Bourbon is bold by nature—rich, caramelized, and smoky—while cigars are equally complex, offering everything from creamy and nutty notes to deep, leathery undertones. Together, they create a harmony of flavor; however, the trick is finding balance without one overpowering the other.  Frank Kennedy of St. Theresa Boulevard and his wife, Andrea, have designed and built a classic cigar and bourbon room that allows them and their guests to find and enjoy this balance while sipping and puffing in comfort and style.

The Kennedys purchased their Red Tail home in January of 2020 and saw the opportunity to design and create a cigar and bourbon room from unfinished storage space above their garage.  Andrea says they created a classic or traditional environment with lots of natural elements, including brick, wood, brass, and tile.

Building out their space allowed the Kennedys to install a custom ventilation system, which is a combination of a ‘mini split’ -- a ductless heating and air conditioning system that is energy efficient, quiet and ideal for single rooms or additions such as garages -- and an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system that removes smoke from the room and brings in outside fresh air.

The space perfectly houses an assortment of different bourbons and cigars. Currently, the Kennedys stock 15 different bourbons. Some of Frank’s favorites include Kentucky Owl, a bourbon bottler of sourced whiskey in the Bardstown area; Pappy Van Winkle, a highly sought-after bourbon brand known for its limited production and rich, smooth flavor; Blanton’s, the world’s original single barrel bourbon whiskey; and Buffalo Trace, which has been distilling bourbon whiskey for over 200 years.

As far as favorite brands of cigars, Frank favors the Monte Cristo white series, a mild to medium flavored cigar made in the Dominican Republic and known for its creamy, smooth and well- balanced profile; Romeo y Julieta cigars, known for their medium bodied complexity featuring nuts, earth and spicy sweet notes; My Father the Judge, which was the 2024 Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year;  and ACID cigars, a line of flavored cigars by Drew Estate which are handcrafted in Nicaragua using an infusion process. Frank stores them all in a custom-built-in wall humidor.

Both Frank and Andrea enjoy entertaining, and especially this time of year, you may well find them relaxing in their cigar and bourbon room with friends.