An Ode to Bourbon

Every so often an invention or idea is presented to mankind that changes the way society functions. These things don't come along often, but when they do their impacts are undeniable.

Imagine what life was like prior to the 1440's when Gutenberg invented the printing press. The masses were largely uneducated and the transfer of information was extremely time consuming.

Think about growing up before Alexander Graham Bell invented the first practical telephone. How revolutionary it must have been to be able to talk to someone in a different town as if they were in the same room.

Recently another creation of that magnitude has come to the forefront of humanity. Of course I am talking about the Kentucky Bourbon Burger from Carl's Jr. If you have yet to experience this wondrous feast, you simply must do so.

Never before has a fast food establishment created something so delicious. It has moved Carl's Jr. ahead of McDonald's, Burger King, and dare I say even Wendy's in the realm of the fast food empire.

I will never forget my first experience trying the Kentucky Bourbon Burger. I had seen several of the commercials. Despite Carl's Jr's less than appealing advertising I thought it would be worth trying. I had grossly underestimated what I was getting into. My first couple of bites were filled with uncertainty. The taste was so unique I wasn't sure how to respond. A few more bites and I was starting to understand it's brilliance. Finally, after I had swallowed the last bite I knew I had just eaten a masterpiece.

Sadly, one of the things separating the Kentucky Bourbon Burger from some of these other innovations is it will only be available to us for a limited time. What would it have been like if Philo T. Farnsworth had finished working on the television and never did anything with it. I can picture someone asking him if he was going to try to get the television distributed to mass audiences and him replying, "Nah, it's not that cool. Now who wants to go bowling?"

Nevertheless, the demise of the Kentucky Bourbon Burger seems to be unavoidable. I have spent the past few weeks preparing for my season of discontent much like a squirrel prepares for winter by gathering acorns. I can't even tell you how many times I have checked my mailbox hoping to get coupons from Carl's Jr. only to reach in and find disappointment. Yet, I continue to eat there, because if the winter is inevitable I must be ready when it hits. For when the Kentucky Bourbon Burger leaves Carl's Jr. for good, so do I.