It was a cold and windy day in Kentucky. Dad had been in our barn laying out bales of hay for the horses and cows. When he came back to the house, a long time friend was there to offer him a jar of bourbon balls in appreciation of his kindness in helping her repair her roof damaged during a storm a few weeks before. Dad took a bite as he cozied himself by the fire, and the delicious blend of bourbon, chocolate, and pecans took him back to his first experience with bourbon while on an archaeological dig as a student in Eufaula, Alabama.

Some years later, Dad asked the old friend if he could have the recipe for her bourbon balls. Knowing Dad was someone she could trust, she taught him the recipe and technique of her delectable treat. Dad would make batches of these bourbon balls around the holidays and deliver them in metal tins to family and friends as gifts.

Later, he would get requests for his bourbon balls for weddings all the way from Los Angeles, California to graduation parties in Boston, Massachusetts. Dad's Bourbon Balls have also been served at a Bed & Breakfast in Hawaii, several Navy reunions, and historic Spindletop Hall in Lexington, Kentucky.