OK, SO.
UHM.
Life has swallowed me whole and spit out a few curls.
Before it totally digests me, though. I am blogging an event I attend last month live from the belly of the beast. Honestly, it's pretty decent wifi from in here, tbh. Password is: FML2016. Very modern.
When Nathalie from Praxis PR e-mailed me about attending a Bourbon Night presented by Knob Creek at The Mule downtown Hamilton I squealed a bit.
A lot. OKAY I SQUEALED A LOT WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME CAN YOU NOT TELL I AM STRUGGLING, HERE?!
Chef Matt (I do believe) at the Mule created a Southern inspired menu JUST for us! And @whisky_chef (follow him, guys!) Matt Jones took us through an amazing history of Jim Beam, Basil Hayden's, Knob Creek and bourbon in general. I honestly had no idea about 99.9% of what he was talking about so I felt like my head was exploding with knowledge afterwards.
Or it was the bourbon. OOPS?!
I got this cool name tag which made me feel super legit even though I think I was the only person who had no idea what was happening D:
The night began with cocktails, made with bourbon, NATCH.
The honey ginger cocktail below was absolutely unreal. Each cocktail was crafted with such passion and the heat of the bourbon paired surprisingly well with the already spicy ginger. The honey sort of coated your throat after. Simply lovely!
I really ought to pay more attention to drinks -- it's a whole other world out there!
That peach and watermelon salad? UNBELIEVABLE!
To be fair, though. The Mule is simply amazing even beyond this event. If you have been downtown Hamilton lately it really has transformed in terms of the food scene. The Mule is on King William so it's fairly central -- the decor inside is the enchantingly rustic, vibrant yet elegant mismatched decor that makes you feel like you're in a movie. Yes I am lame, shushhh!
Beyond King William there are soooo many lovely places to eat at James Street North, Locke Street, Augusta Street and beyond. I am so proud of the entrepreneurs that have built up downtown to be a really trendy area, again. It's encouraged a lot of business that I think had otherwise decided that downtown Hamilton was less exciting than Toronto. NO WAY T DOT YOU JUST STEP OFF, OK? OK DRAKE? YOU HEAR ME!?
I will admit I felt a bit far removed from the other amazing food bloggers there that had such a vast experience with the goods the local scene has to offer. I am starting to branch off a bit more from my pretty restrictive/not so adventurous food intake. BY THE WAY -- they were all so lovely. I met so many lovely ladies at my table and it became my beautiful little safety bubble for the night! haha
I am trying to be less rigid and explore more -- oh and just having a free evening to do that is kind of impossible so I am hoping to make time for that, too!
Wait until you see the beauty.
