Author, model and TV personality Chrissy Tiegen has one bourbon in her kitchen right now (for cooking), and it’s 2020’s limited edition release of Bulleit Blenders’ Select, created by Eboni Major.
Bulleit Blender’s Select was spotted in the background of an Instagram story post shared last night, featuring Chrissy Teigen making the filling for apple pie cinnamon rolls—a recipe in her next cookbook.
The bottle of Blenders’ Select is seen just next to the stove, between the salt and pepper, with the seal broken, indicating that it was probably used in the recipe, or as a treat for husband John Legend while they baked and filmed.
Teigen, who is four weeks sober, may not be imbibing anymore, but she is no stranger to using whiskey in her dishes, including this recipe for Chipotle-Honey Chicken. Her website features some tips for cooking with bourbon:
Avoid bourbon or whiskey you wouldn’t drink: just how you cook with wine you’d only drink, make sure to do the same when picking bourbon or whiskey. If it doesn’t taste good on its own, it won’t in the dish either.
Cook on low heat! Whatever you do, make sure you cook on low heat and do not add into a pan over an open flame—this can start a fire!
Pair with acidic ingredients: bourbon and whiskey have rich, deep flavors that can be balanced out really nicely when paired with acidic ingredients like lemons, fruits, or grains.
Teigen and Legend have probably been big fans of the Bulleit brand; a bottle of standard Bulleit bourbon is visible in the background of another baking post on Teigen’s timeline, as she makes a first batch of apple pie cinnamon rolls.
It’s the perfect fit for a dessert like this—Blenders Select’s notes of vanilla bean, dried fruits, and honey all go perfectly with an apple pie, a cinnamon roll, or the divine combination of both.
The news made it to Bulleit blender Eboni Major, who created the bourbon. Major re-posted the video, saying, “Someone pinch me!!! My blend is in her presence!!!!”
Major is a rising star in the bourbon world. Even before her project hit the market last spring, she was an integral part of Diageo’s Kentucky blending and quality control operations, overseeing the batching process on many of the company’s North American whiskeys. She’s also a thoughtful educator on the topic of whiskey blending, which you can read more about here.
Teigen’s next cookbook—her third—does not appear to have a name yet, but is set to hit shelves this year. In the meantime, we’ll just have to drool over these cinnamon rolls, and crack what remains of our Blenders’ Select stockpile while we wait.
Hopefully we’ll have a second batch from Major by the time the cookbook is out.
