(Louisville, KY: Immediate Release) Beginning a yearlong celebration of bourbon, the staff at the Kentucky Derby Museum is preparing Urban Bourbon @ Kentucky Derby Museum presented by Four Roses Distillery, LLC. for an evening ribbon-cutting ceremony. Tonight at 6:00 p.m., a short presentation to the museum’s members, media and V.I.P.s will be held in the museum’s Great Hall. At 6:20 p.m., the crowd will gather on the second floor of the museum for the unveiling of the exhibit outside of the Matt Winn Gallery.
Urban Bourbon @ Kentucky Derby Museum presented by Four Roses Distillery, LLC. features several interactive sections while showcasing the importance and history of bourbon in the city of Louisville.
· Visitors can ‘order’ a selection off of a bar menu which will activate several short video clips. An interactive Ipad technology allows the exhibit bar to be hosted by a Virtual Bartender at all hours of the exhibit. (Menu items include: Savor the Flavor, Bourbon Babble, Bourbon basics, Modern Manhattan, Bourbon Twisted)
· Why “Bourbon?”: how the native American spirit got its name.
· By a Nose: how to taste, what to smell. Demonstrated by glass beakers and sniff containers mounted on the wall, guests can put their noses to the test.
· Timeline of bourbon and racing in the city of Louisville and the parallel growth for the two native traditions.
· Family Affair: the family dynasties that became the leaders of the industry.
· Vintage ads from many of the bourbon industry branding campaigns
· Definitions of Bourbon: all bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon… why?
· And… drumroll please… a fully functional bar in the middle of a museum! This well-stocked bar was constructed by local craftsman to give the essence of a bourbon bar that might be found in Louisville (hint: very similar to a newly-installed bar in the Derby Café at the Derby Museum). The bar itself was created from one of the last original trees from the farmland of John and Henry Churchill here on the museum’s property. The tree had to come down during a renovation in 1999 but the wood was saved and sent to the Bluegrass Cooperage’s Benton Sawmill where it was milled into planks. Those planks make up the body of the new exhibit bar which will be used in the museum for years to come!
Urban Bourbon @ Kentucky Derby Museum presented by Four Roses Distillery, LLC. will be open to the public with regular Museum admission beginning March 6, 2012 through December 31, 2012. The Kentucky Derby Museum is a 501c3 non-profit located near the historic Churchill Downs race track.
****Special Note, the Derby Café is also featuring a new bourbon-inspired menu along with more than 50 bourbons offered for tasting and special flights made to order, including the Run of Roses.*****

