That's The Spirit

Bourbon, known as “America’s official native spirit,” is to Kentucky what wine is to Napa Valley. 

The birthplace of bourbon has given rise to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a road-trip-style tour experience that drew 1 million visitors in 2018, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, the trade group that established the Bourbon Trail and promotes the area bourbon industry. 

Ninety-five percent of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky. Why? The state’s limestone-rich water; fertile soil for growing grain, especially corn; and favorable weather conditions for the charred-oak-barrel aging process have made Kentucky the sweet spot for making the corn-based whiskey since the 18th century.

On The Comeback Trail

“Bourbon is cool again,” says Seth Thompson, publisher of The Bourbon Review, a quarterly publication and a sponsor of the Bourbon Classic, an annual series of events for bourbon connoisseurs. 

The 1960s counterculture made the whiskey your parents were drinking unhip, says Thompson, but bourbon began making a comeback in the 1990s. The popularity of TV’s “Mad Men” – depicting suave ad executive Don Draper drinking Old Fashioned cocktails – helped swing the pendulum back in bourbon’s favor in 2007. 

The opening of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 1999 ignited interest in bourbon tourism, and the explosion of bourbon brands and craft distilleries has made Kentucky a mecca for whiskey lovers.

The authentically American spirit has earned new appreciation from mixologists and aficionadoes alike for its drinkability, and, as the trend toward locally sourced food and drink continues strong, bourbon’s humble Kentucky roots add to its bona fides.

“Bourbon’s got soul,” adds Thompson. 

Bourbon culture is deeply ingrained in the state. Get a taste of that culture and all that Kentucky has to offer by meandering through gorgeous bluegrass horse country, enjoying that renowned Southern hospitality, and sipping and savoring all things bourbon. 

Planning Your Trip

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail website has itineraries for 17 traditional and 20 craft distilleries – enough to keep you busy if you have a week or more to stay. If you’ve got a weekend or just a couple days, plan to see a few distilleries a day and to complement tours with tastings, sightseeing and meals in between. 

August through November is the busiest time of year for the Bourbon Trail, but you may want to plan around the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 1 & 2 or other festivals throughout the year, such as the Bourbon Classic in Louisville, Feb. 26-29 this year. 

And, by all means, if you have a favorite bourbon brand, plan your visit around that distillery. Also, don’t overlook distilleries that aren’t members of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association and therefore not part of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Fly into Louisville or Lexington, the heart of bourbon country. Keep in mind that distilleries can be quite a distance from each other. If you don’t want to rent a car and drive yourself, there are transportation options run by private tour operators.

Check into the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville. It’s a contemporary art museum and 91-room boutique hotel, designed around converted 19th century warehouses by architecture and interior design firm Deborah Berke Partners.

Your boozy adventure officially starts at the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center at the Frazier History Museum on Whiskey Row downtown. Pick up your souvenir passport to be stamped at each distillery you visit. It doesn’t expire, so you can come back to complete it at any time to receive a souvenir tasting glass. 

Some distillery tours are by reservation only while others accept walk-ins. Hours, times and prices vary, so check distillery websites, and book tours beforehand, if possible. They're usually about an hour long.

The distilleries on Whiskey Row are a good place to whet your whiskey appetite. At Angel’s Envy, take the Signature Tour, which finishes with a tasting in the distillery bar, or the Inside the Barrel Tour to learn about the finishing process and sample liquor straight from the barrel. 

Evan Williams founded Kentucky’s first commercial distillery on the banks of the Ohio River in 1783. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row, across the street from where his original distillery stood, includes a historical tour of the Heaven Hill Company (its parent company) distillery as well as a guided tasting. The Speakeasy Tasting Experience takes you back to Prohibition days in Louisville and includes four tastings from Heaven Hill’s portfolio of brands: Heaven Hill, Evan Williams, Henry McKenna and Elijah Craig. 

Old Forester is the only distillery that has barrel-making on the premises. You’ll learn how the spirits are made, explore the working cooperage and taste three whiskeys. 

Have lunch in the Clifton neighborhood at Bourbons Bistro, which received a gold award from Whisky Magazine’s Whisky Bars of the World. With a selection of more than 130 bourbons, a liquid lunch is a distinct possibility. Otherwise, the seasonal food menu is bourbon-inspired and locally sourced.

Worth a visit to its soaring facility is Rabbit Hole Distillery, founded in 2012 in Louisville’s trendy NuLu district, one mile from Whiskey Row. Rabbit Hole has the distinction of being the official 2019-2020 bourbon of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America program. 

Take a break from bourbon to see how baseball bats are made at the Louisville Slugger Museum  & Factory. Or visit the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum and cultural center dedicated to the prizefighting boxer, a Louisville native.

Call it a night with dinner at the hotel’s hot spot Proof on Main, a restaurant with more than 120 bourbons and local dishes on the menu as well as rotating contemporary art exhibitions and site-specific installations.

Bourbon Central

Bardstown, “the holy grail of distilling,” according to Thompson, is about 45 minutes south of Louisville. The annual Bourbon Festival, Sept. 16-20 this year, is held there. Bardstown is home to quite a few distilleries, so you’ll want to spend a day in the area. The Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont is on the way if the legacy brand appeals to you.

For true wow factor, visit Bardstown Bourbon Company, founded in 2014 and the first Kentucky distillery to open a full-service restaurant. Have a meal at its Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar, under the helm of Executive Chef Felix Mosso, formerly with the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.

Bottle & Bond’s whiskey library features more than 400 vintage American whiskeys, some dating back to the 1800s. At the distillery, experience a guided tasting of three rare limited releases only available at the facility.

Other distilleries in Bardstown worth visiting are Lux Row Distillers, which produces the brands Rebel Yell and Blood Oath; Willett Distillery; Barton 1792; Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center; and craft bourbon maker Preservation Distillery.

The Maker’s Mark distillery, a National Historic Landmark, is in Loretto, about 25 minutes outside of Bardstown. Take the general distillery tour or, if you’re up for it, the two-and-a-half-hour Maker’s Immersion, where you’ll see areas not on the general tour and have several educational tastings along the way. Also worth noting is the Dale Chihuly glass ceiling, a permanent installation titled “The Spirit of the Maker.” Before leaving, buy a bottle of bourbon in the gift shop, and dip it into the brand’s signature red wax for a personalized souvenir.

Bardstown offers plenty of other diversions, including historical sites and museums. The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History is a noteworthy stop. A visit to My Old Kentucky Home State Park, the restored plantation home that was the inspiration for Stephen Foster’s classic song “My Old Kentucky Home,” includes park guides performing the tune in period garb.

When stopping for gas in Bardstown, check out 150 Quick Stop, home of Jake’s Fresh Country Sausage. Considered the best in the state, the sausage is made onsite and served at many local restaurants. Fill ’er up – and try the sausage biscuit.

If the trail ends here for you, head back to Louisville for the trip home. But, if you have another day, stay overnight at the charming Bourbon Manor bed and breakfast, with 10 bourbon-themed guest rooms.

Lexington Leg

To extend your trip a bit, head northeast the next day toward the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington. On the way, visit Four Roses and Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg and Woodford Reserve in Versailles, all a short distance from one another. For a change of pace, visit Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., the maker of Town Branch bourbon and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.

Don’t leave without stopping at Belle’s Cocktail House in Lexington, named after a Lexington madam said to be the inspiration for Belle Watling in “Gone With the Wind.” Ascend to the rooftop patio for a farewell cocktail and to raise a glass to the unique heritage and flavor of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. O

Photos courtesy KBT Brand Standards