All distilleries are legally limited to how much bourbon you can drink while on a tour. It is a National Historic Landmark property and they offer several different tours depending on your level of interest. Even if you dont plan on staying here, a drink in the Lobby Bar is a must-do while in Louisville. If you have specific non-KBT distilleries in mind I recommend checking their websites for pricing information. The tour is very well done and you get to see a few things that many tours do not include. Take a quick break from bourbon tasting and take your pick from these two amazing museums. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. For most people, a combination of tours and tastings is the perfect way to sample the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. As you drive back to Louisville, you have the option to stop at the Lincoln Boyhood Home and National Museum and/or Santa Claus, Indiana. We started at Wild Turkey and were the only ones on their 9 am tour. There is even an art museum located inside of the hotel. Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. It's one of the biggest in Bardstown, which is certainly worth seeing. For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article Best Eats in Louisville. 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. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. They also operate a bed and breakfast. Printable Bourbon Trail Map - We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. During this one-hour class, we mixed two cocktails: the Kentucky Mule and the Sazerac. Spring is a nice time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Many of these distilleries are historic and their story is fascinating. Inside of the memorial is a symbolic log cabin, a historic replica of the one that Abraham Lincoln first lived in. All rights reserved. My husband has been thinking about taking me to one for out anniversary. MAMMOTH CAVE: Mammoth Cave is a national park in Kentucky and it makes a great day trip from Louisville and Nashville. While you are in the area, consider a visit to the Kentucky Cooperage, where the barrels are made for the storing and aging of bourbon. However, the spirits are further refined with their patented TerrePURE process. However, if you like the idea of getting outside of the city, Bardstown also makes a nice option. For lunch and/or dinner, we recommend Kitchen& Bar, the restaurant at Bardstown Bourbon. 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. 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 The Field Guide is your passport to exploring the people and the places behind the Bourbon. 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. Grab a bottle or some bourbon balls in the gift shop afterwards! Id rather not print the article because of all of the adds. However, with various sizes for printing come a variety of new variables. Yes, all of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries charge a fee for a tour or a tasting. 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. Next up is the Buffalo Trace Distillery. You will drive through scenic bluegrass Kentucky, with horse farms as far as the eye can see. In one day, it is possible to do three to four tours and/or tastings. Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. 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. One of the highlights of this tour, other than the tasting, was standing inside of their rickhouse. Over in Bardstown, there's Willett Distillery. 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. 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. At your first distillery, pick up a Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport. Map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Below is a map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Uber and Lyft are also all good choices, and if you've managed to stay sober, biking can also be a fun option. You know you are at a distillery when you see these prison-style buildings. Lexington or Louisville arent the only places to eat well in bourbon country. With the many distilleries within its city limits, Louisville is a good jumping-off point on the trail. 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. BUDGET: Hampton Inn Bardstown. Im looking into doing at least part of the trail myself with some friends when weve all been vaccinated. Tonight, sleep in Louisville, Bardstown, or Lexington. Heaven Hill is one of the biggest bourbon distilleries, producing Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. The busiest time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is from August through mid-November. Cheers, Julie. Click OK to confirm. Bourbon Country Map Use this interactive map of Kentucky to plan your visit by finding nearby attractions, hotels, shopping, and restaurants. Then it's on to Heaven Hill Bourbon, which offers a cheaper "mini-tour" if you're getting tired of hearing the same thing over and over again at every distillery. You do not have to take a tour at each distillery. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 7 Days: This is our day by day itinerary listed above, in the same order, with suggestions on where to stay. If you pay extra, we can also produce these maps in specialist file formats. Angels Envy offers several different tours. Note: Green River is located in the Central Time Zone. Tim and I stayed here on our most recent visit to Louisville and we had a very nice experience here. Also, remember that the quality of maps is unbeatable! Fantastic article! This distillery features bourbon finished in port wine barrels and rye whiskey finished in rum barrels. They're really knowledgeable about the science of bourbon and booze, and the tour is fantastic. Visit their website here. The blue markers are restaurant recommendations, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and other notable experiences to add into your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. Anything you plan or save automagically syncs with the apps, ready for you to hit the road! Wild Turkey produces one of the most popular bourbons in the US and one of the best-selling bourbons in the world. 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. Currently, there are eighteen bourbon labels that are a part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It smells like you are at a bakery, only they are baking slightly sour bread. 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. Required fields are marked *. You can search by name, state, spirit, amenity or simply click on the map to discover distilleries you never knew existed! 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. The samples were pretty small, but it's straight bourbon, so you're probably gonna feel pretty good afterward. Louisville and the rest of the bourbon trail are located in the Eastern Time Zone. The memorial is free to visit. Also, they have a cafe if you're looking for a place to grab food while on the trail. 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. 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. We give links to all of the distilleries in our Kentucky Bourbon Trail distillery post. 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. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. Ride sharing services are abundant in the area, and there are many guided tour options as well. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 4 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. Coalition Whiskey. While you are in the area, consider a tour at Buffalo Trace, adding on a visit to Bulleit in Shelbyville, or lunch or dinner in Lexington. Heaven Hill. Many places offer tastings without a tour. Stillwagon Distillery. Lunch: Walk, drive or Uber to the Mussel & Burger Bar, another one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. How you do it is completely up to you. Children under 21 are welcome on tours, for free or at a discounted cost (and no sampling whiskey for them, of course). Plan to spend at least 2-3 days traveling along the Bourbon Trail, and stop off at some of the many charming Kentucky towns along the route. 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. We took the Shaken & Stirred class at Bardstown Bourbon and it was our favorite experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. It's no secret that all American states can legally produce bourbon, but Kentucky is the spirit's undisputed . Many people state that the Buffalo Trace tour is their favorite in Kentucky. Its a step back in time where you learn about the history of Kentucky. This Bulleit facility offers a handful of different tours, tastings and cocktail classes. There is also the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. HISTORIC: Talbott Tavern and Inn. Located in Lexington, this bourbon distillery also produces beer. Check the hours of operation for each distillery before your visit. This day includes three must-visit distilleries on Whiskey Row with suggestions for Louisvilles best eats. Cheers, Julie. If you move fast, you have enough time to visit both in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we do not have a PDF of this article. Download the TN Whiskey Trail brochure in PDF format. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail began in 1999 as a way to bring tourism to Kentucky. So, its nice to break up distillery visits with other experiences. NASHVILLE: For recommendations on what to do in Nashville, check out our articles Best Things to Do in Nashville and Best Eats in Nashville. #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. To read about all eighteen distilleries, check out our post about the best distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. There are tours and special events at both facilities year round. Kentucky's Bourbon Trail now consists of 18 whiskey distilleries. This takes the headache out of planning a day of distillery tours, perfect for some people. We are looking for a private driver for 2 days. Lunch: Doc Crows Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar or Troll Pub under the Bridge. 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. Tim and I stayed here on our first visit to Louisville in 2016. PRO TRAVEL TIP: When planning your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, check the distilleries websites for updated hours and tour availability. Both times we visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. 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. From Bardstown it is a 45 minute drive. This hotel gets excellent reviews on Booking.com. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. These are the rickhouses at Heaven Hill. Explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experiences and find what youre looking for in our map below. Seeing as this is the only "bourbon tour" in Louisville proper, it's worth the stop. 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. All of the distilleries are listed inside, with space for your own notes and a stamp from each distillery. On Google Chrome, go to Bookmarks -> Bookmark This Tab and then this post will be saved in your bookmarks. Tarpon Springs Distillery. Take a Mixology Class. It's worth it to buy a bottle here, because you get to dip the top in the iconic red wax yourself! Afternoon: Take a tour at Old Forester Distillery. Evans William Experience in Louisville. This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. Now, you can stay in a colonial style room in this very same building. Eating is important, of course, and luckily, there are tons of local restaurants where you can get a great meal to soak up some of the liquor. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. 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. You'll avoid most crowds, enjoy off-season hotel prices, and the scenery along Kentucky's rural roads is unsurpassed in autumn. Traveling directly between Louisville and Lexington (when you arent stopping at distilleries) takes less than an hour, and both cities have convenient airports. 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). 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. If you want to tour all eighteen distilleries, you need a minimum of seven days. First, decide on the size of your printout. Most of this day is walkable. The whiskey cannot be distilled higher than 160 proof, enter the barrel higher than 125 proof, and it must not enter the bottle less than 80 proof. Follow day #4 and #5, sleeping in either Bardstown or Louisville. Our website uses cookies. The brisket is renowned, especially with their Texas hot sauce. A combination of ideal weather, limestone water sources, and a long history of the craft make Central Kentucky the bourbon capital of the world. We are wine drinkers. Prior to touring the Bourbon Trail, Tim and I were not whiskey drinkers. Also, consider how the map will be folded. This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. I am not sure. Everything from five-star restaurants to delicious sandwich stands can be found in the small towns along the way between distilleries. Learn how to create your own. Then head to The Woodford Reserve Distillery. This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. A map that folds up for instance, is approximately the same size as an ordinary poster. For information on how to plan your visit, dont miss ourKentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary. For a lesson on the wild and crazy tales of the Prohibition Era, book a tour at Prohibition Craft Spirits. On this immersive tour, travel back in time to 1783, when bourbon distilling got its start. However, there are few places to visit out this way, if you are interested. All three of these cities have great hotel and restaurant options with easy access to the Bourbon Trail. For more great things to do in Louisville, read our post 12 Best Things to do in Louisville. Many people state that the Buffalo Trace tour is their favorite in Kentucky. Green River sits out in Owensboro, almost a two-hour drive from Louisville. Many offer tours and a few are very near to the popular distilleries! This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. It must be distilled from at least 51% corn. This cocktail class is only offered once a day, so if you like this idea, plan your other distillery visits around this class. Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. Free Printable US Map With States Labeled, Washington State Map With Cities and Counties. On the tours, learn how bourbon is produced, hear about the history of the distillery, and end with a bourbon tasting. More Information for Your Trip to Louisville. You won't be able to fully appreciate every sip if you don't take a break to clear your mind and your palate! Note: This post contains affiliate links. 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. Pdf Printable Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map - We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. Bulleit Distilling Company. It gets to be repetitive. 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. And dont miss our post about all eighteen distilleries, the Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. All content and photography shall not be reproduced without written permission from the Kentucky Distillers Association. Evening: Michters Distillery. Honestly, the tours do get repetitive, as they all take you through the distillation process. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map Rocks Glass WellTold (22,289) $19.95 Bestseller Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Art Print - 11" x 15" +, Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map - Kentucky - Bourbon - Louisville - Bardstown - KY GeographicsArt (739) $69.00 FREE shipping Kentucky Distilleries map MediaevalMapmaker (2,260) $23.95 More colors Learn more about the benefits of printing maps. Buffalo Trace. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries located in and around Louisville. Plan to spend at least 2-3 days traveling along the Bourbon Trail, and stop off at some of the many charming Kentucky towns along the route. Unfortunately, I do not have any private drivers to recommend. The process of creating a map to print is slightly more complicated than creating an image that is static. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. UPSCALE: 21c Museum Hotel. Also known as the Independent Stave Company, this is where the barrels are constructed for many of the bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. However, there is a lot more to do in this part of Kentucky than just tour bourbon distilleries. Several distilleries now offer cocktail or mixology classes. Foaling begins in late January and will continue through May, so visit in the spring if you want to meet the youngest future racehorses! 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. Each distillery has a gift shop selling bourbon and related souvenirs. The barrel making process is a key element in bourbon distilling, and this is the best place to learn all about it, since many distilleries get their barrels here. And , even then, their maps are already obsolete before they even hit the plotter. Plus, being on your own gives you the flexibility to visit other sights along the way, such as a nice lunch in Bardstown or a scenic drive through horse country. MIDRANGE: Staybridge Suites Lexington. The tour includes a walk through their cooperage, where you get to see how the barrels are made. The distilleries are grouped together in four general areas. Even the most enthusiastic bourbon-lover can't just barrel through and sample bourbon at 9 places all in a rush. 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. This is a must-see tour. Lux Row. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. Bring your military ID, if you have one. Theres something here for everyone. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. We loved everything we tasted on this tour (as did many other people we spoke to who were also touring the trail). How can I safe it to find once again? This itinerary is organized into seven different daily itineraries. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for a visit here. Races at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington take place in October and April, and at Churchill Downs in Louisville in November, May, and June . The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of bourbon whiskey distilleries located in Kentucky. Whether you just have a few days or an entire week, we have some great ideas for how you can plan your time. After a hearty breakfast of biscuits, its time to hit the trail! Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The mash always looks the same but the horse farms have different aspects to showcase at different times of the year. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. This was our favorite tour for several reasons. As you tour more distilleries, you can pick out the differences between the bourbons. The distilling of bourbon began in Kentucky in the 1700s in Bourbon County. This is a beautiful property with a lot of tour and tasting options. Some distilleries are closed on Mondays. In Louisville, stay downtown at the Brown Hotel, a city landmark full of history and romance. For tour information, visit the Wilderness trail website. Optional Detour: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace. Very interested in a 3 day trip. Sleep in Louisville. 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. If you are looking for a highly rated hotel and dont want to spend a lot of money, this is a great option. These regions are broken out by geographic location. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. It's a great destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which focuses on smaller and more inventive distillers. How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. In 2019, it was much busier and had we not scheduled everything in advance, we would have missed out on a lot of tours. Bourbon tourism is skyrocketing, with nearly 2 million visitors from all 50 states and . The grand finale of the tour isthe bourbon tasting. To get to Evan Williams and/or to get back to your hotel, consider driving or using Uber (we used Uber while in Louisville and kept our car parked at our hotel). Founding Fathers 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.

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