Top 41 Kentuckian Foods

Buffalo Trace Distillery, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, is celebrated as the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States, with a rich history of over 200 years. Founded by Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. and later expanded under George T. Stagg, the distillery has survived challenges such as floods, fires, and Prohibition, during which it produced whiskey for medicinal purposes. Today, it is known for its wide range of highly acclaimed bourbons and whiskeys, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, and the Pappy Van Winkle line. Buffalo Trace has garnered numerous awards, emphasizing its commitment to quality and innovation in whiskey production. Expand

Heaven Hill Distillery, founded in 1935, is one of the largest independent, family-owned distilleries in the United States. Located in Bardstown, Kentucky, it is renowned for producing some of the most iconic American whiskeys, including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and Larceny. The distillery boasts a rich heritage in crafting premium bourbons and other spirits, blending tradition with innovation. Heaven Hill is also home to one of the largest inventories of aging whiskey in the world, reflecting its commitment to quality and authenticity.Expand

1792 Bourbon is crafted at the historic Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Known for its robust and full-bodied flavors, 1792 Bourbon offers various limited-edition expressions, blending traditional techniques with innovative aging methods. Recognized for its quality, it has won awards, including the prestigious title of "World Whisky of the Year" in 2020.Expand

Sazerac Company is one of the oldest privately held distilleries in the United States, founded in the 1850s. The company's headquarters are located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it is renowned for its wide range of alcoholic beverages, including whiskey, bourbon, rum, vodka, gin, and liqueurs. The company takes its name from the Sazerac cocktail, which is considered to be the first cocktail ever created in the United States.Expand

15 STARS Fine Aged Bourbon celebrates Kentucky's heritage as the 15th U.S. state and honors traditional distilling with innovative aging techniques. The distillery sources fine aged bourbons, blending unique mash bills and proprietary grains like heirloom black corn. Their craftsmanship combines early Kentucky artisanship with modern quality standards, creating award-winning bourbons with rich, complex flavors and historical significance.Expand

Angel's Envy is a premium bourbon brand crafted by the Louisville Distilling Company, part of Bacardi Limited. Known for its unique finishing process in port and rum barrels, Angel's Envy produces Kentucky straight bourbon and rye whiskeys with a rich, layered flavor. The distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, combines traditional bourbon craftsmanship with innovative aging techniques, offering a range of limited editions and private barrel selections.Expand

Heaven's Door is a brand of handcrafted American whiskeys co-created with Bob Dylan, embodying his passion and artistic spirit. Each bottle showcases distinctive welded iron gates personally crafted by Dylan at his Black Buffalo Ironworks studio. The Heaven's Door collection includes a variety of whiskey styles, such as Bourbon, Rye, and exclusive limited editions like the Bootleg Series, adorned with Dylan's artwork.Expand

Barrell Craft Spirits, founded in 2013 and based in Louisville, Kentucky, is a renowned independent blender specializing in unique, aged, cask-strength whiskeys and rums. The company sources high-quality spirits from various distilleries, meticulously blending them to create distinctive flavor profiles. Their commitment to innovation and quality has earned them numerous awards from prestigious spirits publications and competitions. Barrell Craft Spirits offers a diverse range of products, including small-batch and single-barrel releases, as well as ongoing series like Seagrass, Dovetail, and Vantage. Their dedication to transparency and craftsmanship has solidified their reputation as a leading force in the American whiskey industry.Expand

Blanton's is a renowned bourbon producer with a rich history dating back to 1897. It is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, with Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton playing a key role in its success. Today, Blanton's is recognized for the high quality of its products and its collectible bottle stoppers featuring horses and jockeys, paying tribute to Kentucky's horse racing tradition.Expand

Hot Brown is an unusual open-faced sandwich consisting of Mornay sauce-covered roast turkey and bacon that is baked or broiled with bread until it gets crispy, and the sauce starts to brown. Louisville, Kentucky's culinary icon started its way to stardom during the 1920s in the Brown Hotel, when chef Fred Schmidt created this unique sandwich to satisfy the guests who were tired of dancing in the ballroom and craved something more glamorous than the usual ham and eggs. The sandwich was a huge hit and it quickly became the top choice of 95% of the hotel's customers. As the dish gained popularity, numerous variations have been made such as Hot Brown tart, Hot Browns with fried cheese grits, Kentucky Hot Brown cornbread skillet, and biscuit Hot Browns. Because the Brown Hotel had been shut down from 1971 to 1985, the sandwich was unavailable for a long time, but today anyone can enjoy it, preferably with some tomatoes and mushroom slices placed over the flavorful sauce.Expand

Bourbon ball is a sweet candy originating from Kentucky. It consists of bourbon, pecans, wafer crumbs, butter, and chocolate. This treat was originally invented by Ruth Booe from the Rebecca Ruth Candy Company in 1938. Today, it is a favorite amongst the Southern families, and it is traditionally prepared and consumed during the festive holiday seasons.Expand

Some say that there are as many different ways to make a burgoo as there are cooks who are preparing it. It is a spicy stew consisting of meat and vegetables, traditionally cooked outdoors in iron kettles over an open fire. The cooking would take upwards of twelve hours and the ingredients used in it were the ones that were available at the time. Today, it is typically a combination of meats such as pork, chicken, or beef, and vegetables such as beans, corn, cabbage, tomatoes, and potatoes. Some claim it was brought to the United States from England in the late 19th century, while others say it was invented by a French chef named Gustave Jaubert. The preparation of burgoo is a social, communal affair, and it is especially popular during the Kentucky Derby or at the civic fund-raisers in the American Midwest, since large crowds can be fed from one giant pot. A good burgoo should always be thick and flavorful due to its long cooking time, and it is ideally paired with a green salad or mashed potatoes on the side.Expand

Rolled oyster is a traditional dish originating from and around Louisville, Kentucky. It consists of three raw oysters that are dipped in pastinga batter (eggs, cornmeal, and milk), rolled in cracker crumbs, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. As the exterior seals and becomes golden brown, the oysters inside get steamed and burst, while the oyster juices give the breading an oyster-like flavor. It is believed that this dish was first served in 1884 by Italian immigrant Phillip Mazzoni in his tavern on Third and Market. This bar snack is usually served with ketchup or tartar sauce.Expand

Not derby pie is an American pie consisting of a pastry pie shell filled with chocolate and walnuts or pecans. It was created in 1950 at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky by George Kern and his parents. It’s usually associated with the Kentucky Derby. The recipe is kept secret, and the name Derby Pie is trademarked by Kern’s Kitchen. That same Kern’s Kitchen is notorious for their horrible litigious practices and it has filed more than 25 lawsuits against websites that post new recipes for derby pie.Expand

Stack cake is a traditional cake from the Appalachian region consisting of multiple cake layers, usually six to eight, that are layered with dried apples, apple preservers, or apple butter. Since the cake is quite dry, it needs to sit for at least a day so that it soaks up the filling and turns moist and succulent. Several countries and places in the region claim to be the place of origin, the best-known one being Harrodsburg, Kentucky where the cake is said first to have appeared in 1774. An interesting fact is that due to the way that it’s prepared, it is often claimed that in the past this cake was commonly used as a wedding cake throughout the entire Appalachian region - each woman who attended the wedding was supposed to bring a layer, and the bride's family then assembled the full cake. It's recommended to serve the cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.Expand

Wilted lettuce is a traditional dish of the American South. This salad is made with shredded wilted lettuce, chopped green onions, salt, and pepper. The ingredients are tossed, then mixed with a dressing consisting of apple cider vinegar and melted bacon drippings. Southern wilted lettuce should be served immediately after it's been prepared. It's recommended to serve it with cornbread or corn muffins on the side. The dish is also known as kilt lettuce or killed lettuce, referring to the way the lettuce will soften under the hot dressing.Expand

Benedictine is a traditional spread or a dip originating from Kentucky. It's usually made with a combination of cream cheese, a pinch of cayenne pepper, cucumber juice, onion juice, and a few drops of green food coloring (alternatively, spinach or parsley). The dip was invented by Jennie Benedict, the editor for the Louisville Courier-Journal. Nowadays, the dip is often elevated by mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, grated cucumbers, and grated onions (instead of just the juices). It's recommended to serve it with crackers or vegetables. The dip is especially popular during the Kentucky Derby, but it makes for a great addition to any gathering or party. When used as a sandwich spread, it's served on crustless white bread.Expand

Kentucky cheese pudding is a traditional casserole originating from Kentucky. It's usually made with a combination of soda crackers, cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs, hot peppers, flour, butter, half-and-half (equal parts whole milk and cream), salt, and pepper. The flour and butter are whisked into a smooth paste and mixed with salt, pepper, and half-and-half over low heat until the sauce thickens. The sauce is poured into a greased casserole dish, topped with cracker crumbs, and layers of eggs, cheese, and pimentos are then arranged until all the ingredients are used up. The cracker crumbs should be on top. The dish is dotted with butter and baked until golden before it's served hot as a main course for supper. It's recommended to serve Kentucky cheese pudding with country ham biscuits and a fresh salad on the side.Expand

Kentucky jam cake is a traditional cake originating from Kentucky. This old-fashioned cake is made with a combination of flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, raisins, blackberry jam, chopped walnuts or pecans, baking soda, and baking powder. It's typically spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Traditionally, the cake has three alternating layers of cake and icing. The flavors are sweet and tangy. This southern cake is especially popular for Christmas, although it's often prepared throughout the year. It's also a staple at church suppers, picnics, and special occasions.Expand