A drive along The Bourbon Trail in Kentucky is a great way to learn how Bourbon is made. Along the trail, we tasted many bourbons, enjoyed the Kentucky landscape, and learned about American history. The warmth of the ‘Kentucky hug’ can not only be felt in the bourbon but in the people as well. We spent time researching and planning but wish there were things we knew beforehand. So I’ve included a few of my key tips for visiting Bourbon Country.

Louisville

Driving south over the Ohio river, we marveled at the industrialized banks and wide muddy waters. There was a reason the Iroquois named this river “O-Y-O” or the “great river”. We stayed at an old-world elegant hotel called The Brown in Louisville. This is where the “Hot Brown” sandwich was invented which was very good and very filling. At the hotel bar, we very quickly learned we were saying “Lou-e-ville” wrong and it is pronounced, “loo-a-vull”. It was at this first bar that I learned what a good bourbon should feel like going down. A “Kentucky hug” is no joke and good Kentucky bourbons pride themselves on this. Little did I know the amazing unique bourbons I was trying at this hotel bar were not to be acquired ANYWHERE.

So when visiting bourbon country, don’t expect to be able to purchase unique Bourbon unless you are willing to pay a premium at small boutique liquor stores in the major cities of Louisville or Lexington.

Our tour around Louisville included the Distiller Evan Williams, Angels Envy, and Michters. These were all interesting if you know nothing about how bourbon is made. Michters was the best out of the three with a more intimate tour and had the distillers available to answer questions. Angels Envy left me feeling a little like I feel when tasting wine at an overpriced winery in Napa, but the distilling equipment is very fancy. An important stop that we didn’t do right away is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center which is part of the Frazier Kentucky History Museum where you can pick up a little bourbon trail book and map. A lot of information is packed in there to plan your upcoming stops. Lastly, the Louisville slugger museum is a good ‘non-bourbon’ related experience.

Jim Beam

During the drive south from Louisville, simply enjoy the picturesque journey through the countryside. Our next stop was Jim Beam on the way to Bardstown. Jim Beam is not known for being an exclusive bourbon distillery, but the tour was really good and informative. The grounds and rickhouses are HUGE. Just for reference, a rickhouse is where they age the bourbon barrels. One of the very first questions when encountering one of these large warehouses is; “why are they covered in what looks like a black fungus?” This is a normal part of the bourbon aging process as it is a fungus that prefers to feed on airborne alcohol and is harmless! When bourbon is again it is giving off alcohol vapors (otherwise known as the angels share).

Jim Beam owns Knob Creek and another favorite part of our tour was bottling our own Knob Creek bottle on a mini bottling line. This is a cool way to learn about the bottling process and leave with a great souvenir.

Bardstown

The next place on the trail was Bardstown. I would recommend this small Kentucky town that lives and breathes bourbon. LuxRow and Bardstown Distillers were both great places to visit. By this time, we were moving away from the tours as there were only so many of those you can go on. At LuxRow we just tasted bourbon which is home to the Rebel brand, one of my favorites. Of course, the Rebel 10-year was not available, as already said, the in-demand bourbons are only to be found marked up at boutique liquor stores. At Bardstown Distillery, we attended a cocktail-making class and learned some great new techniques for making bourbon cocktails – Manhattan and Whisky Sour. Very Fun!

We stayed at Jailers Inn in Bardstown. This B&B is in a great location in the heart of Bardstown, but the accommodations are basic, so don’t expect much. The main reason for staying here is that it used to be an old jail and so has a tour of the jail on the property. It is old and unique. Probably haunted too, who knows?

We went to dinner next door at the Talbot Inn (probably also haunted). Before a standard dinner in what looked like a very old dining room, we went upstairs to look at the art and bullet holes. Yes, this is a thing. The scribblings on the walls are from King Louis Phillippe’s exile during the French Revolution.

History and Bourbon

King Louis Phillippe’s arrived at the Tavern on October 17, 1797. While there, they ‘painted’ the walls in their room! Ah, the French…Also, the bullet holes supposedly left nearly a hundred years later in the same room are from Billy the Kidd when he was very drunk!

One thing about Bardstown and Kentucky, in general, is, due to the Ohio River and proximity just west of the Appalachian Mountains, this was the frontier for a hundred years attracting all sorts on their way west or simply for adventure.

While in Bardstown, we also went on the My Old Kentucky Dinner train. The train just wanders out into the country at a very slow pace with big windows to sight-see from. I wouldn’t say it is exactly picturesque, but the dinner is really good, and the service is also great. I had prime rib, and it was cooked perfectly! Amazing to look at the kitchen on the train, so small!

Bardstown to Versailles

The last two distilleries we visited were Makers Mark and Four Roses. Makers Mark is beautiful, and the restaurant is great! Limited menu at the time we went, but very nicely prepared food.  I would recommend stopping at Makers Mark to take pictures of the grounds and the tour takes you through very cool tasting rooms and rickhouses. By the time we made it to Four Roses, we were ‘bourboned’ out. We just did a tasting here which wasn’t that great. However, Four Roses is a go-to bourbon for me, so very familiar with it.

In summary, Kentucky is a fast-changing part of our country. Bourbon has really put it on the map and the bourbon experience is changing rapidly to be more akin to wine tasting from what was, for hundreds of years, the drink of the west. Experiencing this firsthand is why I love traveling!

Bourbon Trail Tips

• Ensure you make distillery reservations early (several weeks ahead, if possible). It can get very busy in bourbon country no matter the season.
• Start at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum to get a general overview of the area and bourbon-making process.
• Mix up the type of tours you go on. After a couple of distillery tours, they all start to seem the same. Attend a mixology class or find something else unique at each distillery.
• Give yourself at least 3 days if not longer (5 days was perfect) to really enjoy the drive and the sites around the countryside.
• Don’t expect luxury accommodations, this is not Napa, California yet.
• Lastly, bourbon is strong, ensure you have a designated driver. Drink responsibly!