Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia and MilkWood officially announces a third Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant, Whiskey Dry (412 South 4th St.) expected to open late this spring in the Fourth Street Live! complex in downtown Louisville.

The restaurant is a fresh new take on the traditional whiskey bar, bringing guests creative burgers alongside an impressive list of over 200 whiskeys from around the world. Lee is working with friend and whiskey consultant Noah Rothbaum, Chief Cocktail Editor of The Daily Beast, on the whiskey program, which features whiskeys not only from Kentucky but also from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Japan, and elsewhere.

Stacie Stewart, who has worked with Lee at MilkWood since it opened in 2012, leads the bar program at Whiskey Dry. Stewart has created a fun and refreshingly unpretentious cocktail program with classic whiskey drinks and some newer interpretations. Each cocktail is designed to demonstrate the best qualities and nuances of each distinct whiskey.

The food menu at Whiskey Dry is dedicated to burgers, with Lee and his team making burgers, buns, ketchup, condiments, and pickles, from scratch. Says Lee, “A burger is really a complex combination of flavors—smoky, umami, fresh, vinegary, salty, and sweet. To me, the complexity of a good whiskey makes it the only drink able to stand shoulder to shoulder with a good burger.  In many ways, the flavors of a good burger are mirrored in a good whiskey.”

Of the decision to open at Fourth Street Live!, Lee says, “I feel honored to be representing the independent Louisville restaurant scene in a venue that attracts so many out of town visitors to our fair city.”