And it was right about the moment I realized Willett isn’t just another stop on the Bourbon Trail.

Here’s the thing most people don’t know: a LOT of the bourbon you love is owned by a big conglomerate. Willett isn’t. It’s been family-owned since Thompson Willett founded it in 1936, and it’s one of the few left on the trail that hasn’t sold out.

That alone made it worth the drive.

But it’s not why I’m still thinking about it.

The Bottle That Started It All

My first Willett pour was the Pot Still Reserve, nearly 5 years ago now. It’s full of flavor, it’s definitely a sipper, and it’s got that little bit of fire I usually only find in a good rye.

And it’s kept my attention ever since.

So when I met the Willett marketing team at a Women Who Whiskey event in Minneapolis and they said, “Come see us in Kentucky,” I didn’t need to be asked twice.

(Full transparency: my tour was comped. My opinions are, as always, ALL mine.)

Grain to Glass, Minus the Boring Parts

The vats are alive. They’d just added yeast to one of the fermentation vats, and as we were finishing up talking about it, the whole thing started bubbling and took off right in front of us. Sweet, malty, fermenting grain. If you know, you know. (And if you don’t, you NEED to smell it once in your life! There’s really nothing like it.)

The still is MASSIVE. The pot still is about two stories tall, and down at the bottom of the distillery, it’s surprisingly loud. We’re talking - mic’d up, still needed to shout, could barely hear loud. Whiskey making certainly isn’t for the faint of heart…or the easily over-stimulated.

The cuts are everything. Every run gets split into heads, hearts and tails, and only the hearts are the good stuff. Get the cuts right, and you’ve got a whiskey that packs a punch. Get them wrong, and you’ve got a headache from your first sip. Head-heavy blends, I’m looking at you!

130 Degrees and Fourteen Years

The rick houses are painted black, and the top floors can hit 130 degrees. The windows and doors stay open to keep the air moving and cut down on the angel’s share, the whiskey that evaporates out of the barrel while it ages.

The lower floors stay cooler, so the whiskey matures slowly and gently: softer, rounder, more mellow. The upper floors get HOT, so the whiskey pushes deeper into the wood and pulls out more caramel, vanilla, spice and oak. The proof creeps up, too.

(Which is exactly why the upper-floor barrels tend to be my favorites!)

Some of the barrels in there had been resting for six years. Some for fourteen.

Let that sink in the next time you knock back a pour.

Through the Lens

This is the part I’ll be thinking about for a while.

The first floor of the rick house is dark, but the light that comes in hits the chains and the wood in a way that feels almost nostalgic. Look out through the screened door, and you see rows of rick houses, a little pond and a ridiculously sunny Kentucky sky.

No filter needed.

We ended exactly where my Willett story started: with a pour of the Pot Still Reserve and a piece of dark chocolate.

Full circle moment - in the very best way.

Now, I was lucky to have a friend with me who swapped glasses with me for the four tour pours so I could try them all.

One of them they call "the trouble maker." Another one came with me to Miami. Here's which ones are worth your money:

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This is the dish I make when I want a dinner to feel special. Candles lit, a bottle open on the counter, butter browning in the pan, and sage crackling as it hits the heat. It makes your kitchen smell like salt and butter with just a kiss of herbs and citrus, and when I tell you my mouth is watering just writing this, you’d better believe it.

It’s also come highly requested from friends when they come over for dinner… even when they had it the last time they came over, too.

What’s on the plate

Meet my brown-butter sage tagliolini. It’s a rustic pasta with crispy fried sage leaves, super salty guanciale (the real star of the show here), warming spices, a bit of lemon and TONS of fresh 36-month parmigiano. Duh. It’s rich in flavor, but light on the palate - and when I tell you it takes maybe 20 minutes to make, you might not believe me…BUT I can guarantee that the people you serve this to will be dreaming about it days later.

How to Pair It

Now, you could go one of two ways with this one - you could play into the subtle warming notes of the spice blend OR you could play into the zestiness of the citrus.

If you wanted to go for the lighter, brighter side - a Rosso di Montepulciano would be my pick for you. It usually runs a little bright and juicy, with a beautiful acidity to it (it comes from being a younger wine) and you get a lot of red currant and cranberry that’ll pair incredibly well with the lemon on this plate. It has just enough body to hold its own with the guanciale, and that acidity cuts right through the richness without overwhelming the dish, which makes it the perfect companion.

But let’s say you wanted to lean into the warming spices. Maybe you want to go for something that feels like it’s been aged a little bit longer and doesn’t have the tang of a younger wine. My two picks for you would be an Amarone or a Super Tuscan. High in concentration of flavors, heavy on the raisin, black currant and chocolate notes - these are two wines that would elevate the warming spices on this plate and bring them to an entirely new level.

Below, I'm sharing the full recipe (yes, the 20-minute version) and the exact bottles I'd pour with it.

Full Recipe & Wine Pairing Breakdown

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Each neighborhood has a very distinct personality when it comes to food – and because there’s so many options, especially if you’re looking for the Michelin Guide. This past week, I’ve been eating my way through Downtown Miami, and what I’ve noticed is that this is the place you go if you want smaller, more intimate hidden gems.

They’ve got smaller dining rooms, less tables, and that “new discovery” feeling every time you walk in the door.

Tâm Tâm

A Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning Vietnamese drinking food and wine bar very close to Brickell, Tâm Tâm is a cozy corner-spot well known for, and I quote, their “erotic” pork ribs, wings that are to die for and lamb skewers that make you salivate just thinking about them. And while I didn’t get the chance to try the pork ribs – I did get a chance to try a few of their other smaller plates and the lamb.

Picking a favorite, the lamb takes the cake for me – but the wings were a VERY close second. Granted, I am a meat lover – so take that as you will. Paired with a chilled Barbera blend, it was the perfect way to explore Vietnamese food with a new lens. Definitely will be going back.

Niu Kitchen

Tucked away in the heart of Downtown Miami, Niu Kitchen has spent the last three years on the Michelin Guide but still feels like a local neighborhood best-kept secret. They’re known for Old World Spanish foods and flavors, natural and biodynamic wines and of course, their Oyster plates.

Now, I’m not much of a seafood gal, so while that didn’t tempt me – the special that’s been on the menu for the last ten years certainly did. Truffle and potato foam, poached eggs, crispy Iberico ham and truffle oil on the top, all paired with a glass of Cava brut. I love that Niu Kitchen still has that “fresh discovery” feel about it, even though it’s gotten a lot of accolades and attention. The wine list is thoughtful and well-curated, AND I even tried my first-ever orange wine there. Which, yes, as a wine photographer – I do need to step up my game in that department.

Rosaluna

This is my little favorite find from when I was in Miami last January. It’s Italian comforts with a twist, think Nonna’s classic recipes in the heart of Miami. It’s not always busy for dinner, due to the location in a business campus, but it’s one that you can’t miss out on if you’re looking for a small intimate spot with flavors that’ll leave you dreaming about them long after you leave.

I can’t get enough of their fried zucchini flowers, it’s a favorite of mine from when I used to live in Italy. Ricotta, lemon and tomato on the inside – it’s perfection, if you ask me. Seasonally rotating pasta, a pistachio cheesecake, and a wine line list that would make anyone swoon – it’s a spot I consistently come back to and am always glad when I do.

ViceVersa

Tucked away in the Elser Hotel, but by no means a secret, Vice Versa is THE spot to go if you want one of two things: 1) a negroni to die for, and 2) a smashburger to write home about. Yes, it even convinced me - the Midwestern Jucy Lucy lover - to give it a go.

Whenever I’m missing the pillowy pizza dough of Southern Italy, Vice Versa is a go-to spot for me. Now, I’m a classic Margherita gal, but the ever-changing menu helps you break out of the concrete box when (and if) you ever need to. Plus, it also just won Best Hotel Bar, so I can almost guarantee you won’t leave disappointed.

Stay tuned for more Miami eats, downtown & otherwise.

With love,