You've heard of Pappy Van Winkle. You may have tasted one of the Van Winkle bourbons. But chances are, you can't buy any of them. And tasting all of the whiskeys in one night? It's practically impossible. 

Van Winkle has become the ultimate cult whiskey brand, and demand so outweighs supply that getting your hands on a bottle is akin to winning the lottery. There's a robust black market, in which you can pay thousands of dollars for bottles that retail in the hundreds. Hell, you can sell an empty bottle on eBay for hundreds of dollars, presumably because those black marketeers will then fill it with Jim Beam and then resell them for thousands.

But next week you can get a taste (or a lot of tastes) of the good stuff without putting yourself at the mercy of hucksters on Craigslist: The Wine House is hosting a “Dinner with the Van Winkles,” at which both the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and the Van Winkle Series will be tasted. 
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On Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m., the Wine House will host a 6-course dinner that showcases the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and the Van Winkle Series. It's not cheap – tickets are $299 per person. But considering this is one of the only ways you'd ever be able to taste the entire series, and also that pours of the older bourbons can easily get above $50 per shot at bars, it almost seems reasonable.

You can buy tickets to the event here, and see the menu and 1/2-ounce pours of whiskey that will accompany each course below.  

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres:
Venison tenderloin with black currant qastrique and brioche
Spice-grilled shrimp with smoked tomato sauce and cucumber

Sazerac 6 Year Old Manhattan
Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey ($199.99 SRP)

1st Course
Cold smoked trout with greens, capers, Sun Gold tomatoes and sherry shallot dressing

Sazerac 18 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey ($199.99 SRP)
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey ($179.99 SRP)

2nd Course
Blistered corn ravioli with mascarpone, ricotta cheese and tomato sauce

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old Bourbon Lot B ($129.99 SRP)
Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon ($179.99 SRP)

3rd Course
Roast breast of pheasant with beluga lentils, parsnips and carrots, black cherry demi-glace

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old Bourbon ($229.99 SRP)
George T. Stagg Bourbon ($199.99 SRP)

4th Course
Grilled prime NY strip steak with steamed broccolini, duck fat potato and fines herbes butter

William Larue Weller Bourbon ($199.99 SRP)
Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old Bourbon ($249.99 SRP)

Dessert
Goat cheesecake with chocolate bourbon crust, caramel and black sea salt.

Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old Bourbon ($429.99 SRP)

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