Among numerous superstitions associated with the Kentucky Derby, consuming bourbon and burgoo on race day are two we can totally get behind. While it’s not stipulated that those requirements be satisfied simultaneously, Cypress & Oak, the steakhouse inside the new Delegate Hotel in Frankfort, Kentucky, does just that with its twist on the recipe, provided below.
For those not in the know, burgoo is a hearty, Kentucky-staple stew, akin to Brunswick stew in that it’s typically composed of vegetables and a variety of meats that can span chicken, beef, pork, and even squirrel. Also like Brunswick, burgoo’s origin story is murky; the fun-to-say name might be derived from bourguignon, barbecue, ragu, or bird stew, depending on whom you ask. But burgoo’s racing pedigree is undisputed, stretching back to its nourishment of attendees at horse races that accompanied livestock sales in the early 1800s. Today it’s ladled up to peckish revelers at Churchill Downs, and Lexington’s Keeneland course can go through 100 gallons a day during its seasonal meets.
But this bourbon-spiked spin from Cypress & Oak chef Bob Atkins was spawned by another Kentucky sporting event—an annual celebrity golf tournament headlined by Louisville native Foster Brooks, the “lovable lush” comedian famous for his appearances on Dean Martin Celebrity Roast TV specials in the 1970s. When Brooks passed away in 2001, the tournament was continued by fellow Louisville native son Ned Beatty, who requested something special to serve his celebrity pals.
“I was kicking around some ideas, and it can’t get more Kentucky than bourbon and burgoo,” says Atkins, who was executive chef at the host hotel at the time. “I decided we’d put them together and see what happens. Best I can recall, everyone really enjoyed it. Of course, they were probably three-quarters inebriated anyway.”
Because the alcohol burns off during cooking, intoxication is not a concern when consuming Atkins’s reintroduction of the recipe at Cypress & Oak. “The bourbon is a bit of a gimmick, really,” he says. “A hint of the vanilla and caramel notes come through, and that bourbon sweetness pulls itself together with the corn. The bourbon flavor is there, but it’s more of a whisper.”
