If you like the idea of getting out of Louisville for the day, I recommend day #1 plus day #4 (the Best of Bardstown) or day #5 (Makers Mark and the Kentucky Cooperage). Four Roses distillery was built in 1910 and features Spanish Mission-Style architecture, a rarity in Kentucky. One of our favorite parts of the tour was a visit to the rickhouse. Check the hours of operation for each distillery before your visit. In order to save paper, set all the borders to 0.3. Currently, there are eighteen bourbon labels that are a part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. UPSCALE: 21c Museum Hotel. Rather than paying the fee to join the Kentucky Distillers Association, they prefer to offer free tours and tastings to their visitors. This is more than just a hotel, it is also an art museum. If you only have one day on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the combination of these three tours hits the most important steps in the distilling process. HISTORIC: Jailers Inn Bed & Breakfast. Dine on Central American food prepared by the chef who grew up on the Yucatan Peninsula. And you definitely should try the Bourbon Cream. 1280 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Lebanon, KY, US. Kentucky Cooperage. Its located right around the corner from 21c Museum Hotel, so you can walk to many sights in downtown Louisville. There's a reason that bourbon is historically produced in Kentucky (even though legally it can come from anywhere in the US): the limestone filtered water and locally-grown grains just plain taste better, and the fact that the region has, for most of history, made most of America's bourbon, means that the people there have a deep passion for it, and they also have old-school, time-tested recipes, too. It was educational, lots of fun, and a great way to tour another distillery without taking a tour. Also, they have a cafe if you're looking for a place to grab food while on the trail. Spend one day visiting the four distilleries near Lexington: Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, and Town Branch. It smells wonderful and it kind of made me hungry! All distilleries are legally limited to how much bourbon you can drink while on a tour. If you pay extra, we can also produce these maps in specialist file formats. Prior guests rave about cleanliness, comfort, and location. This Bulleit facility offers a handful of different tours, tastings and cocktail classes. Morning: Rabbit Hole. Julie Last updated: December 16, 2022 United States 32 Comments. At your first distillery, pick up a Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport. To take a tour at all eighteen distilleries you will need a minimum of five days, but six to seven days is ideal. Walk across the street to Proof on Main. Again, thanks for the great article! 528 W Main St Louisville, Kentucky (502) 272-2623. Santa Claus is a small town filled with Christmas-themed hotels, shops, restaurants, and even an amusement park. The distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail are open year round. Plus, there is more to see and do in this part of Kentucky, with scenic drives, great towns to visit, and restaurants to try. And the smell is amazing! This inn has been welcoming guests since 1779. Most people stay in Louisville, Lexington, or Bardstown. Each of these bourbon distilleries must be a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association, which requires paying a fee. KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL: Pick out which distilleries to visit in our article Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. And we highly recommend lunch at the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown. In addition, for a fee we can also make the maps in specialized file formats. Here, you'll enjoy rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Coalition Whiskey. If you need a break from bourbon, a fine margarita at Corto Lima, or craft cocktail at West Main Crafting Co., will do the trick. Trust me!!! In 2019, it was much busier and had we not scheduled everything in advance, we would have missed out on a lot of tours. Old Forester Discovery Tour. It's a pretty cool museum and factory tour, and will definitely make you appreciate old hitters and their bats. If you have plans to tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail between July and early November, make your reservations in advance. Id rather not print the article because of all of the adds. This is a must-see tour. In no particular order, the three distilleries to visit in Bardstown are Lux Row, Bardstown Bourbon, and Heaven Hill. Touring the Bourbon Trail gives visitors an up-close look at how bourbon is distilled, the history behind the crafting of bourbon, and the art behind the perfect bourbon tasting. Check out this map of the KY Bourbon Trail. Then visit the Town Branch Distillery from Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, and maybe cut all that booze with a beer or two as well! We felt thatit was just enough to give us a taste but not so much that it impaired Tims driving. This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. However, the spirits are further refined with their patented TerrePURE process. Today, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of 18 major bourbon whiskey distilleries (Heritage Distilleries) and 23 smaller and newer microdistilleries (Craft Distilleries) that will give you the ultimate experience of learning all about Kentucky bourbon: its history, technology, craftsmanship, and artistry. Travel back in timeto 1783, to the very early days ofLouisville, where you will learn about the early history of bourbon and this area of Kentucky. Even if you dont plan on staying here, a drink in the Lobby Bar is a must-do while in Louisville. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. Andrew Jackson and King Louis Phillippe both stayed here. I give links to each distillery in these daily itineraries. If you want to do some non-Bourbon activities while road tripping around Kentucky, here are some ideas for you. Wilderness Trail sits a bit farther away, in Danville. Its located right around the corner from 21c Museum Hotel, so you can walk to many sights in downtown Louisville. Seeing as this is the only "bourbon tour" in Louisville proper, it's worth the stop. Tours last approximately one hour, ending with a tasting. 526 Happy Hollow Road, Shepherdsville, KY, US. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. How can I safe it to find once again? Plus, if you save your ticket from the distillery tour, you can tour their warehouse operation, located in Cox's Creek, for free! Then make a quick stop at folk legend Daniel Boone's Gravesite for a great photo op (especially if you happen to have one of those coontail hats). This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. Many offer tours and a few are very near to the popular distilleries! If you stay until Memorial Day weekend, expect big crowds that weekend because of the holiday. Spend the next day slowly heading out of Louisville to visit a few distilleries on the citys outskirts, and then use Lexington as a homebase for the next couple of days. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. This day includes three must-visit distilleries on Whiskey Row with suggestions for Louisvilles best eats. One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace Distillery (which we include on this itinerary). All content and photography shall not be reproduced without written permission from the Kentucky Distillers Association. The KY Bourbon Trail Here are some more resources to aide you in making your way to the places that make Kentucky's world-renowned bourbon. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. The rickhouse is where the barrels are stored. You take a tour, learn about the art and science behind the distilling of bourbon, and end with a tasting. Visiting the winding trail of bourbon distilleries here (now officially called the Kentucky Bourbon Trail) has become a main draw to the area, and a whole tourism industry itself. It is a very fun thing to do and it was one of our highlights on our first trip to Kentucky. You can also inquire for a quote with our team of cartographers. The worst time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, according to the guides that we spoke to, is during the summer months. Also, take some time to enjoy the bucolic setting of this distillery. This is a great resource for getting an in-depth history of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as well as additional information to help plan your trip. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations? You can search by name, state, spirit, amenity or simply click on the map to discover distilleries you never knew existed! Visiting these distilleries is similar to visiting a winery. Whether you just have a few days or an entire week, we have some great ideas for how you can plan your time. #1 Louisville: Intro to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, #3 Green River and Stitzel-Weller Distillery, #5 Makers Mark, Jim Beam, & the Kentucky Cooperage, #6 Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses & Wilderness Trail, #7 Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, and Town Branch. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. During the aging process, a small percentage of the bourbon evaporates per year, what is referred to as the angels share. If you want to take home this aroma, many gift shops sell bourbon-scented candles. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. Even if there is a sober one among the group, it can be a good idea to arrange a local driver for navigating the winding country roads. Over in Bardstown, there's Willett Distillery. Any advice you have on this front would be greatly appreciated, since Ive heard mixed answers. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox. You have the choice to head southeast out of Louisville to explore the Jim Beam facilities. If you have specific non-KBT distilleries in mind I recommend checking their websites for pricing information. Bulleit Distilling Company. Tours typically run every hour, and its usually best to reserve online ahead of time. Our website uses cookies. Learn how to create your own. Take a Mixology Class. Northern Route New Riff Second Sight Old Pogue Boone County Neeley Family Western Route Boundary Oak Casey Jones MB Roland Dueling Grounds Central Route Kentucky Artisan Kentucky Peerless Jeptha Creed Willett Preservation Bluegrass Route If you want a hotel with an awesome location and one that gets great reviews, the Homewood Suites is one to consider. Visit Your Favorite Distillery. All rights reserved. The blue markers are restaurant recommendations, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and other notable experiences to add into your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. It's a great destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which focuses on smaller and more inventive distillers. For lunch, dine at Star Hill Provisions at Makers Mark or Ragettis Italian Food in Lebanon. From beautiful fall foliage, to pumpkin patches and farm cider, this is the best time to experience the Bourbon Trail. This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. Download the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Distillery Map Download Now Join Our Newsletter Mailing List Fields marked with an * are required First Name * Last Name * Email * If you are a human seeing this field, please leave it empty. Kentucky's Bourbon Trail now consists of 18 whiskey distilleries. We have links to each distillery in our Best Distilleries post. Over in Lebanon, hit up the Limestone Branch Distillery, which seeks to make everything as authentic as possible, and as a family-owned and operated craft distillery, their local heritage goes back a few generations. How far in advance would you recommend booking tours, or are walk-ins generally accepted at most of the distilleries? Use it to customize your trail experience. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. If you have hotel reserved, the staff might be able to make some recommendations for you. Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington make a great home base for this day (and day number 7 below). It is even rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Jesse James. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen whiskey distilleries. Take a Tour of Makers Mark. Fortunately, the distilleries are getting more creative with their activities, and some are now offering cocktail classes, food pairings, and in-depth behind-the-scenes tours. Printing a map gives you an image that can be used to guide your instructions. Makers Mark is a must-visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It must be distilled from at least 51% corn. Learn how to create your own. Morning: Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Each of these bourbon distilleries must be a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association, which requires paying a fee. Races at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington take place in October and April, and at Churchill Downs in Louisville in November, May, and June . Partners & Sponsors Download the TN Whiskey Trail brochure in PDF format. Fantastic article! It is a National Historic Landmark property and they offer several different tours depending on your level of interest. Make the most of your time by including a diverse mix of ones to visit, from big names in the industry, to up-and-coming, smaller-batch operations. For weekends, I would recommend scheduling your tours in advance, any time of the year. We offer a real-time comprehensive list of all the distilleries from start up farm distillery to craft distillery to large pre-Prohibition distillery. The distilleries are grouped together in four general areas. This is an ultrasonic process that removes impurities and improves the quality and taste, speeding up the refining process without spending years in the barrel. Bardstown Bourbon. Before heading out of Lexington, check out the citys historic Distillery District, home to the recently revived James E. Pepper Distiller (and several other restaurants, bars, and breweries), one of Kentuckys first bourbon brands originally created during the American Revolution. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. These newer operations often restore the beautiful, historical properties of Kentuckys original stillscenturies-old distilleries that either never reopened after prohibition or closed for other reasons. We recommend staying in Louisville. In fact, if you visit every. The 1 hour Discovery Tour ends with a tasting at their bar on the second floor. Mint Julep is the most popular tour company in Kentucky that offers tours to the distilleries. The repurposed stone castle and the rest of the historical property are breathtaking, and the distillerys chic branding (with plenty of merchandise to take home from the gift shop) adds to the overall charm of the location. You also get to see the bottling line in action. Even the most enthusiastic bourbon-lover can't just barrel through and sample bourbon at 9 places all in a rush. Louisville is the most logical choice, with its relatively central location, abundance of hotels and restaurants, and easy access to the airport. When the printout is completed then you can save it as PDF. After touring the three distilleries, you can either return to Louisville or spend the night in Bardstown. The final distillery is back up near Louisville: The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience. But how big should the maps be? In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. Scheduling a reservation is highly recommended. How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. Thank you for explaining that a bourbon trail tour will encompass a history of how the liquor was made. MAMMOTH CAVE: Mammoth Cave is a national park in Kentucky and it makes a great day trip from Louisville and Nashville. BUDGET: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail began in 1999 as a way to bring tourism to Kentucky. These include Willett, Pogue, Boone County, Neeley Family Distillery, Kentucky Peerless, Kentucky Artisan and many others. Dinner: Proof on Main. Four Roses. Select the size of the map before it is time to print it. There are four major regions of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner while touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. But they see map making as a necessary problem, one which requires a significant amount of time and money. If you want to see the entire bourbon distilling process from start to finish, including the making of the barrels and the bottling of the final product, take the Old Forester Discovery Tour. We took the Shaken & Stirred class at Bardstown Bourbon and it was our favorite experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Cheers, Julie. Tall tales, trip guides, & the world's weird & wonderful. You can also take a tour where you bottle the single barrel whiskey, but spaces are limited and the tour is expensive (but you do end up with a cool souvenir to take home!). Afternoon: Louisville Slugger Museum and/or the Muhammed Ali Center. We started at Wild Turkey and were the only ones on their 9 am tour. So, its nice to break up distillery visits with other experiences. On this tour you visit micro-distilleries, tour historic sights andtowns in Kentucky, and stay in historic bed and breakfast accommodations. Note: Due to COVID-19, distillery tours may be cancelled or offered on a reduced schedule. Tonight, sleep in Louisville, Bardstown, or Lexington. There is also the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. Everything from five-star restaurants to delicious sandwich stands can be found in the small towns along the way between distilleries. Also in Lexington is the Barrel House Distillery, which makes small-batch bourbon, as well as moonshine, vodka and rum, which makes it worth a stop. USA TRAVEL INSPIRATION: For more great ideas on where to go in the United States, check out our article Best USA Road Trips, which has 18 sample itineraries for your next big adventure. Printable Bourbon Trail Map - We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. In order to ensure that you benefit from our products we invite you to contact us for more information. The tour takes you through the entire distilling process from start to finish, so you'll get to see the still, the warehouse, and the bottling process. Also, the visitors center offers lots of history, facts and figures. Woodford Reserve. This is a beautiful property with a lot of tour and tasting options. Nothing can be added to the whiskey other than water. Thanks! Take the history and the gorgeous natural settings, and add delicious, often entertaining whiskey tours and tastings, and you'll see why traveling along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is such a special experience. section 8 houses for rent in gentilly, is never getting sick a sign of cancer,
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