The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen whiskey distilleries. 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. Spend the day visiting two big names in bourbon and a tour of a cooperage. Plus, everyone who visits gets a mini souvenir Louisville Slugger for themselves! All standard one-hour tours are roughly the samea tour of the facility ending with a tasting. This is a beautiful property with a lot of tour and tasting options. Surprisingly, it is not part of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Here's how. Woodford Reserve. And , even then, their maps are already obsolete before they even hit the plotter. 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). At the end of this article, we list specific hotel and B&B recommendations for Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington. This was our favorite tour for several reasons. Check out this map of the KY Bourbon Trail. Once you get to Shepherdsville, visit the Jim Beam Distillery. We are looking for a private driver for 2 days. 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. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Are you? LOUISVILLE: Plan your visit to Louisville with our articles about the Best Things to Do in Louisville and Best Places to Eat in Louisville. Yes, all of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries charge a fee for a tour or a tasting. We took the Shaken & Stirred class at Bardstown Bourbon and it was our favorite experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dive deeper into the history behind bourbon distilling. Anything you plan or save automagically syncs with the apps, ready for you to hit the road! Honestly, the tours do get repetitive, as they all take you through the distillation process. Ride sharing services are abundant in the area, and there are many guided tour options as well. One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace (skip ahead to Buffalo Trace). Generally, the default size of the map can be 8.5 By 11 inches. They give a really thorough background on the drink and Louisville's history with it . Your timing depends on which experiences you choose to have at each distillery. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour is celebrating its 22nd birthday with a new Bourbon Trail Passport & Field Guide for visitors but this year, there's a twist. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner while touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We have links to each distillery in our Best Distilleries post. Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. However, if you like the idea of getting outside of the city, Bardstown also makes a nice option. A 24" x 18" layout will fold more efficiently than the 22" x 20" layout for example. From beautiful fall foliage, to pumpkin patches and farm cider, this is the best time to experience the Bourbon Trail. Explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour New Riff Distilling 24 Distillery Way Newport, KY 41071 See on Map More Info Second Sight Spirits 301 B Elm Street Ludlow, KY 41016 See on Map More Info The Old Pogue Distillery 715 Germantown Road Maysville, KY 41056 See on Map More Info Boone County Distilling Co. 10601 Toebben Drive MAMMOTH CAVE: Mammoth Cave is a national park in Kentucky and it makes a great day trip from Louisville and Nashville. This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. We offer a real-time comprehensive list of all the distilleries from start up farm distillery to craft distillery to large pre-Prohibition distillery. Is May a good month to do the Bourbon Trail? Surprisingly, it is not part of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Take the first tour of the day to give yourself enough time to get to Green River. Inside of the memorial is a symbolic log cabin, a historic replica of the one that Abraham Lincoln first lived in. Morning: Makers Mark. How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. If you want to stay in a historical, luxurious hotel in Louisville, your hotel search can end right here. Monday through Friday, tours are offered at the Kentucky Cooperage (1 pm is the latest tour time). Trust me!!! You do not have to take a tour at each distillery. The rickhouse is where the barrels are stored. Andrew Jackson and King Louis Phillippe both stayed here. 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). All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. Aging must take place in a new, charred oak barrel. Twenty minutes northwest of Woodford Reserve, youll find Buffalo Trace Distillery; 25 minutes southwest is Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, home to the Four Roses and Wild Turkey distilleries. On our most recent tour in November 2019, we booked all of our tours in advance but only one of them was sold out (the Inside the Barrel Tour at Angels Envy). 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. Makers Mark is a must-visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Our favorite experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail was the cocktail class at Bardstown Bourbon. Read on to learn how to use printable maps. The Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 until 1987. Make sure to stop for a drink at the Bluegrass Tavern, a Lexington classic that boasts the largest bourbon collection in the state. We loved everything we tasted on this tour (as did many other people we spoke to who were also touring the trail). Seeing as this is the only "bourbon tour" in Louisville proper, it's worth the stop. It is said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America and to be visited by Jesse James ghost. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. Are children allowed on the tours? Starting off in Louisville, visit the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Julie Last updated: December 16, 2022 United States 32 Comments. Dine on Central American food prepared by the chef who grew up on the Yucatan Peninsula. This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. 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. 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. There are four major regions of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. And you definitely should try the Bourbon Cream. Founding Fathers Distillery. BUDGET: Glo Best Western Lexington. Woodford Reserve (a seven-minute drive from Castle & Key) has its own restaurant and is a great mid-day stop for lunch and a tour of its beautiful grounds. Also, the visitors center offers lots of history, facts and figures. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. Chuckanut Bay Distillery. The top things to do on an Extraterrestrial Highway road trip, The top things to do on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip, The top things to do on an I-40 road trip, The Great Northern is a 3,600 mile, cross-country odyssey, A road trip along New York state's Women's Heritage Trail, 9 stops on a Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail road trip, A cross-country road trip to U.S. presidential libraries, A road trip to filming locations featured in 'The Goonies', Pay Tribute and Reflect at These US Monuments and Memorials. Required fields are marked *. But how big should the maps be? To read about our favorite bourbon distillery, read this post. Buffalo Trace, located in Frankfort, is one of the most famous bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. Both times we visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. More Information for Your Trip to Louisville. This is the busiest time on the trail and tours can sell out. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We opted to take the 30 minute Unlocking the Senses tasting, where we sampled four Bulleit whiskeys. How you do it is completely up to you. Pick your favorites and group them together to form your itinerary, whether you have 2, 3, or more days. Maps & Downloads - Tennessee Whiskey Trail Official Site Maps & Downloads The Google map below represents all members of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. For the most part, the distilleries are located in and around Louisville, Lexington, and Bardstown. MIDRANGE: Homewood Suites. If you have hotel reserved, the staff might be able to make some recommendations for you. How can I safe it to find once again? But many distilleries offer special tours. The Angels Envy tour features a tasting of their Rye whiskey straight from the barrel. 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. Sundays, Mondays, and holidays are the most common days to have limited or no hours. There are six distilleries in Louisville (seven if you count the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse), five located in and around Lexington, one in Danville, five in and around Bardstown, and one in Owensboro. You'll avoid most crowds, enjoy off-season hotel prices, and the scenery along Kentucky's rural roads is unsurpassed in autumn. It's the same for maps that are large: they can take up nearly 50% of the screen. 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. Tours typically run every hour, and its usually best to reserve online ahead of time. You can take a tour and get a stamp in your passport at either location. The samples were pretty small, but it's straight bourbon, so you're probably gonna feel pretty good afterward. If you are really short on time, you can simply visit the gift shop, get your passport stamped, and do a little shopping. In the Bourbon District, you're never more than 5 minutes away from the next attraction, so planning that group tour or birthday celebration just got a lot easier. Enjoy like a true Kentuckian: Responsibly. Day after day, distillery tours can get to be monotonous. It's no secret that all American states can legally produce bourbon, but Kentucky is the spirit's undisputed . What Size Of Paper Do You Print Your Maps On? The tastings do get spread out over the day, but they are also right before you hop in the car to get to the next distillery, so know your limits. Learn how to create your own. 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. Races do not run year-round. 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.