If you are short on time, or have no desire to visit all eighteen distilleries, here is a short list of the top experiences to have on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries, is drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Optional Detour: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace. There is also the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. 3125 US-231 North, Shelbyville, Tennessee 37160 Featured Old Dominick Distillery Tennessee | Tennessee Whiskey Trail, Hand Sanitizer | Bourbon, Gin, Vodka, Tennessee Whiskey 305 S Front Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103 B.R. If you want a hotel with an awesome location and one that gets great reviews, the Homewood Suites is one to consider. On this tour you visit micro-distilleries, tour historic sights andtowns in Kentucky, and stay in historic bed and breakfast accommodations. Most people stay in Louisville, Lexington, or Bardstown. Green River sits out in Owensboro, almost a two-hour drive from Louisville. Looking to plan trip in mid June 2020, I recommend checking the official websites of the distilleries to see if they are open. Follow day #4 and #5, sleeping in either Bardstown or Louisville. However, with various sizes for printing come a variety of new variables. To tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail you have two options: self-drive the bourbon trail or join a tour group. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. Most tours cost $10 to $15 (including tastings), and are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morning: Rabbit Hole. Enjoy the nightlife in Louisville, drive through scenic bluegrass Kentucky, watch a horse race at Churchill Downs, visit the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, or spend the night in a historic tavern. We offer a real-time comprehensive list of all the distilleries from start up farm distillery to craft distillery to large pre-Prohibition distillery. KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL: Pick out which distilleries to visit in our article Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. But how big should the maps be? I recommend visiting the official website of the distilleries for hours and tour information. Your email address will not be published. Ride sharing services are abundant in the area, and there are many guided tour options as well. Andrew Jackson, Henry Harrison, and King Louis Phillippe have all stayed here. If you want the map twice as wide you can select extra large. In this article, we focus on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, not the Craft Tour, although you can add these distilleries into your trip if you like the idea of visiting smaller distilleries. PRO TRAVEL TIP: When planning your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, check the distilleries websites for updated hours and tour availability. Afternoon: Take a tour at Old Forester Distillery. 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). Spring is a nice time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It is said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America and legend has it that Jesse James left behind bullet holes in the tavern. Note: Due to COVID-19, distillery tours may be cancelled or offered on a reduced schedule. In no particular order, the three distilleries to visit in Bardstown are Lux Row, Bardstown Bourbon, and Heaven Hill. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. Jack Frys and the Brown Hotel Lobby Bar are also great options. Roadtrippers helps you find the most epic destinations and detoursfrom roadside attractions to natural wonders and beyond. We loved everything we tasted on this tour (as did many other people we spoke to who were also touring the trail). It's not a part of the Kentucky Distillers Association's official Bourbon Trail, but they are, however, open for tours and tastings. Many offer tours and a few are very near to the popular distilleries! Grab a bottle or some bourbon balls in the gift shop afterwards! Copyright 2023 Kentucky Distillers Association. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of bourbon whiskey distilleries located in Kentucky. Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington make a great home base for this day (and day number 7 below). There is even an art museum located inside of the hotel. The weather is nice and all of the distilleries should be in operation. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. If you have any questions about how to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, let us know in the comment section below. Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. Bardstown Bourbon. Luckily, there's lots to do (and eat) in Kentucky while traveling from distillery to distillery (or rather, from sample of bourbon to sample of bourbon). As you tour more distilleries, you can pick out the differences between the bourbons. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. MAMMOTH CAVE: Mammoth Cave is a national park in Kentucky and it makes a great day trip from Louisville and Nashville. 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!). Getting to know more about liquor will probably help us know the right pairings to get when we eat at restaurants. Visiting these distilleries is similar to visiting a winery. For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article Best Eats in Louisville. Plus, there is a high concentration of distilleries located right in town, not to mention lots of great restaurants and hotels to choose from. It's a National Historic Landmark, but it's also gorgeously maintained, and set in a dreamlike corner of the Bourbon Trail. A beautiful time of year, however, is mid-September to late-October. If you have an interest in Abraham Lincoln or American history, this is a worthwhile visit. 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. Wilderness Trail is the newest member on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. 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. Created by Roadtrippers - March 22nd 2016. After a hearty breakfast of biscuits, its time to hit the 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! Tarpon Springs Distillery. Chuckanut Bay Distillery. In 2019, it was much busier and had we not scheduled everything in advance, we would have missed out on a lot of tours. Cheers, Julie. There are tours and special events at both facilities year round. The tour is very well done and you get to see a few things that many tours do not include. Renting a car was cheap, driving between the distilleries was easy (and gorgeous), and we could make our own schedule. Spread out over two separate trips, it took us seven days to visit seventeen distilleries (one more distillery has been added since our visit in November 2019), doing a combination of tours and tastings. My husband has been thinking about taking me to one for out anniversary. 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. They have a good beer selection, excellent pulled pork, tasty baked beans and a variety of BBQ sauces. These distilleries are located within 110 miles of Louisville, mostly clustered between Louisville and Lexington. Located in Lexington, this bourbon distillery also produces beer. Check the hours of operation for each distillery before your visit. There is a lot of history here. Tonight, sleep in Louisville, Bardstown, or Lexington. The list is ever growing. If you collect stamps from each distillery you can redeem your passport for a Kentucky Bourbon Trail tasting glass. Plus, there is more to see and do in this part of Kentucky, with scenic drives, great towns to visit, and restaurants to try. These five rules are: Bourbon contains at least 51% corn with different proportions of wheat, malted barley, or rye. Buffalo Trace is the oldest continuously operating distillery in America. They were one of only three bourbon distilleries that were allowed to operate during Prohibition, producing medicinal bourbon. On the other hand, you may want to sit back, enjoy the ride, and join a tour. In fact, if you visit every. Rooms are modern and trendy and there is an onsite restaurant. For more distillery rules and Kentucky Liquor laws, check out Kentucky Liquor Laws and The Bourbon Trail. Lexington or Louisville arent the only places to eat well in bourbon country. Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. Some distilleries are closed Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. For most people, a combination of tours and tastings is the perfect way to sample the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Renting a car was cheap, driving between the distilleries was easy (and gorgeous), and we could make our own schedule. and cannot participate in the Passport program. Visit the final two distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, plus one notable bourbon distillery that is not part of the official trail, Buffalo Trace. Traveling directly between Louisville and Lexington (when you arent stopping at distilleries) takes less than an hour, and both cities have convenient airports. However, the spirits are further refined with their patented TerrePURE process. Similar to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Craft Tour takes bourbon touring and tasting to the next level. To read about all eighteen distilleries, check out our post about the best distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Are the distilleries open now? Next, work off that bourbon tasting with a quick visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum, to see where professional baseball bats are made. During the tour, which usually lasts about one hour, your guide leads you through the property, teaching you about the distillation process and the history of the distillery. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. For dinner, opt for classic and refined, or hip and casual. More than one distillery tour taught us that the strain of yeast they use is one of the most important factors in how their final product tastes. Maps & Downloads - Tennessee Whiskey Trail Official Site Maps & Downloads The Google map below represents all members of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. 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. Heaven Hill is one of the biggest bourbon distilleries, producing Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. 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. You know you are at a distillery when you see these prison-style buildings. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. Pick your favorites and group them together to form your itinerary, whether you have 2, 3, or more days. Uber and Lyft are also all good choices, and if you've managed to stay sober, biking can also be a fun option. Printing a map gives you an image that can be used to guide your instructions. Morning: Stitzel-Weller Distillery. First, decide on the size of your printout. You can still tour the distillery, but you might not get to see the fermentation and distilling process. Many of these distilleries are historic and their story is fascinating. If you have concerns then consider alternating driving/tastings with another person in your party, have a designated driver, or take a tour. They offer both tours and tastings individually, so if you'd rather skip seeing the still and warehouse, you can just sample their wares-- try the sweet and spicy Wild Turkey Honey Stinger! You can bookmark this post on your browser. All bourbons are whiskey but not all whiskeys are bourbon. Mint Julep is the most popular tour company in Kentucky that offers tours to the distilleries. Yes, you can push CTRL+P and that will bring up the printer dialog box. This Bulleit facility offers a handful of different tours, tastings and cocktail classes. There is even an art museum located inside of the hotel. We have links to each distillery in our Best Distilleries post. Everything from five-star restaurants to delicious sandwich stands can be found in the small towns along the way between distilleries. Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. 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. 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. The usual 150-page guide will include maps of the trail, itineraries and cocktail recipes, advice, tasting notes and information on the 19 participating distilleries. You could easily spend an hour or two here, sampling their beers and boozes and chatting with the owners. #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. Cheers, Julie, We are thinking about making this trip in an RV in early November.. are there nice places to stay and how does the pandemic affect things, Hello Jan. As far as to where to stay with your RV, I am not sure, since we had a car and stayed in hotels. If you want to stay in a historical, luxurious hotel in Louisville, your hotel search can end right here. 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 Learn how to create your own. Rather than paying the fee to join the Kentucky Distillers Association, they prefer to offer free tours and tastings to their visitors. Printable Bourbon Trail Map- We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. Now, you can stay in a colonial style room in this very same building. It is not the actual log cabin of Abraham Lincolns birthplace. Take a Mixology Class. This is the biggest driving day on this Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. Note: Green River is located in the Central Time Zone. Old Forester Discovery Tour. When the printout is completed then you can save it as PDF. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour is a collection of small and/or new (er) distilleries assembled by the Kentucky Distillers' Association. Surprisingly, it is not part of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour is organized into four regionsplease toggle through the drop down menu for official groupings. Here's a sample itinerary to follow for your visit. The samples were pretty small, but it's straight bourbon, so you're probably gonna feel pretty good afterward. Distillery Trail is the place to start your distillery tour experience. Your email address will not be published. Visit the distillerys website for up-to-date pricing. With more time, you can make the drive out to Owensboro and visit Green River Distilling Company or drive to Danville and visit Wilderness Trail. Some have limited to no hours on certain days and hours can change based on the season. You can also select Print from your web browsers menu (the web browser menu typically looks like 3 dots in either the horizontal or vertical position). Bourbon has a wonderful aroma and the rickhouse is the best place tosmell it. It can be chilly, but most of the time we were indoors, so weather wasnt much of a factor. 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY, US. Even if you dont plan on staying here, a drink in the Lobby Bar is a must-do while in Louisville. It is said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America and to be visited by Jesse James ghost. 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. It gets to be repetitive. Hours vary by day of the week, with more tour times on Fridays and Saturdays. Local Chef Ouita Michel is at the forefront of Bourbon Trail gourmet dining, with top-notch restaurants in Midway, Versailles, and Lexington. This is the best historical lesson about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and a great place to get an overview of how bourbon came to be. On day two, visit the distilleries located south of Louisville: Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Bardstown Bourbon, and Lux Row. Check out this map of the KY Bourbon Trail. Custom-printed maps are perfect for parks departments, companies, and recreational complexes. Angels Envy puts a twist on whiskey distilling. Generally, the default size of the map can be 8.5 By 11 inches. As for tours, it looks like distilleries are still offering tours and tastings, but I would get the full details for each distillery on their website (we have a link for each distillery in this post). HISTORIC: Jailers Inn Bed & Breakfast. LUXURY: The Brown Hotel. You can elect to skip the tour and just do a tasting instead. There are five rules that distinguish bourbon from all other whiskeys. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 1 Day: Follow day #1, where you get a great overview of the distilling process and get to visit three distilleries in Louisville. Kentucky Bourbon is perfectly aged. BUDGET: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. Julie Last updated: December 16, 2022 United States 32 Comments. Near the end of this article, I will give you suggestions on how to group these days together in order to have the best experience. Right down the road is the Four Roses Distillery. What Size Of Paper Do You Print Your Maps On? 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. Carry it with you, and allow it to guide you to adventures unknown. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. 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. It was delightfully quiet, with small tour groups. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. Lux Row. You can take a tour and get a stamp in your passport at either location. If you prefer, you can inquire for a quote with our group of cartographers. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Most distilleries offer free or discounted tours for military personnel. This is the busiest time on the trail and tours can sell out. Dinner: Proof on Main. Say goodbye to Louisville and head south to Bardstown. Click OK to confirm. Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. There are many distilleries you can visit in Kentucky that are not part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Distilleries to visit along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. PRO TRAVEL TIP: Most distilleries do not offer tours seven days a week. 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. Read on to learn how to use printable maps. Very interested in a 3 day trip. About this Kentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary, For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article, For more ideas of what to do in Louisville, read our article about. Get suggestions on how to plan your trip, whether you just have a few days, a long weekend, or an entire week. On the third day, watch the horse races at Churchill Downs. One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace (skip ahead to Buffalo Trace). Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays are the days that distilleries are most likely to close their doors to tour groups, but this varies from distillery to distillery. If you plan to take distillery tours, you will need to visit the website anyway, in order to make your reservations. It's no secret that all American states can legally produce bourbon, but Kentucky is the spirit's undisputed . Afternoon: Green River. The brisket is renowned, especially with their Texas hot sauce. The process of creating a map to print is slightly more complicated than creating an image that is static. If this is part of a bigger road trip through the USA, visit our United States Travel Guide for more inspiration and travel planning tips. Take the first tour of the day to give yourself enough time to get to Green River. And , even then, their maps are already obsolete before they even hit the plotter. However, people under the age of 21 are not permitted to do a tasting (of course!) Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The memorial is free to visit. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. Many places offer tastings without a tour. Tim and I stayed here on our first visit to Louisville in 2016. Tours last approximately one hour, ending with a tasting. LOUISVILLE: Plan your visit to Louisville with our articles about the Best Things to Do in Louisville and Best Places to Eat in Louisville. The weather is pleasant and bourbon is in full production. Just spent two nights in Bardstown and took the cocktail class which was awesome. They like to talk about their mash bill and their yeast strains that they use. For more information about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, we have two more articles that will help you plan your trip: The Ultimate Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. 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.
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