Elite Perk: Ruth’s Chris Bourbon Dinner

Thank you, Unilocal,for giving me and my +1 (my darling boyfriend) the most amazing dinner experience we have had in a long time! We got a complimentary five-​course meal and a bourbon-​tasting course (along with bourbon pairings for each of our courses). It really pays off to be Unilocal Elite and to write over 1000 Unilocal reviews! Thank you to the amazing Gretchen P and Kimberly S for organizing such an amazing event!
I learned so much about the world of bourbon (and I had only tasted it a few times before) from guest speaker Theo Redford, a master taster and guest speaker at Jim Beam Distillery. His presentation was very informative and fun. We both learned so much about the history of bourbon, the history of Jim Beam Distillery, how bourbon is regulated, and how to properly taste bourbon (that Booker’s Neat at the end of the meal was a great introduction to it). This event was a great opportunity to socialize with other Unilocal Elite over an intimate 12-​person dinner.
The courses included:
1. Bruschetta, paired with a Knob Creek Old Fashioned
2. BBQ Shrimp, paired with Jim Beam Single Barrel Classic Mint Julep
3. Steakhouse Salad, paired with Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Street Manhattan
4. 6 ounce filet served with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms, paired with Baker’s East Side Manhattan
5. Chocolate Sin Cake, paired with Maker’s 46 Port of Manhattan (this is the one they substituted for me, since I don’t like chocolate — and I got an amazing strawberry cheesecake)
And there was a Booker’s Neat to end the meal.
Everything was absolutely excellent. Ruth’s Chris had impeccable service, as usual, and the atmosphere was classy and intimate. I have nothing but the highest regard for both Unilocal and Ruth’s Chris.

This event only further solidified my love for Unilocal and Ruth’s Chris. Thanks to the wonderful Kimberly S. for the fantastic opportunity and the lovely Gretchen P. for being there as our rep. Phenomenal bourbon cocktail pairings and dinner.
The guest speaker was Theo Redford, master taster at Jim Beam Distillery (what a hard life he leads with traveling the world, tasting and talking about bourbons). I really enjoyed and appreciated his presentation. It was extremely informative and he was so enthusiastic about bourbons and his job at Jim Beam. He spoke freely about the types of bourbons at Jim Beam, the processes, and the history. I’m not sure if I can say I’ll ever get the chance to be sitting next to a master taster for one of the largest and best selling bourbon distilleries in the world, so this was definitely a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience.
As always, Ruth’s Chris provided an extraordinary meal. I’ve stated in my other reviews that I love Ruth’s Chris and they are my favorite chain steakhouse. That is because they consistently provide quality steaks and highly professional service.
First course: bruschetta paired with a Knob Creek old fashioned
Second course: BBQ shrimp paired with a Jim Beam Single Barrel Classic Mint Julep
Third course: Steakhouse salad paired with a Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Street Manhattan
Fourth course: Sizzling 6 oz. filet mignon with sides of garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms paired with a Baker’s East Manhattan
Fifth course: Chocolate sin cake paired with Maker’s 46 Port of Manhattan
Everything was delicious. The BBQ shrimp and filet mignon were just perfect. I think my favorite bourbon was Baker’s East Manhattan — it is dangerously good!
After our last course, Theo provided a tutorial on how to properly drink bourbon with a sample of Booker’s. This was very helpful and now I know how to actually drink bourbon right!
Aside from the excellent meal and opportunity to learn from a bourbon expert, the company was exceptional. It was great getting to meet other Unilocalers with the same interest and taste in food in a smaller setting. Love!

I don’t Unilocal review often but when I do I prefer excellent events. The opportunity for a bourbon tasting only reinforces my desire to head to Kentucky and see what there is to offer. Thanks Jim Beam and Theo for the wonderful experience. Thanks to Ruth’s Chris for providing the excellent quality meal which I have come to expect.

What a wonderful opportunity! I am not a Bourbon virgin anymore! As this was my very first Bourbon pairing dinner, I must say that I enjoyed every single kind I tasted with the 5 course dinner. For the meal, we were served the following:
1. Bruschetta (Very good!)
2. Grilled Shrimp (Excellent!)
3. Steakhouse Salad (good)
4. 6oz. Fillet Mignon (Excellent!) with Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Sautéed Mushrooms (I didn’t taste garlicky-​ness in the potatoes. Was I drunk already?)
5. Chocolate Sin Cake (Very good but it was more like a solid chocolate than a cake)
Most importantly, as well as the variety of Jim Beam Bourbon cocktails, the USDA PRIME steak was perfectly prepared and it was brought out to our table, literally sizzling on the plate. Impressive!
The guest speaker, Theo Ruthford, Master Taster at Jim Beam Distillery, was not only so knowledgeable about Bourbon but also a good looking young man.
Thank you so so much to our wonderful Unilocal DC CM Kimberly, Jim Beam, Theo and Ruth’s Chris Steak House for such a wonderful and precious event!
Now I am a big fan of both Ruth’s Chris and Jim Beam!