Bourbon, red wine and hungry appetites combined for a perfect trifecto on Thurs., May 2nd, as Ruth’s Chris Steak Houses across the country hosted a Big Reds and Bourbon Pairing Dinner.
This dinner corresponded with the launch of Bulleit Bourbon’s new 10 Year Old Small Batch and featured bourbon, bold red wines and a special southern-style menu created by Joey Altman, cookbook author and celebrity TV show host.
Our destination — Ruth’s Chris Steak House in West Palm Beach. Despite the torrential weather outside, guests made their way to the 2nd floor, where Gerard Graham, Master of Whiskey was set to teach the thirsty and curious about the Bulleit brand and the story of Tom Bulleit and his great-great grandfather, Augustus.
In keeping with the southern theme of the dinner, guests were greeted with a Mint Julep — just in time for the derby, made with Bulleit bourbon, mint leaves, simple syrup and crushed ice. This classic cocktail was paired with a trio of melt-in-your-mouth bacon wrapped scallops with a citrus beurre blanc drizzle.
The evening continued with decadent courses featuring the high-quality ingredients that Ruth’s Chris is known for (beef, chicken and seafood), and a beverage pairing (alternating between Bulleit and red wines). Our favorite — the Pan-Roasted Salmon Sauce with horse-radish whole-grain mustard sauce and bacon-onion jam paired with Bulleit Rye. That was … until dessert was set before us.
While red wine and chocolate will certainly please my palate, the pairing of the Bulleit 10-year old Small Batch Bourbon with the decadent S’Mores Cheesecake, Toasted marshmallow and chocolate graham cracker crisps had my taste buds dancing in delight.
While this was my first formal dinner at Ruth’s Chris, I must admit they did a stellar job in organizing it (the same dinner took place at 74 different Ruth’s Chris locations across the U.S.) — and I look forward to my next return.