Move Over Bourbon, Bring on Botanicals

Stop 4: Pretty Decent

Hidden at the back of a hip and airy plant shop in a small strip mall, Pretty Decent is a modern cocktail bar serving up drinks that transcend the concept’s modest name. Owners John and Jeanne Douglass purposely steered clear of the dark, bourbon-heavy aesthetic found throughout Louisville, instead focusing on botanical-forward flavors and spirits from south of the border like mezcal and tequila.

A bracing take on the classic Gibson combines mezcal with white vermouth and a pickled local spring onion, while the on-trend carajillo combines cold-brewed Dark Matter coffee with Licor 43, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, hazelnut and cinnamon.

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You may think you know Louisville: lots of bourbon and pimento cheese, plenty of mint juleps, and the home of Colonel Sanders, right? But a visit to this thriving all-American city reveals a food scene that has evolved and modernized, with chefs like Edward Lee and Sara Bradley combining the city and region’s storied heritage with new, often globally inspired flavors.

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About the Author

Mike Kostyo is the VP of Menu Matters. Mike has been a recurring guest on Fusion TV’s “The A.V. Club” show; has been featured on NBC News, CBS Radio and Gimlet Media’s “Why We Eat What We Eat” podcast; is regularly featured in newspapers and magazines; speaks at numerous conferences across the country; and was a judge on Food Network’s “Eating America.” For nearly 11 years, Mike was an associate director and trends expert at one of the industry's largest research firms. He has a master's in Gastronomy from Boston University, plus certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine and artisan cheese production. mike@menumatters.com Read More Stories by Mike Kostyo