As we continue to explore the endless ways to celebrate the season with timeless traditions, here is how we celebrate Spring with our most beloved Southern Traditions with our Co-Founder Carrie Van Winkle Breen.
What is your favorite thing about Spring?
The smells of spring blooms, the longer days that mean more time spent outside, and more opportunities to play with the kids.
What do you look forward to doing in the Spring after a long winter?
Spring is a really nice transitional season here in the mountains of Sun Valley, ID. We get to finally eat dinner outside and enjoy casual cocktail hours in the backyard. It’s my favorite time of year to exercise outside when everything is green and not too hot. We have amazing trail running and mountain biking options right out our back door.
What is the Pappy & Company product you use most in the spring?
Spring is such a fun time to entertain outside. I use our Barrel-Aged Cutting Boards for just about everything, from prepping and chopping, to serving and appetizers, to setting them out on the bar for cutting limes and other cocktail garnishes. They are equally functional as much as they are beautiful which is why I can use them so much.
What’s your go-to Spring recipe or cocktail?
As always, at our house, the Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup is always in the top running no matter what the season. As soon as the weather warms up, I crave my tequila sour made with our syrup. It adds another level of flavor and complexity to what is a rather simple recipe.
And in the spirit of entertaining, I have been known to make a bigger batch of margaritas and pour them into our oversize 60-ounce Corkcicle Canteen with a sleeve of our Shatterproof Cups for any on the go party, picnic, or just a girl’s night out at a friend’s house.
How do you like to celebrate Derby?
If I were to go to an actual event at the track, I guess it would either be "Thurby" (Thursday before Derby) where we see a lot more Louisville locals or Oaks Day. But, much like the rest of my family, I really love to spend Derby day with friends on the patio, periodically checking out the coverage on TV. There is nothing like the feeling of being at Churchill downs and hearing “My Old Kentucky Home” play while watching the horses move to the gate. I also love learning the backstories of how these horses, trainers, and jockeys came to be. While watching from home is definitely not the same as being there in person, it is still very inspiring. I also love doing a betting pot where you put all the horses in a bowl and everybody at the party picks a horse. It's fun for the kids and anyone who isn't a serious better, but can still have a horse to root for!
