“The Angel Share” | Kentucky Inspired Halloween Costume

October 31, 2016

angel share bourbon halloween costume

Obviously if you are reading this, then you know I’m a Proud Kentuckian. After all, my blog is called ‘Fabulous in Fayette,’ and is about anything related to Lexington and Kentucky. It definitely shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone.

I love Halloween, and I love dressing up. Over the years, I would never put any thought into my costume. I would just go to a costume store and pay $60 to be a sexy whatever. Over the past few years, I wanted to wear more clever costumes, as well as creating my own with stuff that I already had or could use again.

In 2014, I went as Jessica Day from New Girl. I already dress similar to her and my hair was the same as hers back then, so it wasn’t really a stretch. In 2015, I went as Pizza Rat from the viral video (which has 9.57 million views). Everyone (and even strangers) know me for my love of pizza. I mean, you should see the amount of pizza related apparel I own. I even own a pizza purse! In fact, in one year, I went to grand openings for four different pizza restaurants! Pizza Rat just fit and was perfect for me, since it was basically my spirit animal. However, it was in fact one of the most popular costumes of 2015.

So, in 2016, I wanted to top last year, and I wanted to do something completely unique and original. I didn’t want my costume to be a copy or something that has been done to death. I was laying in bed one night, around September 25, and trying to decide what I wanted to be. All of a sudden, the idea came to me!

It was perfect! It combined my love of many things: being creative, Kentucky, bourbon, and it was a DIY project.

angel share bourbon halloween costume

I decided to be ‘The Angel’s Share!’

95% of the world’s bourbon is made right here in Kentucky, and it’s home to many distilleries. For those that don’t know the Angel’s Share is a term for the portion of a distilled spirit, usually bourbon, that is lost to evaporation during aging, while in white oak barrels. It is called this, because it legendarily floats up to the alcoholic angels in the sky.

The alcohol level can also be determined by how much has evaporated. The proof is reduced as alcohol evaporates, or increases if more water is evaporating. Usually, there is a loss of about 2% of the total volume per year, but it can be more.

angel share bourbon halloween costume

To put some things into perspective. These are the total % of evaporation loss from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (which I’ll be discussing later this week):

  • William LaRue Weller 65.4%
  • Thomas H. Handy Sazerac 26.8%
  • Sazerac Rye 72.1%
  • George T. Stagg 75.99%
  • Eagle Rare 66.1%

angel share bourbon halloween costume

How I Put Together My Costume:

I chose Woodford Reserve, because it is one we drink often (we have many favorites), and it is our friend’s group favorite bourbon. The bottle is so iconic and recognizable, and was extremely easy to replicate. I’m not an artist, so I knew I couldn’t draw a design to match one of our other favorites.

  • I bought a spaghetti tank and leggings in brown from Wal-mart for $5 (the shirt was around $1.64 and the leggings were around $3.78), because it was ideal, since bourbon is brown.
  • I bought iron-on letters to use as the label on a Woodford Reserve bottle. I didn’t see any shirts available to purchase. Plus, it was easier and cheaper to just DIY.
  • Woodford Reserve lets you make custom labels to use for gifts, which you can request for free from thier website. I wanted to make my costume as authentic as possible, so I ordered one to use on my shirt.
  • Once I received the label in the mail, I enlarged the size of it, and printed it on iron-on transfer paper (shoutout to my friend’s mom for doing all the ironing and making sure it looked good!).
  • To complete the angel share look, I bought a halo and angel wings from Party City.
  • The night before the party, I still needed to add ‘Labrot & Graham’ and ‘Distiller’s Select’ to my shirt, but my handwriting is atrocious and I didn’t want to possibly screw it up. Last minute, I thought of a genius idea. Due to the fact I needed super small sized letters, I headed to the scrapbook section at Hobby Lobby and picked up a few packs. The stickers worked surprisingly well and stayed on the entire night.
  • I already owned my Bourbon socks, which I bought at Jim Beam back in June (but they also sell them at other various retailers, especially those that sell bourbon merchandise), and I paired them with my Steve Madden nude heels.
  • Finally, I finished my look off with my ‘Kentucky’ script necklace.

angel share bourbon halloween costume

 

Happy Halloween everyone!

  • Rebecca Jo Vincent October 31, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    How cute are you!! So creative!!!
    I remember your Jess from new Girl pics – you are perfect for her!

  • Nhi October 31, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    Oh my gosh, this is so creative, I love it! What a great Halloween costume and absolutely perfect for you.

  • Amy Brazier October 31, 2016 at 1:01 pm

    That’s so awesome and crafty!! Happy Halloween!

  • Elizabeth Dickerson October 31, 2016 at 1:21 pm

    So creative!!! Love this! Happy Halloween!

    Elizabeth | fromskinny2strong.com

  • Rachel @ STCL October 31, 2016 at 5:49 pm

    How fun! Love this idea!

  • Lauren Norton October 31, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    This is so cute! You look stunning. It is such a unique idea – I love it!
    xoxo Lauren @ Glitter & Grandeur

  • Karen Yannacio Morse October 31, 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Super clever costume! And full of Kentucky spirit! Love those DIY and creative outfits a million times more than a store bought anything! Hope you have a fun evening!

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:40 am

      Thanks so much!! The older I have gotten, the more creative I want to become. I love Halloween and dressing up. Now, I just have to think of something for next year!

  • Jena Proctor October 31, 2016 at 9:06 pm

    I love your clever creativity!! I would never have been able to come up with this!! Great idea!

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:41 am

      Thanks so much!! 🙂 It just came to me, while laying in bed one night. I knew I wanted it to have something to do with Kentucky. All of a sudden, it just came to me!

  • Kimberly Stroh October 31, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    You win at creativity today! What an awesome idea for this time of year!

  • Pringles October 31, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    I love going on distillery tours, and if they make anything aged you know they are going to be talking about the “angel’s share”. As a bartender, I might have to steal this costume next year (and maybe make a coworker dress up as Jim Beam’s Devils Cut).

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:42 am

      I love going on distillery tours too! They are so much fun! I’ve almost completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. I may then start on the Bourbon Craft Trail, but I haven’t decided year. That sounds like a great idea for next year!

  • Logan Cantrell October 31, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    This is SO creative! I will need your brain next year because I was that girl who ran out and purchased whatever I could find for my kiddos. haha

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:43 am

      Aww thanks haha!! I think coming up with costume ideas is part of the fun too 🙂

  • LoveinTheAirForce November 1, 2016 at 3:54 am

    SUPER CREATIVE AND CUTE! I’m more of a tequila girl myself, so if you’re up to the challenge next year (and feel like straying from your KY-theme) you could try doing a creative DIY costume like this for tequila 😉

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:44 am

      Thanks so much 🙂 That would be a good idea! Maybe I could go as the tequila worm?!? hehe 🙂

  • Esme Sy November 1, 2016 at 4:09 am

    What a cute costume for Halloween. You are so creative. I love that you didn’t spend so much for this costume.

  • Kecia November 1, 2016 at 7:45 am

    This is definitely an original and unique costume! I didn’t know all about the evaporation of alcohol. I feel like I learned something from your costume as well as liking it!

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:47 am

      Thanks so much!! Sometimes the angels can be greedy hehe. Like this year, Stagg (part of the Antique Collection – limited releases) only was 142 barrels which was a lot lower than was expected. Oh those angels lol

  • Hey Fitzy November 1, 2016 at 10:49 am

    What a fun and creative costume!!! I hope you had a fabulous time!!!!

  • Courtney Patterson November 1, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Cute costume! Definitely not something you would see so much of on Halloween which makes it fabulous. Happy Halloween!

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:48 am

      Thanks so much 🙂 Definitely didn’t have that issue of someone wearing the same costume hehe!

  • Terri Steffes November 1, 2016 at 11:15 am

    That was an exceedingly unique costume. You should have won a prize somewhere.

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:49 am

      Thanks so much! I should’ve entered a Halloween costume contest and tried to win some money hahaha, but we went to a friend’s house for their annual Halloween party!

  • Roxanne Ferber November 1, 2016 at 11:51 am

    I’d say you’ve taken your love of good bourbon to new levels. 😉 Very cute post!

  • Krystel Seijo November 1, 2016 at 3:58 pm

    What an interesting and cute costume! I really appreciate when people get creative for Halloween

  • Heather November 1, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    This is awesome! We are strictly princesses and super heroes right now, but I am hoping that one day my hubby and I can branch out again!

    • Whitney @ Fabulous in Fayette November 3, 2016 at 5:53 am

      My husband and I still haven’t did a couples costume! We are thinking next year may be the year!

  • Di Hickman November 1, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    What a fun and unique costume! You really did a great job with the DIY and pretty sure nobody was in the same outfit this year!

  • Tabitha Shakespeare November 1, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    What a cute costume! I would love to do a bourbon tour in Kentucky or something! It must be nice living close to so many distilleries! Colorado is all about the beer!

  • Karina Pacheco November 1, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    Love your costume! It really is unique and different which makes it even more fun.

  • TheNewClassy November 1, 2016 at 6:07 pm

    That is a cute costume. You are certainly ready for Halloween. As warm as it has been, that would be a nice costume for Halloween night, too.

  • CourtneyLynne Storms November 1, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    Omg cutest costume ever!!!!! Hope you had one awesome Halloween. I know I did! Cheers!

  • Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories November 1, 2016 at 10:45 pm

    What a unique Halloween costume and I did not know that about what Angel’s share is. Cheers!

  • Ref J November 1, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    I love how creative your costume was! I need to try and be more original and creative.

  • Taylor Smith November 2, 2016 at 1:21 am

    What a great costume!!! I LOVE how creative it was!!!! 🙂 You are so fun! Happy Halloween!

  • CrazyShenanigans November 2, 2016 at 9:03 am

    That’s super creative!

  • Angela Cardamone Campos November 2, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    I love your cute costume! It is very creative and I had no idea what “The Angel’s Share” was before reading this!!!

  • Becca Wilson November 2, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    This is so creative! I am not a big drinker and had no idea what angels share was so I learned something new.

  • HilLesha November 2, 2016 at 11:52 pm

    I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t heard about Angel share either. However, this is a very creative costume!

  • caroline | thecarodiaries November 5, 2016 at 2:59 am

    This is such a cute and original costume! I’ve never heard of Angel’s Share, so this is so creative for those that do know!

  • About Me

    About Me

    Hi, y'all!

    Hey y'all! My name is Whitney, and I'm the founder of Fabulous in Fayette. I've been living in Lexington since 2008. I'm in love with my city of Lexington and love all the amazing local businesses and restaurants. It's seriously one of the best places to live!

    Not to be confused with Fayetteville, North Carolina. Fabulous in Fayette celebrates the fabulous city of Lexington, the great state of Kentucky, and Southern Living. In case you are not from here, Fayette refers to the county where Lexington is located!

    xoxo, Whitney

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