Its a step back in time where you learn about the history of Kentucky. During this one-hour class, we mixed two cocktails: the Kentucky Mule and the Sazerac. The best time of year for a road trip down the Bourbon Trail: Summer is high season along the trail, so you'll have more crowds to contend with, and hotels will be slightly more expensive. Right down the road is the Four Roses Distillery. Though, not nearly as polished as distilleries like Maker's Mark, it's a much more personal, intimate and informative experience than what you'll get touring a bigger operation. If time allows, consider the areas other great export: thoroughbred horses. Wild Turkey. They like to talk about their mash bill and their yeast strains that they use. Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey and Four Roses are clustered together near Lexington. There are five rules that distinguish bourbon from all other whiskeys. LOUISVILLE: Plan your visit to Louisville with our articles about the Best Things to Do in Louisville and Best Places to Eat in Louisville. For information on how to plan your visit, dont miss ourKentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary. Lexington Brewing Company. Also, remember that the quality of maps is unbeatable! So, its nice to break up distillery visits with other experiences. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. You'll avoid most crowds, enjoy off-season hotel prices, and the scenery along Kentucky's rural roads is unsurpassed in autumn. Anything you plan or save automagically syncs with the apps, ready for you to hit the road! Best Distilleries to Visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary Suggestions for 1 Day to 1 Week, 12 Best Things to do in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville Restaurants: Best Eats in Town. A visit to Buffalo Trace is definitely worthwhile when you are in the area, even if it is not officially on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. To read about all eighteen distilleries, check out our post about the best distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. How can I safe it to find once again? Most people stay in Louisville, Lexington, or Bardstown. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations? Cheers, Julie. Distillery Trail is the place to start your distillery tour experience. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries located in and around Louisville. Click OK to confirm. Angels Envy offers several different tours. Your email address will not be published. Coalition Whiskey. Starting off in Louisville, visit the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. In this article, learn how to plan your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, with suggestions on where to stay and what else to add in as you tour the trail. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. In order to ensure that you benefit from our products we invite you to contact us for more information. UPSCALE: 21c Museum Hotel Lexington. If you move fast, you have enough time to visit both in the afternoon. Do you have a PDF of the great Article? Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour are trademarks of the Kentucky Distillers Association. In one day, it is possible to do three to four tours and/or tastings. Similar to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Craft Tour takes bourbon touring and tasting to the next level. Trust me!!! Most distilleries give you a few, tiny sips of several of their bourbons, just enough to get a good taste, and not so much that you will walk around schnockered for the rest of the day. Dive deeper into the history behind bourbon distilling. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. You also get to see the bottling line in action. HISTORIC: Jailers Inn Bed & Breakfast. For tour information, visit the Wilderness trail website. Children are allowed on the tours and generally pay a reduced tour fee or can tour for free, depending on the distillery. If you are only planning a quick visit to Kentucky (3 to 4 days tops), I recommend choosing one place and making this your home base. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Visiting these distilleries is similar to visiting a winery. Learn how to create your own. Most of this day is walkable. If you collect stamps from each distillery you can redeem your passport for a Kentucky Bourbon Trail tasting glass. What distinguishes one bourbon from another is the mash bill, the strain of yeast used by each distillery (some strains dating back decades), and how long the whiskey ages in the oak barrels. Did you know: If you use the Roadtrippers mobile app, your trips will instantly auto-sync over Ready for navigation and good times! Next, work off that bourbon tasting with a quick visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum, to see where professional baseball bats are made. Spend one day visiting the four distilleries near Lexington: Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, and Town Branch. On the third day, watch the horse races at Churchill Downs. In 2019, it was much busier and had we not scheduled everything in advance, we would have missed out on a lot of tours. 1280 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Lebanon, KY, US. Their first bottled bourbon dates back to 1870. 526 Happy Hollow Road, Shepherdsville, KY, US. 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. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. Why not? Even if you dont plan on staying here, a drink in the Lobby Bar is a must-do while in Louisville. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. Are you? Custom-printed maps are perfect for parks departments, companies, and recreational complexes. Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. And , even then, their maps are already obsolete before they even hit the plotter. Sundays, Mondays, and holidays are the most common days to have limited or no hours. There are many advantages to printing a map. Stillwagon Distillery. As soon as you step out of your car, you can smell the grains cooking, the first part of the distillation process. One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace Distillery (which we include on this itinerary). The mash always looks the same but the horse farms have different aspects to showcase at different times of the year. They also operate a bed and breakfast. Our website uses cookies. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. But there is more to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail than just distillery tours and bourbon tastings. All distilleries are legally limited to how much bourbon you can drink while on a tour. They have a good beer selection, excellent pulled pork, tasty baked beans and a variety of BBQ sauces. See our privacy policy here. Explore our guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for suggested routes, cant-miss spots, and other tips for having the best experience in bourbon country. I give links to each distillery in these daily itineraries. Santa Claus is a small town filled with Christmas-themed hotels, shops, restaurants, and even an amusement park. Green River is the outlier, located almost two hours west of Louisville, in a small town named Owensboro. Many offer tours and a few are very near to the popular distilleries! Most tours teach you the same process about bourbon distilling, with a few differences at each distillery. A combination of ideal weather, limestone water sources, and a long history of the craft make Central Kentucky the bourbon capital of the world. Here are four highly rated hotels in Louisville. HISTORIC: Talbott Tavern and Inn. Theres something here for everyone. A long weekend is a good amount of time to spend on the Bourbon Trail, but if you plan to combine your trip with other area activities, a week is definitely doable. #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. The distilling process at Green River is very innovative and a visit here is worthwhile if you want to learn about a unique way to distill bourbon. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. If you are looking for a highly rated hotel and dont want to spend a lot of money, this is a great option. After reading your article, I am sold and will make the arrangements soon. How to Experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Day 2: Louisville to Lexington: Clermont, Shelbyville, and Loretto, Day 3: Lexington, Frankfort, Versailles, and Lawrenceburg. The grand finale of the tour isthe bourbon tasting. Bourbon Country Map Use this interactive map of Kentucky to plan your visit by finding nearby attractions, hotels, shopping, and restaurants. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Plus, its easy to find. 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. BUDGET: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. In order to see all four, you should be at the first distillery at opening time. This takes the headache out of planning a day of distillery tours, perfect for some people. Chuckanut Bay Distillery. Dine on Central American food prepared by the chef who grew up on the Yucatan Peninsula. Mint Julep is the most popular tour company in Kentucky that offers tours to the distilleries. The Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 until 1987. On day two, visit the distilleries located south of Louisville: Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Bardstown Bourbon, and Lux Row. The rickhouse is where the barrels are stored. If you are looking for a large-format map, you should buy an printer that is large-format. Rooms are modern and trendy and there is an onsite restaurant. It must be distilled from at least 51% corn. 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. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Be prepared for an experience for all five senses. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. There are eighteen distilleries on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Take your pick from day #4 (the Best of Bardstown), day #5 (Makers Mark and the Kentucky Cooperage), or day #6 (Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and maybe Wilderness Trail). My father, who is a Bourbon man, will be celebrating his birthday next month and I thought of taking him on a Bourbon tour. The Old Talbott Tavern, located in Bardstown, is also a great pick. And for full details on Bluebird Cafe, read our article How to Visit Bluebird Cafe. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail website includes a map of all area distilleries, general exploring tips, and a calendar of upcoming distillery events. Due to vivid -19? You have the choice to head southeast out of Louisville to explore the Jim Beam facilities. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. 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 As one of the largest sellers of bourbon in the world, their tour seems to reflect that in having one of the more interactive tours. For lunch, dine at Star Hill Provisions at Makers Mark or Ragettis Italian Food in Lebanon. A beautiful time of year, however, is mid-September to late-October. The blue markers are restaurant recommendations, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and other notable experiences to add into your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. 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.