of our corn is grown within about 50 miles of Star Hill Farm here in Marion County, Kentucky.

MAGGIE: And are you constantly tweaking the varieties over those years, or has it stayed true to the same variety?

We think it's pretty consistent since the beginning, but over time, we think a little bit of the flavor has probably been lost through monoculture farming and one of the aspects of Star Hill Farm that we're really excited about is actually modeling out that you can grow some of these core ingredients that are competitive from a yield standpoint and economics work.

So we can extend that out well beyond the 1,000 acres of Star Hill Farm and partner with the farmers that we've partnered with since the beginning.

One of the really exciting initiatives is that we're partnering with the University of Kentucky and everyone knows that a bourbon must be aged in an oak container.

The reference genome of the American white oak tree has never before been mapped.

- Wow.

- And in the event, hopefully it never happens, but if there is ever pressure on American white oak, understanding the genome would be tremendously helpful to building in resiliency over time.

When the University of Kentucky took a tissue sample from what is believed to be one of the three or four oldest American white oak trees in Kentucky, and it happens to be here on Star Hill Farm.

There's this really talented group of scientists that are almost completed with mapping the reference genome and they're also creating what will become, over the next couple of years, the most substantial American white oak repository anywhere in the world.

And there are more than 300 different variations of American white oak and planting a total of 15,000 trees where our industry and beyond will learn from this project, which is pretty exciting.

MAGGIE: That's great that you're starting to plant more trees and make sure that we're able to have access to these trees and keep them forever.

Do you have any farm animals on this land?

Today, we manage almost 800 acres as a natural water sanctuary.

We have two lakes which supply all the water to the distillery and we manage hundreds of acres of our own watershed.

And then on the back couple hundred acres of the property, we have what we think is the world's largest American white oak repository.

We have 15 head of Wagyu cattle that ties into our culinary and cocktail program here at Star Hill Provisions.

And that's what's exciting.

We, Kentuckians, have always been so appreciative of our defining culture, which is rich and distinctive and unique.

But today, people from all over the world that can go anywhere and do anything are drawn to it.

And to host in a really thoughtful way that celebrates nature that's responsible is really, really exciting for our team.

They do!

- Oh!

- [laughs] And so, it attracts ladybugs and insects that would... and that's what we want to eat.

[both laughing] - Yeah.

Totally.

- A second?

- It's like fresh, - Yeah.

and then nothing, and you're like, "Wait, wait, wait."

So, we had a real treat after the sustainability garden tour.

We got to go dip a bottle of Maker's Mark to put on that iconic red wax on the top.

I think Maker's Mark, in terms of Kentucky and bourbon, I mean, it's really synonymous with the state and that bottle and the red wax is iconic and it was just a really fun experience.

It was kind of nerve-wracking.

It was!

I felt like it was a big part of history and something I will tell my children - that I got to do.

- Yes.

Yes, exactly.

But I think we both did pretty well.

Yes.

- Thank you so much!

- Thank you!

So, after we dipped our Maker's Mark bottles, we headed over to Star Hill Provisions, the restaurant on Maker's Mark's grounds, and got to meet Chef AuCo, who is the executive chef for the restaurant and is bringing a great wealth of knowledge to the restaurant and crafting a menu that I think is really, really special.

Yeah, it was fun to meet with her outside at first and talk to her about the different farms that she knew, the different farmers, She definitely knew some of the farmers here around Louisville.

And to have that deep connection to farming before she even took us into the kitchen, to see that was really comforting to me.

You could feel that level of respect and taste it in her food.

Chef AuCo, thank you so much for having us today.

We just had the most lovely stroll nibbling through your innovation garden and see some familiar items from there.

So, that's yours, right?

That's your baby, your garden?

You've picked out what's growing there?

Yeah.

We sat down and we picked out all the seeds and all those starters that we wanted in there and tried out all of those really cool, incredible vegetables, like those habaneras that we've got over here.

So, we took a nibble of those and totally were expecting it to be super spicy hot and it was, instead, mildly sweet.

Yeah.

Aren't they wild?

So, they are a completely heatless habanero pepper.

They grow in the same color as a banana pepper.

So, they grow in that soft yellow color and as they get ripe, they turn this tangerine orange and they smell really spicy, but they're just super, super sweet and they are really floral.

Like, I almost think they taste like melon.

- Yeah.

- Yes, they do.

LINDSEY: And I see a sunflower here, so I don't -- Tell me about the sunflowers.

So, I have a couple of friends who have indigenous backgrounds that they're very closely tied to and while I was trying to do better about learning their history, their culture, and the history and culture of the US in general, I learned about eating sunflowers and how they're just this incredible vegetable and that you can eat the whole sunflower head.

And so, I gave it a go a couple of years ago and just cut one from my garden at home and cooked it up and I thought it was absolutely incredible.

So we grow a lot of sunflowers and every now and then, I'll go out and I'll cut a couple and I'll use them as a vegetarian alternative for a protein, or just roast a bunch as a side.

The really big ones are really thick and meaty so they make a fantastic steak.

But I usually just break off the sides.

You just want to take off these leaves right here because it's kind of tough.

Somebody once compared it to peeling an artichoke; you want to take off all the leaves.

Yeah.

And so, at what point do you pick this?

Because I know if you let sunflowers go for so long, you actually get the seeds.

So, tell me about how you know when to harvest these.

You want to get them just before the birds do.

- [chuckles] - Ah.

[chuckles] You do want some of the seeds to form because the seeds are part of that delicious, meaty flavor.

But obviously, you don't want to let them go too far and the seeds get really tough because then you have to eat them and crack the shells.

So what you're actually looking for is when you peek through the blossoms, you'll see a little bit of dark underneath.

And you just want to fluff this off and then you'll see the seeds have started to form.

But they're still really, really tender so you can just eat the whole thing.

Thank you.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah.

Wow.

It has a very like green, almost, not asparagus flavor, but I don't know, there's some crunchiness there.

I really, really like that.

Now do you eat the blossoms, too?

- You can.

- Okay.

Or I guess you just garnish with those, even, or anything.

Yeah.

You can just pull these off and set them aside for later, or you can roast them right on there.

I like to pull them off because, like you said, they make a great garnish.

- They're so pretty.

- They're so, so pretty.

MAGGIE: I'm glad I'm watching you break it down because I'd be in the garden now, "Hmm, how do I get it to the oven?"

And it does feel very much like you said, like an artichoke, the various layers.

AUCO LAI: For the bigger sunflowers, you want to just cut off the end because the stem is going to be really tough and then you also want to shave off a little bit of the green here.

But because this one's super young and super small and tender, you're not going to have that tough fiber like when okra gets too old and it gets really woody.

The sunflower will do the same thing.

So, if you get it early enough, it doesn't do that and you can just roast it whole like this and so, we're just going to set this aside over here and I've got a little bit of salt and a little bit of pepper.

And I usually set it in a cold pan.

Okay.

I know that's not typical instinct, but because I'm putting this in the oven, I want it to roast really evenly without burning.

LINDSEY: So you give it a good coating right over top to really saturate it?

And then I pop it in the oven and then check on it in about 15 minutes.

So, we flipped it over about halfway and it's cooked nice and even and tender.

LINDSEY: And almost crispy.

Yeah.

It's a little bit crispy on the edges.

LINDSEY: Yeah.

And so, this one, I'm just going to leave that whole and we're going to get a few tomatoes.

We'll shave some of this okra and leave it raw.

Love that.

We'll slice up some of these habaneras and we're just going to set that in a really lightly braised heirloom tomatoes baked sauce.

And then we'll see, probably, maybe a little bit of balsamic, a little bit of basil oil, some North Carolina sea salt.

And just keep the flavors really light, clean, and bright, and marry them together so that they complement each other so you get multiple notes at different points of your eating experience.

Like your first bite should taste one way and then your second bite should have another flavor and another flavor.

It should keep you engaged the whole time while still feeling really light and fresh and by the time we're done eating, I don't want anybody to leave feeling so full that they're tired.

I want them to be full but energized.

- Feel lifted.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Fantastic.

- Cheers!

- Cheers!

Yeah.

That is so good.

- Oh, goodness.

- Here you are.

- So, this is a feast.

- [chuckles] Thank you.

What an incredible treat.

Okay, what do we have?

We have the sunflower.

AUCO: We have the sunflower with a little bit of tomato confit, some shaved okra, the shaved habaneras, some more shaved tetra squash.

So a lot of raw shaved veggies with just a little bit of the roasted sunflower, a little bit of stewed tomatoes.

And then this is a fresh tomato salad.

I just cut the tomatoes and macerated them with just a little bit of salt and oil, some burrata, some basil, some green onion.

The tomatoes are from the garden up top.

This is buttermilk cornbread with pimento cheese mousse.

Whoa.

That is a buttermilk shrimp ceviche with rustic romesco made with sunflower seeds.

That is a sirloin tip steak from our Wagyu cattle.

And then for dessert, we just have a chess pie mille-feuille with some bourbon chantilly and cacao nibs.

- Thank you.

- Gosh, thank you so much.

I couldn't appreciate you having us more and cooking this for us and...

It was a pleasure!

Thank you for joining me.

- Pleasure is all ours.

- Thank you.

LINDSEY: Cheers.

So, from what you were telling us about your background and where you've been, where you've come from, and what influences your cooking, it seems very much that you're all about sense of place.

So, certainly, your experiences have helped develop your menu, but it's all about where you are in that moment and honoring the vegetable you have in front of you.

So, being here at Maker's Mark, how is that influencing how you're thinking about food right now and how you're developing your menu?

The land at Maker's, it's absolutely incredible and there's so much diversity in such a small area.

We have some beautiful lakes and some streams and we have these incredible pastures.

We have woods, we have hills.

So, I can get such a diverse variety of food that I want it to show through, and so, when I'm thinking about dishes that I'm putting together, I want to just give the food a chance to tell its own story for you to be able to taste where it came from and not do too much to it that might hide what it is.

- I honestly just love food.

- [both laugh] Like I just love food.

It doesn't matter if it's a vegetable, or a fish, or an animal.

If it's delicious, I want it.

MAGGIE: Yes.

If it's not delicious, I want to know why it's not delicious and how to make it delicious.

And what about bourbon?

I love bourbon.

[both laugh] Did you like bourbon before you came to Kentucky?

I drank bourbon before I came to Kentucky, but I didn't really understand anything about it and it actually wasn't until my very first visit to Maker's Mark where I got to meet Jane Bowie, our Director of Innovation, that I actually learned anything about bourbon.

I knew what I liked, I knew what I didn't like, and I knew there was a variety of different ways to drink it, but I didn't understand any of these reasons and I didn't understand what went into making bourbon, what bourbon is made of.

And Jane taught me all of these things the first time that I met her and I instantly needed to know more.

I went home and started trying all kinds of different bourbons and reading about them.

And then I actually went on to get my bourbon stewardship as well.

So, I love bourbon, and I honestly have Maker's to thank for that because Maker's actually literally taught me about bourbon.

And allowed me to come back after many years.

So how do you approach using bourbon and cooking?

Do you cook with bourbon a lot?

I do cook with bourbon, but I treat it just like any other ingredient.

Just because we're at Maker's Mark, just because we're at a distillery doesn't mean that you have to hit people over the head with it.

They'll get plenty of bourbon in the rest of their time here, and so, I don't need to load it into their food as well.

But bourbon is such a versatile beverage and people don't realize that.

And because bourbon, even within Maker's Mark, has so many different expressions with so many different profiles, there's a bourbon for pretty much anything that you want it for.

Some of them are more savory, some of them are more sweet.

I can use them in a lot of different ways.

So, our steak, I seared it off, and I finished it with just the splash of bourbon and a little bit of butter to make a bit of a pan sauce because the flavor of our bourbon and the flavor of our Wagyu steak, they mirror each other because our cattle is finished on the silage from the distillery.

They're finished on the waste syrup and grains that are left behind after the distilling process.

And so instead of finishing them on dry grains, or pasture finishing them, they get this beautiful, rich, thick, sweet syrup that they just gorge themselves on and the flavors of the corn and the wheat all come through in their meat.

And so, just finish it with just a little bit of bourbon so that they match each other, and they complement each other, and bring each other out.

And there's a little bit of bourbon in the pimento cheese; just a slash to help the cheese actually emulsify to keep it nice and creamy and smooth.

- And airy.

- And airy.

It's a mousse but the texture is fantastic.

- Thank you.

- Really enjoyable.

But the alcohol in the bourbon helps it do that.

Whereas, regular pimento cheese would be really thick.

And there's a little bit of bourbon in every part of our dessert.

So, it's not an overwhelming amount of bourbon in anything, but just the touch, just the thought.

And so, speaking of growing more, you're just getting started here.

So what do you see for the future?

What do you hope for your time here?

I want to really help this program grow, to help our farm and our restaurant grow into a place that people can come not to enjoy a beautiful meal with their friends and family and to gather here, but a place that they can come to relax and still learn about... learn where their food is coming from, learn why it's important, and learn how they themselves can interact with what's going on.

I love it when I see people wanting to interact with the garden itself.

That's really exciting because there's always something new to learn.

Even if you're an experienced gardener, or a bourbon pro, or a lifetime foodie, there's always more things to learn and I learn from them, too.

Like, I've met so many incredible gardeners who've come through our innovation garden and have taught me something new every time they come by.

And so, it's really exciting for me as well and I just want this to be a space that is a genuine part of the community that is deeply involved in a mutual way so that what we gain from the community that we're a part of, we also give back.

I want Maker's and our farm and our restaurant to be just as much a part of the community as they are to us.

I want us to be able to give to them what we gain from them as well.

LINDSEY: I don't know about you, but Maker's Mark was just the most inspirational day.

Chef AuCo and her whole perspective and what she's building out there, I'm just so excited to continue to learn from her and experience her food.

She was so creative.

And then, the gardens with Mr. Samuel, - and, of course, the bourbon.

- Yes, of course.

Can't overlook that.

It was just a fantastic time and I'm so grateful that we got to learn from them.

And I left a little bit thirsty, so I don't know about you.

Yeah, I definitely left inspired and thirsty.

And we got to have that super fun experience of dipping our own bottles.

So much fun.

So, I thought, what better way to open up this bottle but to make a paper plane cocktail with it?

- A paper plane?

- Yes.

So, it's one of my favorite bourbon cocktails.

Actually, it's got all the makings of a classic cocktail, but it's not that old.

It was created in 2007 from a bartender in Chicago, and, to me, it's a great cocktail, number one, because it's equal parts every ingredient, so super easy to remember.

And it's just balance.

It's got some bitter, it's a little bit sour, just enough sweetness to make it palatable and I find it super refreshing.

So, we are going to go ahead before we start and fill our coupe glasses.

It's served up, which is my preferred way to have a cocktail, generally.

Go ahead and get our glasses chilling and put some ice into our shaker.

And the single cocktail, like I mentioned, is equal parts ingredients, and it's 3 quarters ounce of each.

I'll go ahead and round up to an ounce because it's just easier.

We're not going to be upset to have a little bit extra before.

And, in the cocktail, we have of course bourbon, but we also have Aperol and Amaro.

Aperol is an apéritif.

It's a little bit bitter.

It's citrusy, refreshing.

You might know of it from an Aperol spritz.

And then Amaro is more of a digestif.

It's a botanical blend.

It's very complex, very interesting, and it has a lot of nice bitter notes and again, a little bit of sweetness and thin, fresh lemon juice.

So, again, we're just a really balanced drink here and I just think very palatable.

So, we're going to go ahead and start by adding our ingredients.

So, since I'm making one for each of us, I'm going to do 2 ounces of each item.

Start with our Aperol.

You can smell the freshness of the Aperol.

- The citrus is coming through.

- Yes.

Yeah.

One thing, I think, with bourbon cocktails, especially, is we kind of get used to thinking of them as having a really intense bite and this certainly has plenty of alcohol on this drink, but I find it to be bright and very easy to sort of sip on and refreshing.

So, we've added our three liquors and now, fresh squeezed lemon juice.

It's probably even better with the bottle you dipped yourself.

- Yeah, it will.

- [chuckles] Now, we're going to give it a good shake.

[chuckles] - Way to go.

- All right.

There we go.

- We got that arm strength.

- I know, right.

And we're going to pour out our ice.

Glasses are nice and chilled.

MAGGIE: The color is interesting.

It's like a peachy iced tea, almost.

LINDSEY: It is, yes.

Yeah, it's definitely a nice color, and I think it's always appropriate to garnish with lemon.

Peel the call to the ingredient and it's just a nice final flourish.

Worked very hard on these peels.

- You did an excellent job.

- Yes.

All right.

- Okay.

- And they're garnished.

Yes.

- Cheers to Chef AuCo - Cheers.

and our day at Maker's Mark.

Yes.

Cheers.

See, I just think it's just so bright and light.

The lemon really comes through and I think when the lemon could be super sour, but you've got the complexity of the Amaro and the Aperol there and then, of course, the bourbon's there, but it doesn't smack you across the face too much.

It smooths it all out.

It's the last thing I tasted.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

So, our day started with bourbon and ended with bourbon.

- Cheers.

- Cheers to that.