This past Thursday, my friends at
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa had a very special dinner at
Council Oak - an evening with Jack Daniels. I was fortunate to be invited to this event and brought along my best friend who was in town for a visit.
The Jack Daniels Dinner at Seminole Hard Rock was $125 a person and included a 4 course meal with drink pairings, made with Jack Daniels of course. Each guest got a gift bag containing a full size commemorative Council Oak etched bottle of Gentleman Jack and other gifts, including Council Oaks famous BBQ sauce.
Our evening started off on the Jack Daniels "red carpet". After a quick photo and interview, we headed off to our tables to be welcomed with a cocktail -
Cherry Seelbach Cocktail (Jack Daniels, Cherry Bitters and Champagne) and two Hors D'oeurves - Crispy Pork Belly and Pastrami Rubbed Salmon. This was Keri's first time eating Pork Belly and she now knows why it is one of my favorite things on the planet. It was around this time that I had a - when work life and blog life collide moment and ran into a co-worker of mine from Orlando who was in town for this event!
As I mentioned above, the night consisted of four courses with drink pairings. We were greeted by Jack Daniels Spokesperson Michael J. Ring and Council Oak Head Chef Mike Balles. Michael J. Ring gave us a brief history of Jack Daniels. The three cocktails served with dinner were
Smoked Peach and Lemon Sour Whiskey, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Cherry-Mint Smash, Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select Boulevardier and Tennessee Triple (Espresso/Cold Brew and Gentleman Jack)
The first course was Grilled Blue Point Oysters with Carolina BBQ sauce and candied bacon. This dish was excellent, but that wasn't surprising. Anytime the words oysters and candied bacon are used in the same sentence is going to be mind blowing. This was served with
Smoked Peach and Lemon Sour Whiskey.
The second course was House Cured Duck Prosciutto - dried bing cherries, goat cheese, baby arugula salad with a Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Maple Vinaigrette. This dish made me laugh - Keri told me going into the night that she "didn't want weird stuff like duck" and she "doesn't like prosciutto". I looked down at her plate and she devoured it. See, this night expanded my friends culinary palate :) The second course was served with my favorite drink of the evening, the
Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Cherry-Mint Smash. I liked this drink so much, I included the recipe for you at the end of this post.
The third course was my favorite of the night - Mishima Ranch Wagyu Strip Loin with red bliss crushed potatoes, and Tennessee Honey glazed Baby Carrots. My steak was cooked to perfection with the right amount of seer on it. It literally melted in my mouth. I am a glazed carrot crazed person and had to stop myself from steeling my neighbors portions. This drink was served with the
Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select Boulevardier.
The fourth and final course of the night was Gentleman Jack Infused Creme Brulee. They used two entire bottles of Gentlemen Jack to create 50 portions of this dessert. While you couldn't taste the Jack while eating, you could feel it after a few bites. It was beyond words. This was served with an orange chocolate biscotti and served with the
Tennessee Triple (Espresso/Cold Brew and Gentleman Jack).
Be sure to follow Seminole Hard Rock of Tampa on social media to stay in the loop for their next Jack Daniels dinner!
The majority of the photos from this post were provided by Seminole Hard Rock.
RECIPE: Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Cherry-Mint Smash
1.5 oz Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
1 each lemon wedge
2 spring Mint
2 ea. Frozen Black Cherries or Fresh if possible
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Powdered Sugar
Muddle lemon, mint, and cherries in Boston shaker add Tennessee Honey.
Fill shaker with Ice and shake vigorously till shaker has frost on the outside.
Double strain into rocks filled rocks glass garnish with Mint and Lemon or Cherry, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with straw.
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