Barrel-Lickin’ Good

When the night calls for bourbon, head to Starlite in Midtown-a shining star among San Diego’s cocktail lounges that boasts 34 bourbon varieties, with plans to add 192 more.

The new offerings will hail from Frankfort, Kentucky-based Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Single Oak Project-an eight-year effort to attain the “holy grail” of bourbon by taking 96 individually selected American oak trees, cutting them in half and making single barrels from each section. The results: 192 whiskeys crafted using seven different variables resulting in 1,396 total taste combinations.

In the meantime, kick back with a Kentucky Colonel, courtesy of this recipe from Starlite.

Kentucky Colonel

Yield: 1 cocktail

2 ounces Buffalo Trace Bourbon
2 twists lemon
12 ounces Cock ‘n’ Bull Ginger Beer
3 dashes Bittercube’s Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters (or similar)
1 lemon slice

Fill a large copper mug with ice. Mix bourbon, lemon juice, ginger beer and bitters and pour into mug. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately.

Starlite
3175 India St., Mission Hills
619.358.9766, starlitesandiego.com

Definitive Proof

The differences between bourbon, rye and Scotch

Bourbon is made with a mash (a mixture of hot water and crushed grain) that’s at least 51 percent corn.

Rye requires a mash that is at least 51 percent rye.

Scotch is whiskey produced in Scotland that’s been aged in oak barrels for three years, minimum.