Honoring Pappy Van Winkle's Legacy of Hospitality:
Elegant and Simple Touches for Elevated Entertaining
We’ve grown up hearing stories about our great-grandparents, Nana and Pappy Van Winkle’s legendary parties, simple Sunday suppers, and glamorous table settings that have conjured up such a striking image that we feel as if we were there. It isn’t necessarily that the parties were huge and elaborate affairs; in fact, other than their Derby parties (which were so iconic as to have earned a spot in the pages of Life Magazine in their Life Goes to a Party section) or their Christmas parties, which were themed each year with decor, menu and festive trimmings to match, it was that their attention to detail and commitment to overall hospitality meant that every time you stepped inside the door of their warm and welcoming home on Hill Road it felt like a special occasion.
This can be attributed to one simple thing: an embrace of true Southern-style hospitality and a pair of gracious hosts. If you were welcomed into their home, whether by formal invitation or simply stopping by, it was because your presence was wanted. The menu was thoughtfully designed, a cold drink was proffered immediately, and small touches were sprinkled throughout so that while you may not have been aware of them, you certainly knew how they made you feel. Akin to Maya Angelou's incredibly famous and astute observation, “...people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” hospitality is more of an idea or mentality than anything physical. It comes from a genuine openness, a desire to share, and an authentic curiosity about the people around you.
This sensibility has been passed down through generations, both naturally and through practice and the gift of storytelling, as solid as any of our family heirlooms. Just like Nana and Pappy before them, our grandparents were wonderful hosts. They were warm, inviting, funny, and charming. Always ready with a quick story to put everyone at ease, a hand on the back, a cigar, or a carefully crafted cocktail seemed to effortlessly and magically appear. Our parents have a quieter way of welcoming you in with the innate gift of making you feel like you are the only person in the room. With a generosity of time, curiosity, and spirit, a welcome into their home feels like a warm embrace.
These are the most cherished elements of our heritage and the ones we hope to replicate in our personal lives. They are also the foundation of Pappy & Company. While each generation of Van Winkle’s entertaining style may have varied, whether loud and boisterous or smaller and more intimate, we know a few things were always present. There were thoughtful touches, whether placed on a bar or dining room table or served from the kitchen. In the food and drinks offered, the flowers, likely recently gathered from a personal backyard (or that of a neighbor, with permission and an invitation to join, of course), are the details equally responsible for setting the tone of the occasion and telling the story of the event itself.
Items collected, physically and mentally, create the atmosphere of hospitality that we have inherited. The silver jigger on the bar, the shaker at the ready to pour a specialized cocktail, the punchbowl that serves as either the centerpiece of the table or filled to the brim with its seasonal bounty of flowers or graceful greenery, or a mint julep cup inscribed with a loved one's initials. Beloved heirlooms, mementos picked up on various travels, or even homemade creations gifted by a grandchild - they all have a place and, together, create a warm invitation. It might be that there are ten different glasses, left for each guest to select their own: a mint julep glass that matches the one on the bar filled with delicate buds of recently bloomed dogwood branches or an old-fashioned coupe glass that spirits you to a time gone by with each sip of champagne, or an old glass, so worn with time and enjoyment, that the original hand-painted design is muted, but the cheer is not.
A certainty for any occasion would be cocktail napkins. Lovely stacks of linen napkins, most also worn and soft with use and time. These were on the bar as an offering to guests to wrap around their glass. While the Kentucky climate may very well be essential in aging Van Winkle bourbon, it can wreak havoc on a recently served, freshly muddled, and ice-cold craft cocktail. A simple touch, yes, but one that offers an elegant and understated moment of welcome and appreciation. Small touches of gracious hospitality are an invitation to slow down and savor the joy in even the smallest of moments - like sharing a drink with friends, family, and loved ones.
We still have one of our favorite cocktail napkins, lovingly held onto from our grandparents, Julian and Kate Van Winkle’s, day. This delicate linen napkin, well-loved and worn, simply embroidered with “The Van Winkles” is a reminder of our heritage of hospitality and has served as inspiration for our Pappy & Company collections. A small touch we wanted to replicate with our own Pappy & Company cocktail napkin that would embody that same spirit of entertaining and enjoyment. A small gesture of welcome and comfort, designed with retro charm, modern details, and a color palette that reflects our heritage. These cocktail napkins are simple, elegant, and timeless - they are a shared invitation of gracious hospitality - from our bar to yours.
