an exlusive love story, sharing passion in the form of fine spirits and unforgettable experiences.
Meet jon, aka bourbongoggles
Born and reared in Louisville, Kentucky, I actually started out as a rum drinker. It was a logical transition from sugary sodas to sweet, dark spirits. Then one day, while sitting around with my buddy Ray, we realized we lived in Louisville and needed to learn about “this bourbon thing.” Fresh out of college, we went on the bourbon trail, which was only 6 distilleries at the time, and from that moment on, I was hooked; enamored. I started learning more and more about bourbon and never wanted to stop.
Building The card catalog
My bourbon collection started out small, but the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn and taste and teach. From 2008-2016, the collection grew exponentially, and once I stopped renting and bought a house in 2019, I knew it was finally time to build my dream bourbon room.
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I designed the room that had been in my head for the last 10 years, and my Uncle Mike (seen in photo) and I renovated part of my basement. We knocked out walls, put up new ones, I learned how to do electrical, drywall, grout, woodworking, and even wallpaper.
The finished product turned out even better than I could have imagined. It truly has become one of the most intimate and memorable places to sip fine bourbon and share stories with even better people.
Cheers!
Why THE Card Catalog?
When coming up with a name, I realized there are a lot out there, many of them similar. I wanted to name this room something that would stand out and mean something to me. I decided to read a few period-appropriate books that would have been read during prohibition when folks couldn’t drink for inspiration.
After a few books, I said to myself, I could fill a whole card catalog with books and still not come up with a good name. Then, I realized it was right there all along.
The Card Catalog.
Having been the former Cardinal Bird Mascot at my alma mater, the University of Louisville, the word Card holds a little extra significance for me. And when I think of a Catalog, I imagine something that you open to find something that you want. Well, in opening the hidden bookcase door, it’s certainly not hard to find something that you’d really enjoy. The hard part is picking where to start.
(I do allow UK fans to check out the space!)
Once I picked a name, I thought it would be cool to find a period-appropriate card catalog to use as a display piece and namesake for the room. As luck would have it, I found a late 1800’s Globe card catalog on ebay. Once I had it, I knew I needed to do something more with it.
It was mid-pandemic, and I had a little extra time, so I decided to make an card catalog style index card for every bottle in the collection. It is all book themed, the book title is the name of the bourbon, the author is the distillery, and the published date is the year that that bottle was produced.
But the interactive part is when I have a tasting, I can stamp the date with a library style stamp, and guests will sign their name and write any tasting notes or memories directly on the card. Then, that night and their presence will forever be a part of the history of the Card Catalog Speakeasy. Also, anytime someone pulls that same card in the future, they are not just drinking with whomever is there that night, but with anyone who has ever had that pour in that space. It creates the type of tasting that is less about drinking and much more about creating an unforgettable experience with wonderful company.