They brought the trip to me on a vintage platter.
The other night I was invited to a dinner party at my friend Erica's beautiful brownstone.
Allow me to set the mood:
Erica owns a speech modification business called Speak Easy, which helps people of various backgrounds living in America improve their speech and English pronunciation, and is also a vintage freak like me -- however she calls her hunts 'junk finds,' and that always makes me chuckle when I walk into her gorgeous home. There are antiques everywhere, all neatly arranged, and highly functional. The painted glasses on the bar were perfect for sparkling water or a gin and tonic, and the vintage gold-leaf plates were perfect for salad, pasta, or an unexpected dessert treat.
Which, I am giddy to say, was provided. A while ago I saw a Food Channel feature on Tipsy Cakes, little fruit loafs soaked in Jack Daniel's whiskey that are made exclusively in Lynchburg, Tennessee. I was so enthralled by these drunken delectables (sorry) I have been seriously thinking about planning a press trip to Tennessee, with a stop at the Tipsy Cake bakery included.
Thankfully, though, I got a little preview. One of the dinner guests was Diana Henry, a photographer I've written about in the past. Having just driven across country to Texas to visit her daughter, Henry made a stop in Tennessee, and picked up a Pepper Patch Tipsy Cake as a hostess gift. Of course she was unware that, when my choices of dessert were offered, I was going to shriek and clap my hands like a circus seal.
Tipsy Cakes definitely live up to their reputation. They're fruity, nutty, and thick, probably made with about three cups of butter. They're soaked in JD after they're cooked, which keeps them moist (and, careful: extremely alcoholic), and golden in color.
It's interesting to have it set in your mind that a certain treat is worthy enough of planning an entire trip to sample, only to have it served to you in your own city -- on a lovely 'junk' plate, I might add. I'm not saying I'm crossing Lynchburg off the list, but I can cross 'eat a Tipsy Cake' off my own bucket list. Easy as pie.
If you get the chance, I highly recommend a visit to the Jack Daniel's
Distillery. I think it's one of my favorite of all food company tours
(Tabasco comes in with a close second). Definitely a neat place to visit,
especially considering it's a dry county and they couldn't even sell their
own product until a couple years back.
i loved the Guinness tour. Also, when i was looking for the Pepper Patch
Web site, I found a million recipes for Tipsy Cake, inspired by the
original. Might be worth a try!
aha, so it seems a tipsy cake is quite similar to both rum cakes and
alabama slammer cakes. I must try one of these. Yum.
Photos from the Beat
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