The Ideal Bartender Experience

If you’re visiting Louisville on a Thursday or Friday, reserve a seat at The Ideal Bartender Experience, where you’ll learn about the life and legacy of Tom Bullock, the first Black American to write and publish a cocktail recipe book. 

Participants arrive at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row and receive a password to enter the basement speakeasy for a 45-minute re-enactment starring local actor George Harrison as Louisville’s legendary hometown bartender.

Dressed in a red vest and bowtie, he shares Bullock’s story, while serving guests three premium whiskey tastings from Evan Williams, a Heaven Hill Distillery brand. It’s all capped with Bullock’s signature “Old Fashion” from his recipe book, The Ideal Bartender, published in 1917. 

Known today as an Old Fashioned, the drink has many variations, but Bullock’s famous version is made with Angostura bitters, a sugar cube dissolved in water, bourbon whiskey poured over a lump of ice and a lemon twist. Designated Louisville’s official cocktail in 2015, it’s celebrated each June during the citywide Old Fashioned Fortnight (June 1 through 14). 

Harrison emphasizes that the recipes from Bullock’s cocktail book are of his own creation. He learned bartending skills at Louisville’s elite, private Pendennis Club before moving to the St. Louis Country Club. There, his frequent patron, George Herbert Walker, grandfather of U.S. president George Herbert Walker Bush, wrote a glowing introduction to The Ideal Bartender. 

Guests can try Bullock’s drinks at home by picking up a copy of his book, which includes more than 150 recipes, from the gift shop. Every guest also receives a souvenir coaster with a recipe printed on it. Reservations for the re-enactment and tasting are advised, especially from March through October. 528 W. Main St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 502/272-2623, heavenhilldistillery.com