Bourbon Country Visitors Guide

Bourbon Lifestyle

Bourbon Country

Country Fare, food and drink recipes 24 Bourbon from famous Kentuckians

64 Louisville 72 Lexington 77 Bardstown 80 Lebanon 81 Shepherdsville 82 Frankfort 84 Bowling Green

The people, places, and lifestyle of Bourbon Country

Rule, a celebration of Bourbon’s longest24 Russell’s tenured and most respected master New Home, Bulleit’s new digs at historic 44 Bulleit’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery

50

Meet the Masters, the men who make the magic from Bourbon distilleries

Bourbon Shots

Snippets about what’s going on in Bourbon Country Bourbons, new releases from distilleries 16 New around Bourbon Country Guides, Mint Julep Tours makes the best 40 Spirited of your Bourbon Country Experience Distilery Happenings, the latest edition to 54 New Kentucky’s premier distilleries

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Explore the various stops around Bourbon Country

Distilleries

Where Bourbon lovers mean (and do) business 86 Maker’s Mark 87 Jim Beam 88 Limestone Branch 89 Willett Distillery 90 Stitzel-Weller Distillery 91 Barton’s 1792 Distillery 92 Four Roses 93 Buffalo Trace 94 Heaven Hill 95 Woodford Reserve 96 Wild Turkey 97 Barrell House 98 Alltech’s Brewery and Distilling Co. 99 Corsair

Editor-in-Chief Justin Thompson Associate Editor Seth Thompson Creative Director Josh Rubin Sales Manager Seth Thompson East Region Sales Eric Lukehart West Region Sales Joanie Allegier Contributing Authors Robbie Clark Elizabeth Adams Megan Smith Justin Thompson Contributing Photographers Victor Sizemore, Fred Minnick, Justin Thompson

Published by Bourbon Country Guide LLC Advertising inquiries can be made at: info@bourboncountryguide.com or 502-333-0086

10 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

Welcome to Bourbon Country! You’re currently enjoying an area considered to be one of the premier culinary destinations in America due to its rich tradition in distilling, reputation for distinguished hospitality and inheritance of natural beauty. Kentucky is the birthplace of Bourbon, a spirit that has two centuries of history in this commonwealth, and thanks to an act of Congress, is a unique product that can only be made in the United States.

The founding pioneers of Bourbon Country came from a long lineage of families who had been making whiskey for generations. These early distillers changed whiskey forever after their product was shipped down the Mississippi River to the Port of New Orleans. They noticed their whiskey took on a darker color and more desirable flavor while aging in charred oak barrels, a groundbreaking discovery that resulted in the birth of Bourbon.

Interest in Bourbon is booming all over the world, and the distillers in Kentucky are up for the challenge. Bourbon sales have increased over 40% over the last five years domestically, with the industry responding by investing more than $300 million in operations just over the last two years. Today, there are more than 5 million barrels of Bourbon resting in Bourbon Country.

Though the size of Bourbon distilling operations may have changed from a small still located in a shack on the family farm, to multi-million dollar state of the art equipment sprawling several acres, the art-form and patience required to produce quality Bourbon still exists. That attention to craftsmanship, and resistance to adopting time and moneysaving measures at the cost of quality, has given Bourbon a distinct advantage in the world of spirits, one in which consumers are experiencing themselves in record numbers.

Bourbon Country is not only a haven for those who enjoy fine whiskey, it also provides an array of memory-making activities that the entire family can enjoy. From dawn until after dusk, Bourbon Country will keep you entertained with countless nationally-recognized restaurants and bars along with its natural rural beauty. Enjoy learning more about Bourbon Country. We hope it inspires you to explore more of the birthplace of America’s only native spirit.

Justin Thompson Editor In Chief

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A Year of

Bourbon Events

These are just a sampling of some of the annual events in and around Bourbon Country. There is always a Bourbon dinner, class or festival offered nearly every month. Be sure to check the Bourbon calendar at www.bourboncountry.com when planning your visit.

National Bourbon Heritage Month September 1 – 30 annually

An entire month dedicated to the celebration of America’s only native spirit. Events and special promotions held throughout the US and especially celebrated in Kentucky.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival September 16- 21, 2014 September 15 – 20, 2015 Bardstown, KY www.kybourbonfestival.com

More than thirty events dedicated to celebrating the history and art of distilling Bourbon whiskey in the "Bourbon Capital of the World".

Filson Bourbon Academy

September 29th, 2014 – Chicago, IL October 4, 2014 – Aiken, SC October 5, 2014 – Columbia, SC October 11, 2014 – St. Louis, MO October 18, 2014 – Louisville, KY November 3, 2014 – New Orleans, LA November 15, 2014 – Ann Arbor, MI www.filsonhistorical.org/the-filson-bourbon-academy

Bourbon Historian, Michael Veach, offers educational history, review of the Filson Historical Society’s special collections archives on Kentucky Bourbon, and tastings of America’s native spirit. Classes held throughout the US. More dates and cities online.

Bourbon Social

October 10-12, 2014, 2013 Lexington, KY

Come celebrate all things Bourbon and food at this new event. Local bartenders and chefs will be showcasing their culinary skills and competing for awards.

Bourbon Chase

October 18 – 19, 2013 Lexington, KY www.bourbonchase.com

It is a 200-mile journey across the Bluegrass State – through historic Bourbon distilleries, across majestic horse country, and into enchanting small towns.

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Bourbon Women

October 23, 2014 – Louisville, KY November 13, 2014 - Lexington, KY November 20, 2014 – Bowling Green, KY December 4, 2014 – Louisville, KY www.bourbonwomen.org

Join this dynamic group of professional women dedicated to the preservation of Bourbon's unique cultural heritage with events throughout the year that educate and entertain. More events online.

Repeal Day

December 5, 2014

Bars and restaurants celebrate the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition with special events, including those along the Urban Bourbon Trail in Louisville.

Bourbon Classic

February 20-21, 2015 Louisville, KY www.bourbonclassic.com

This weekend-long event delivers education and entertainment exclusively focused on the Bourbon enthusiast and is Louisville’s premier Bourbon event. Folks will enjoy Bourbon infused dishes from some of the nation’s best chefs and hand-crafted cocktails from industry leading bartenders to go along with, cooking demos, master distiller breakout sessions, history lectures and more.

Bourbon Review Shindig Fall 2015

The 5th annual Shindig will include the best of Bourbon Country: Bourbon, Southern food and Bluegrass music.

Mingle with Master Distillers along with the publishers of The Bourbon Review Magazine in the fall while you feast on fare prepared by award-winning chefs and imbibe on the World’s best Bourbon.

Elijah Craig 23: “Exceptional” Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the country’s largest independent family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer, announced a new limited edition release of Elijah

Craig 23-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Heaven Hill, who holds the world’s second largest inventory of Bourbon

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and the most “extra-aged” barrels of any distillery in its rickhouses, began shipping the rarity into selected markets across the country in midAugust and it will hit retail shelves in August and September.

The new bottling follows up on the success of the sold-out Elijah Craig 20-Year-Old Single Barrel, released in the Spring of 2012 and named “American Whiskey of the Year” by Whisky Advocate magazine, and the Elijah Craig 21- Year-Old, released last Fall and designated “Excellent/ Highly Recommended“ at the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. The new 23-Year-Old bottling will carry an average retail price of $199.99 for the 750ml size, and like last year’s 21-Year-Old will be in limited distribution in top metro markets.

The Elijah Craig 23-Year-Old Single Barrel shares much of its packaging with its predecessor, including the familiar flask shaped Elijah Craig Single Barrel 750ml bottle and cork closure with a marbled capsule.

Instead of the blue label of the 21-Year-Old, this year’s 23-YearOld will have a green label, with the 23 year age statement prominently featured in reverse white and gold type in the center. As with all previous editions of Elijah Craig Single Barrel, there will be space on the back label where the specific barrel number and “barreled on” date will be hand written. The new Elijah Craig 23-Year-Old will

be available in a three bottle case of 750ml bottles, at its traditional 90 proof (45% alcohol by volume) strength.

At 23 years of age—quite advanced for a Bourbon, which of course must by law age in a new charred white oak barrel—barrel selection becomes of tantamount importance. Barrels that age for that long on the highest floors of the rickhouse, where temperature extremes are greatest, can become too woody or tannic.

The barrels for Elijah Craig 23-YearOld Single Barrel are drawn from the middle floors of the rickhouses, where the effects of long aging are mitigated by the more moderate temperature fluctuations. This careful barrel selection, drawn from Heaven Hill’s inventory of over one million aging barrels, means the whiskey offers depth and complexity but still perfectly maintains the delicate balance between barrel and distillate.

“All of the extra-aged limited edition American Whiskeys we have released, including the previous Elijah Craig Single Barrels as well as our Parker’s Heritage Collection and the Rittenhouse 21, 23 and 25-YearOld, have quickly sold through to the connoisseur markets,” noted Heaven Hill Senior Brand Manager Susan Wahl. “This release, like the 21-Year-Old and 20-Year-Old Single Barrels that preceded it, will take the consumer on a tasting journey of discovery that will motivate them to move up the line, from the more widely available 12-Year-Old Elijah Craig Small Batch, to Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and on through these more aged, rarer bottlings.”

Editor’s Note: I had the pleasure of tasting this product and find it to be exceptional. Most would believe the 23 years in the barrel would drown this juice with oak flavors. I found that the oak was present for a short time but did not linger around at the finish, nor dominate the cinnamon and vanilla flavors that were so obvious. A great special occasion Bourbon.

Special Roses in the Fall Every fall since 2007, Four Roses has released a limited edition Small Batch Bourbon for its followers to enjoy and this autumn will not be an exception.

Starting in September, the Lawrenceburg, KY brand will start sending bottles to select markets of its 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon.

This year’s version continues the trend of using their Master Distiller Jim Rutledge’s superb ability to mingle barrel-strength Bourbon from the distilleries range of 10 different recipes.

Rutledge decided to combine 13, 12, 11 and 9-yearold Bourbons all with different recipes to produce the highly sought after special bottling.

“It’s exciting and challenging to select the Bourbons that will be used in various percentages for a special and different Limited Edition Small Batch,” Rutledge admitted.

“We’ve only scratched the surface with what we can do with our 10 Bourbon recipes relative to varying flavor profiles for special releases” Rutledge continued.

There will be approximately 11,200 bottles of the 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, which are expected to hit retail outlets and bars in midSeptember, during National Bourbon Heritage Month.

Limited Release 2014 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon Set to Hit Shelves in September America’s First Bottled Bourbon Honors Founder with Commemorative Small Batch Bourbon For more than 140 years, Old Forester has been crafted using the timehonored methods established by George Garvin Brown, the founder of Louisville-based Brown-Forman and Old Forester, America’s First Bottled Bourbon. To commemorate Mr. Brown’s September 2nd birthday, Old Forester annually releases an expression of its highly-acclaimed Bourbon and this year marks the 13th limited edition release.

“Old Forester is the only Bourbon still in existence today that was produced before, during and after Prohibition by its original distiller,” said Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller. “No other Bourbon brand sold in the U.S. today can make that claim.”

Selected from a single day of production and handcrafted by Master Distiller Chris Morris, this limited edition small batch Bourbon is vintagedated – offering a one-of-a-kind character and flavor profile that will never be replicated. Its unique decanter style glass bottle is a throwback to the late 1800’s when Old Forester was first produced. Each bottle features the founder’s signature and the dates on which the Bourbon was barreled and bottled.

Available starting in September, the 2014 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon will have a suggested retail price of $59.99 and will be sold at most liquor stores nationwide. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is bottled at 97 proof.

“This year’s selection evokes a creamy, soft vanilla bean character with flavors of cinnamon spice, maple syrup and citrus,” said Morris. “The complex flavor and warm finish with just a hint of sweetness make this year’s batch a musthave release.”

Since its introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has received unprecedented acclaim and has collected honors from USA Today, Malt Advocate, Whisky Magazine, Spirit Journal, Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Wine Enthusiast, and Santé. A favorite among critics, Old Forester Birthday Bourbons have taken home gold from numerous tasting competitions including ”BEST BOURBON, Double Gold Medal” in the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as “Gold” medals in the 2005, 2006 & 2007 competitions. The 2012 expression received a 95 rating and was given the “Ultimate Recommendation” in the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. The 2007 expression was also named American Whiskey of the Year at Malt Advocate WhiskyFest New York.

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Old Forester Whiskey Row Series Set for Fall 2014 Launch, With 1870 Original Batch Old Forester Bourbon Whisky, America’s longest continuously produced Bourbon, invites Bourbon lovers to taste their way through Bourbon history with the launch of the Old Forester Whiskey Row Series in late-October. This unique series highlights our Bourbon’s significant milestones and production innovations with each release. From the first batched Bourbon to a post-prohibition era style Bourbon, the series will allow consumers to sip Old Forester as it was enjoyed in the late 1800’s through the mid-1920’s.

The initial release of the series, 1870 Original Batch, will commemorate the year Old Forester became the first batched Bourbon. Prior to its release, Bourbon was sold by the barrel causing quality and taste profile to vary. Old Forester’s founder George Garvin Brown changed the industry by batching Bourbon from three different distilleries to create a product that was consistent.

“When George Garvin Brown batched Bourbon for the first time he was creating an industry standard, one of quality and consistency that spirit drinkers have come to expect,” said Master Distiller Chris Morris. “A hundred and forty four years later the industry is still using a batching process, a technique that’s clearly stood the test of time.”

To emulate Brown’s pioneering 1870 batching process, the 1870 Original Batch Bourbon is comprised of barrels selected from three different distilleries with a different day of production as well as a different entry proof and maturation period. The expressions will be batched together to create this 90-proof product which represents the innovative technique developed

by Brown which has become an integral part of the Bourbon industry.

“As the first bottled Bourbon and the only distillery producing Bourbon pre-, during and post-prohibition that’s still around today, Old Forester has such a rich history to share. This series allows us to tell that story through different styles of Bourbon,” said Morris.

With a suggested retail price of $44.95 for a 750 ml, 1870 Original Batch will roll out in select cities: Chicago, Denver, Louisville, Nashville, New York City, Seattle and San Francisco.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases 2014 Antique Collection Whiskeys Whiskey aficionados can start their holiday shopping early once Buffalo Trace Distillery releases its 2014 Antique Collection in late September. The highly anticipated collection will once again feature five limitedrelease whiskeys of various ages, recipes and proofs.

Here’s what loyal fans can expect:

George T. Stagg

The 2013 release of this perennial favorite received the prestigious Chairman’s Trophy during the 2014 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Barrels for this year’s George T. Stagg bottling were selected from Warehouses C, H, I, K, L, P,

of 2002 and aged on the second, third, fourth, and sixth floors of Warehouses D, K, and L. This Bourbon registers in at 140.2 proof – the strongest Weller release ever. The bold flavors include dark molasses, plums, and toffee.

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye

Thomas H. Handy is the uncut and unfiltered straight rye whiskey. The 2013 edition was named “World’s Best Rye Whiskey” at the 2014 World Whiskies Awards. This year’s Handy was distilled in the spring of 2008, aged on the fifth floor of Warehouse M and weighs in at 129.2 proof. The flavor has been described as Christmas cake, allspice, coconut, and clove.

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old

The previous edition of this Bourbon was honored with a Silver Outstanding Medal at the 2013 International Wine and Spirits Competition. The 2014 edition has been aging on the second, third and sixth floors of Warehouses I and K. This Bourbon was aged nearly two decades and tastes of oak, leather, cinnamon, and tobacco.

Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old

and Q. This uncut and unfiltered Bourbon was distilled back in the spring of 1998 and weighs in at 138.1 proof.

Although still highly allocated, happily there are a few more bottles available this year, since Buffalo Trace increased distillation for George T. Stagg back in 1997.

This whiskey tastes of dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and dates.

William Larue Weller

The Antique Collection’s uncut, unfiltered, wheated recipe Bourbon is William Larue Weller. The previous edition was given a “95” rating by Whisky Advocate Magazine. The 2014 offering was distilled in the spring

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Last year Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old was awarded a Gold Medal from Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards. This 2014 straight rye whiskey release was aged in Warehouse K and has notable flavor of all-spice, molasses and hints of mint, along with a long, dry finish.

The Antique Collection was introduced more than a decade ago and has become a cult favorite among whiskey connoisseurs. Since 2000 these whiskeys have garnered numerous awards from such notable publications as Whisky Advocate Magazine, Spirit Journal, and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

The 2014 Antique Collection whiskeys will be available in limited quantities starting in late September or early October.

Suggested retail price is $80 each.

Bourbon Barrel Smoked Oysters With Exum’s XX Ham And Creole Butter

“I love the texture of these slightly cooked oysters. Perfect for a grill-out get together with friends, and of course Bourbon.” - Chef Levon Wallace 24 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

Recipe by Levon Wallace Chef of Proof on Main 21c Museum Hotel, Louisville KY Serves 4 For the creole butter: 1 stick of butter, softened ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. paprika Half of a lemon 12 oysters, scrubbed 1 oyster knife 1 hand towel or safety glove 1 cup Exum’s double smoked ham (or your favorite cooked country ham), finely shredded.

1 lemon cut in wedges 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley Rock salt as needed Bourbon barrel smoking chips (or your favorite smoking chips) 1 heavy bottomed cast iron skillet Combine butter, Worcestershire, cayenne, paprika and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, about 1 minute and set aside.

Using a hand towel or a safety glove, carefully shuck the oysters. Try to keep as much of the oyster “liquor” in the shell. Lay them on a platter or baking sheet.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of creole butter on each oyster.

Preheat your grill to high. Place an even layer of wood chips on your skillet and place skillet directly over heat source. In about 8 minutes, wood chips will begin to smoke.

Generously sprinkle rock salt over smoking wood chips so that the oysters can be set over the wood chips without falling over.

Carefully place oysters on salt/wood mixture. Place cover on grill and allow to “smoke”, about 4 minutes.

Carefully remove skillet from grill. Top each oyster with a small amount of shredded ham and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and don’t forget the Bourbon.

Bluegrass Tavern’s Old Fashioned

From Master Bartender Chris Evans of Bluegrass Tavern, Lexington KY 1 sugar cube (or ½ tp of sugar) 2 dashes of bitters (Angostura is fine) 1 splash of water 1 slice orange 3 cherries Ice 2 jiggers of rye based Bourbon (Bourbon in which the secondary grain is rye, not wheat)

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Pork Meatballs with Maple Boubon Glaze

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Recipe by Executive Chef Cole Arimes, Chef of Cole’s 735 Main Louisville KY Makes 50 Meatballs Pork Meatballs 5lbs 80-20 ground pork 1lb ground bacon 1 cup minced dried apricots 1 bnch flat leaf parsley 1/2 cup minced shallots 1/4 cup minced garlic 1 ea minced medium jalapeno 5 ea whole eggs 2 tbl salt 1/2 tbl black pepper 4 cup panko bread crumbs Salad 2 ea shaved fennel bulbs 6 ea segmented oranges 4 ea julienned shallots Maple Bourbon Glaze Combine all except maple syrup and butter and reduce by 2/3. Whisk in maple syrup and bring to a boil. Let rest 10 minutes and mount with butter. Cool, label and store.

4 cup maple syrup 2 cup Bourbon 2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup soy sauce 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup minced ginger 1 ea minced shallot 2 cup orange juice Pinch cayenne 1/2 lb butter For meatballs: In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except bread crumbs and incorporate thoroughly. Add bread crumbs and mix thoroughly.

Cover with plastic and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Form meatballs into 1 1/2 ounce portions or larger if desired.

SautĂŠ in a cast iron skillet with blended olive oil till browned. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees till cooked through. 5 -10 minutes. Top with glaze and continue baking for 5 minutes.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. For salad combine all ingredients and mix well. Use salad as bed for the meat balls on the plate.

The 735 Manhattan

Available at Cole’s 735 Main Lexington, KY 2.5oz Woodford Reserve 1oz tuaca 1oz grand marnier .5 Sweet Vermouth .5 oz Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters Shaken and served in a chilled Martini glass with an orange/cherry twist

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RUSSELL’S RULE For 60 Years, Jimmy Russell Has Been The Ultimate Ambassador For Wild Turkey And The Entire Bourbon Industry.

Story by Carla Carlton Photos by Victor Sizemore 32 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

As you drive the sinuous bridge across the Kentucky River from Woodford County into Anderson County,

the first thing you see is a billboard advertising the Wild Turkey distillery, which rises above it. The billboard has been there for years, welcoming Bourbon lovers to “heaven,” but earlier this year the message changed: “See the House That Jimmy Built.”

That would be Jimmy Russell, the legendary master distiller who in September will mark a jaw-dropping 60 years at Wild Turkey and the longest tenure of any master distiller in the industry. (For context, his career is 10 years older than the Congressional resolution that declared Bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States.”)

Since his first day on the job – Sept. 10, 1954 – Wild Turkey has increased production from 80 barrels a day to more than 550 and expanded from one product, Wild Turkey 101, to more than a dozen domestically and internationally – including the

after breakfast we drove out there and saw it.”

He may be treated like Bourbon royalty around the globe, but here, as everywhere, he’s just Jimmy. “I hope I haven’t changed,” he said. “What you see is what you get with me. I’m still same old fella from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.”

‘YOU’RE REAL!’ In fact, Jimmy still lives within a mile of where he was born in Anderson County, and just six miles from Wild Turkey. He was about to turn 20 – he’ll be 80 in November – when he started working at the distillery.

He surely never envisioned that one day, Bourbon would take him all over the world. But even then, his own world revolved around Bourbon. His wife, Joretta, to whom he’d been married for a year, already worked at what was then called the JTS Brown Distillery, and distillery work ran in his family.

“Back in that day and time there were four distilleries in Lawrenceburg,” he said. “We had Old Joe, and what

“WHEN YOU ENJOY SOMETHING, YOU NEVER WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE, AND I’VE REALLY ENJOYED IT.”

- Wild Turkey Master Distller Jimmy Russell on his 60 year tenure in the Bourbon industry. industry’s first honey Bourbon liqueur. He’s outlasted several employers; current Wild Turkey owner Gruppo Campari has invested more than $100 million over the past three years to modernize and expand the distillery, including a $4 million visitor center that opened in April.

Wild Turkey, which has declared 2014 “The Year of Jimmy Russell,” released a special Diamond Anniversary Bourbon this year to commemorate his milestone, and events are being held in cities across the map in his honor. But before you assume that the attention must have gone to his head, ask him what he thinks about that new billboard.

“I didn’t know anything about it! Our San Francisco office done that,” he said. “They put up the new sign late on a Friday afternoon. I was at the Huddle House on Saturday, and two or three people come in and said, ‘I like your sign.’ And I didn’t even know it! So

is Four Roses now was called Old Prentice then, and Hoffman Distillery, and this one here. My dad was working at the Old Joe Distillery; I had uncles working at Hoffman; I had family working at all the distilleries.

So it was just natural, when I was looking for a job. I was fortunate enough to get on here, and I’ve been here ever since.”

Over the next few years, he worked under Bill Hughes, the distillery’s second master distiller, and Ernest W. Ripy Jr., the great-nephew of distillery founder James Ripy and Wild Turkey’s third master distiller, learning every part of the Bourbon-making process. “I thought they was trying to get rid of me,” he jokes, “but they was teaching me the whole thing.”

In the late 1960s, Jimmy became master distiller.

The Bourbon industry was about to undergo some major changes. “In the ’50s and ’60s and early ’70s, Bourbon was doing all right,” he said. “And then the

white goods came out, the vodkas and gins. We didn’t change. We stayed true to the old-fashioned formula.”

But as consumer tastes changed, “old-fashioned” started to mean something your grandfather drank, and Bourbon sales as a whole began to decline.

Industry executives took several steps to try to reverse the slide. They introduced premium brands like Blanton’s and Booker’s, and for the first time, they decided to send actual distillers out on the road to educate the public about Bourbon and Bourbon making. Jimmy Russell was one of the first.

“There was always marketing and sales people out in the field,” he said, “but I believe it’s been close to 30 years now the company decided that I should go out.

The first one I ever done, we did a whirlwind tour. We started in New York, went down the coast to Florida, over to Louisiana, Texas and out to California. In California, there was a mom and pop liquor store. And there was an old gentleman sitting back in a rocking chair. We kept talking and going on, and he looked at me and said, “You’re real.” I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Momma, come back here: This fella’s real! He makes it!’ And I never will forget that.”

get a few drinks in ’em, and you know what happens, don’t you? They sing karaoke. And Australians just love to have a good time.

“I never will forget one time in Australia they had this big closing event and they’d decorated this big hall, must have been 200 people there. They had banners, signs… They said, ‘We decorated for two days, and we don’t know how long it’s going to take to get all this down.’ I don’t think they had to take a piece of it down. All those people was gathering it up, and I sat there and I signed it for over four hours. They were taking it back and putting it in their bars. It’s marketing and advertising for us.”

In the years since, Jimmy has flown farther than any wild turkey in history, making countless appearances across the United States and beyond to ever-growing audiences and keeping a punishing schedule that would drop a man 30 years his junior. “He is the only human who doesn’t get jet lag,” said Eric Ariyoshi, Gruppo Campari brand manager for Wild Turkey in San Francisco.

Joretta, who is sometimes introduced as the First Lady of Bourbon, occasionally accompanies Jimmy if he’s going to stay in one place for two or three days, but he’s often in a different city every night, starting out at 8 or 9 in the morning and returning to the hotel at midnight or after. “He just loves it so much that it doesn’t bother him at all,” she says.

“The thing I like so well is, you know, for many, many years, we sat here and we made it, we aged it, we bottled it and we shipped it, and that was it,” Jimmy says. “To get to meet the people who drink it, see how they enjoy it, see what they say about it, is something I really enjoy.”

He’s hard-pressed to name a favorite city he’s visited.

“But outside the country, I love Japan and Australia, and they’re just opposites. Japan is very formal and everything until about 10 o’clock at night when you 34 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

‘THE ELDER STATESMEN’ “I look at Jimmy and my father and Elmer T. Lee as the elder statesmen of the whole industry,” says Fred Noe, son of Booker Noe and current master distiller at Jim Beam. “They started the travel and the public tastings and introducing people to Bourbon, especially the premium and super-premium brands when that was getting started.

“They started the fire that has grown into the popularity of Bourbon today – by being accessible, shaking hands, telling the stories of the Bourbon industry through their eyes. Now, all of us next generations are feeding off the groundwork they laid. They might have done a tasting for half a dozen

people; now when we do a tasting, 200 or 300 people might show up.”

Jimmy and Booker in particular were close friends; Fred jokes that if you had put both of them in a bag and pulled one out, you wouldn’t know which one you had ahold of. “When I started traveling when Dad was still alive, Jimmy acted like he was taking notes, like, ‘I can tell Booker what you’re up to,’” Fred said.

“I said, ‘I don’t need a dad on the road and a dad at home too.’ We laughed about that. He’s always been very close to me. I do see him as another father.”

Jimmy’s actual son, Eddie Russell, is the associate master distiller at Wild Turkey, where he has worked for “only” 33 years. “I’m the new guy – I started yesterday,” he joked as he introduced his father at a Diamond Dinner at Louisville’s 21C hotel in May, part of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s inaugural Bourbon Affair. Eddie recalled that when Wild Turkey rolled out Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old to mark Jimmy’s 45th anniversary with the company, executives considered the gesture a grand send-off.

“What they didn’t know is that master distillers never retire.”

Russell’s Reserve, Rare Breed and Kentucky Spirit are among the small-batch and single-barrel Bourbons that Wild Turkey has introduced during Jimmy’s 36 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

tenure. Last year, the distillery unveiled Wild Turkey Spiced, only the second flavored Bourbon since Wild Turkey introduced Wild Turkey Honey Liqueur (now American Honey) in the 1970s. Eddie says that for a long time, he thought his name was “No,” because that’s what Jimmy would say whenever he proposed something new.

Acknowledging that he’s hard-headed and oldfashioned, Jimmy says he’s hesitant to stray too far from the original Wild Turkey profile – particularly with more flavored Bourbons.

“What I’m leery about is, How far can you go and still keep the Bourbon taste? We’re always experimenting with something, but you never know what the public will like. As long as you stay true to old-fashioned Bourbon – it’s been around what, for 200 years, and it’s still going, so… I don’t see it. We are all human; we always want to try something new, but we usually go back to our old standards.”

‘A KENTUCKY TRADITION’ For him, those standards are simple. “My personal taste is, I think Bourbon does not start maturing until about six, seven, eight years. It gets much over 12 years old, I don’t care much for it. You lose a lot of the caramel, the vanilla, the sweetness. And the white

oak wood becomes the dominant flavor. And I just don’t like a lot of woody taste.”

One notable exception is the Diamond Anniversary Bourbon, a blend of 13- and 16-year-old Wild Turkey hand-selected by Eddie that will hit the market in September.

Right now, you can buy it only at the beautiful new Wild Turkey Visitor Center, which overlooks the Kentucky River. The 9,000-square-foot center capped off $100 million in infrastructure improvements since 2011, including a new packaging facility and an entirely new distillery building – the first such expansion in Kentucky in decades – that doubled production capacity.

While the Visitor Center does have interactive displays, “I didn’t want Disney World,” Jimmy says. “I wanted it to look traditional. Bourbon’s tradition. A Kentucky tradition. That’s what I wanted the center to look like. Some says it looks like a cathedral. But you know what it’s supposed to look like? A tobacco barn.

We wanted it to look like typical Kentucky.”

More than 80,000 people are expected to visit Wild Turkey this year. And more people are drinking Bourbon than at any time since before Prohibition.

“It’s in great demand right now – there’s a shortage of Bourbon, to be honest with you,” Jimmy says. “You know here we plan six to 12 years in advance. You try to make enough, and if you make too much it costs you a lot of money, so…. One of the things right now

is rye whiskeys. Rye is really short. You know seven or eight years ago, us and Jim Beam was about the only rye whiskeys on the market. And then the young mixologists came in and started using rye in mixed drinks. We’ve been on allocations for two to three years, we’re still on allocations, because we didn’t know six or seven years ago that rye was going to do this. We can’t turn the faucet on overnight.”

More younger people and more women are drinking Bourbon than when he started in the industry, Jimmy says. People are better educated about whiskey nowadays, and increasingly they want higherproof Bourbon. Foreign markets are expanding. The equipment has gotten better, but the Wild Turkey formula, right down to the yeast, is the same as it was 60 years ago.

As for the future of Bourbon, “I still see it growing,” he says. “Now, nobody can expect it to grow like it’s been growing the last few years, but it’s the true American spirit, and it’s going to be around a lot longer than I am.”

And just how long will that be, Jimmy Russell?

“The first day it becomes a job, it’s time to retire,” he says. “When you enjoy something, you never work a day in your life, and I’ve really enjoyed it. But you never know when you get (to be) my age. I tease the young people: You know what I’m hoping now? What we’re making, putting in the barrel now – I hope I’m around when it’s put in the bottle.”

“I HOPE I HAVEN’T CHANGED. WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET WITH ME. I’M STILL THE SAME OLD FELLA FROM LAWRENCEBURG, KENTUCKY”” 38 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

License to Cruise

T

ouring Bourbon Country is without question, one of the most exhilarating things a Bourbon adventurist can experience in their life. Nothing compares to learning in person about the 200 year-old trade of making Bourbon at the different distilleries, while taking in the rolling hills and farms that blanket the Bluegrass area. It’s no wonder that National Geographic named this region one of its “Drives of a Lifetime.” For some folks though, it’s a hassle to plan a route of which distilleries and destinations to visit, especially if you’re totally unfamiliar with the area. Fortunately for those visiting Bourbon Country, there are three companies that stand out from the rest when it comes to providing folks with the ultimate Bourbon excursion.

40 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

R&R Limousine Some visitors to Bourbon Country have the notion that they will visit every distillery easily in a day or less. While this is possible, it’s not recommended because of the vast distance in which some of the distilleries are located from each other, as well as the duration of the actual tours. Most Bourbon adventurists find going to two, maybe three distilleries in one day is plenty of action.

R & R Limousine is well equipped to provide guests with a customized tour that will include visiting the right number of distilleries for the time each person or group can spare. R & R Limousine offers packages

as well as custom tours from 1 to 50 people, some who want to spend just a few hours touring or up to a group that may want to spend several days in Kentucky doing the entire trail at their own pace.

R & R also recommends and arranges breakfasts, lunches and/or dinners to go with the tours as well as additional activities. Vehicles range from luxury sedans, vans, SUVs, stretch limousines, limo buses and passenger buses.

They are also an official tour company of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and also have tours designed for Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail.

Specializing in “Service to the extreme” has served R & R well since it was purchased by its local owners in 2003 and is open seven days a week, all day and night to accommodate the schedules of all the visitors to Bourbon Country.

Mint Julep Tours Since 2007, Mint Julep Tours (lead by the husband and wife team of Sean and Lisa Higgins) has been offering visitors of Bourbon Country a variety of different Bourbon themed tours and excursions that complement the region. According to Sean, “We started this company to display our passion, which is to show folks what Kentucky is all about.

We love sharing our knowledge with people about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the cities amongst the distilleries, horse farms and other uniquely Kentucky experiences”.

What started out as a bus with room for 14 passengers has grown into a fleet of six vehicles.

Mint Julep Tours is equipped to handle groups as small as just two people, all the way up to 400 guests. While their home office is located in

Louisville at the Galt House and most of their tours leave from there, Mint Julep Tours can also arrange pickup in almost any city in Kentucky. They also offer transportation to any of the distilleries located in Bourbon Country and are also an official tour company of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Gold Shield With almost 30 years of experience under their belt and one of the largest and most diverse fleet of cars to choose from, Gold Shield has no problem keeping up with the demands of their clients and those who want a tour company to provide them with great, customized service. The locally owned company can handle groups of all sizes and accommodate any region of Bourbon Country. Gold Shield also has connections to the short list of horse farms that allow tour companies to visit.

Groups of three to six members might want to choose one of their Chevy Suburbans to partake in what owner George Doyle explains as, “we call it a ‘Bourbon experience’, as opposed to a ‘Bourbon tour’ because a tour is kind of a narrative thing, and we believe this is more of a hands-on event.”

While the standard tour usually includes stops at two Bourbon distilleries with lunch provided, Mint Julep Tours doesn’t stop there with the range of tours they can provide. They recently launched the “Zip, Sip and Dip” tour which starts out giving guests a fun day of zip lining in Louisville’s Mega Caverns and ends at Maker’s Mark Distillery where they are able to dip their own bottle of the famous whisky and try a sample as well. Because these zip lines are located in submerged caves, it is not weather permitting and offered year round.

Larger groups might choose one of their luxury buses that can seat over 30 and are fitted up with luxurious leather seats and trimmed in wood. They even offer classic cars, such as a vintage Rolls Royce.

While Gold Shield’s chauffeurs are prepared to answer questions about the area and provide out

They also have a Best of Kentucky Tour, which gives their guests the opportunity to experience the other famous industry the state is known for: horses. Those who sign up for this tour will spend part of the day touring a private horse farm and have the chance to see former Kentucky Derby winning horses before heading to one of the award-winning Bourbon distilleries.

Each tour includes a guide that is familiar with the different areas and has studied the history of Bourbon. Sean notes, “Our guides are very knowledgeable about the Bourbon industry. All of our guides go through extensive historical and cultural training to make sure they are an extension of who we are, and who the distilleries are.” Which guide or tour you choose with Mint Julep Tours they will always strive to follow their motto of, “The purpose of fun is to have some.”

42 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

of town guests with suggestions on what do while they’re in town, Doyle’s philosophy has always been to let his guests dictate the amount of discussion between his drivers and clients. Doyle reinforces, “Our Bourbon experiences are usually pretty enjoyable things. Our guests can quit worrying about business or what their next problem to deal with might be and just focus on enjoying themselves.”

Bulleit Finds a Home in Stitzel-Weller’s Historic Grounds

story by Jeffery Herrington photos by Victor Sizemore

44 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

There are certain venues that carry the distinction of “Holy Ground” in their respected fields of interest for visitors and laborers alike.

Like a concert pianist at Carnegie Hall or a worldclass golfer at Augusta National, the grounds at Stitzel-Weller were tailor-made for a Bourbon Baron to hold court. Fitting that bill today is Tom Bulleit, founder of one of the world’s fastest growing Bourbon brands and most sought after rye whiskeys: Bulleit.

“It is a great honor for us to be here in this incredibly historic facility,” Tom says of the establishment of the brand’s headquarters on the distillery’s grounds.

“With the tremendous growth of the brand over the last five years we felt we needed a location that could match our ambitions. We believe that this facility will allow us to do just that.”

Stitzel-Weller’s Early History It was Derby Day, 1935, just days after the repeal of the National Prohibition on alcohol when Julius “Pappy” Van Winkle and two partners, Alex Farnsley and Arthur Stitzel, first opened the doors of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

“What they did here was a little more formal than other distilleries in the industry,” Tom says. “They wanted the grounds to be more than just a place to distill and age their Bourbon; they wanted to have the capabilities to present the industry to the public.

That’s very evident with the soldier row set up of the warehouses with a boulevard running down the middle as well as the Jeffersonian-style administrative buildings on site.”

For the next four decades Stitzel-Weller would expand their production capabilities at a remarkable rate.

Riding Bourbon’s rise to prominence in the 1950s and 60s, the distillery’s production swelled from an initial two warehouses that housed close to twentyfive thousand barrels into an operation that employed nearly 250 people and produced 800,000 cases of Bourbon a year.

As beneficial as the 50s and 60s had been to the Bourbon industry, the 70s and 80s would prove to be just the opposite. Demand declined sharply and

The original, on-site cooperage

“Old Fitz” was one of the orginal brands at Stitzel-Weller

Part of the new welcome center

by the summer of 1972 Norton Simon had acquired the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company before selling it to Distiller’s Limited in 1984, which in 1986 became a part of the United Distiller’s Group, known today as the beverage conglomerate Diageo.

The Bulleit Experience is Tom’s vision for educating visitors not only about his namesake whiskey and other Diageo American whiskey releases, but to also remind folks of the former famed brands that Stitzel-Weller used to produce. “When you come in the first thing you will see is a museum of sorts, with the histories of not only the Bulleit brand, but also this wonderful facility and grounds that we have the great honor of now occupying,” Tom says, speaking of the large foyer that displays everything from old tools of the trade to vintage bottles to storyboards that connect the past with the present.

Bulleit Finds a Home “In the mid 1990s we partnered with Seagrams,” Tom says, explaining Bulleit’s connection with Diageo. “And then we came along with Diageo’s North American whiskey portfolio when they bought several of the Seagrams’ brands.”

In 1992, distilling at Stitzel-Weller stopped for good and for the past twenty-five years Diageo has utilized warehouse space there to age a number of their own products which on average exceed half a million barrels.

But now the former administrative office on the property has undergone a massive renovation and Bourbon fanatics can now tour the fabled facility via the Bulleit Experience at Stitzel-Weller.

46 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

The Bulleit Experience will educate folks about Bulleit and Stitzel-Weller whiskies, and the other American whiskies Diageo has released recently, like the Orphan Barrel Project and other future whiskies that Diageo has yet to unveil. Visitors will also be able to tour the grounds and warehouse space along with different choices for their whiskey tasting experience at the end. The price for tour and tasting will be around $10.

The Bourbon Boom It has been that same forward thinking that has catapulted the Bulleit brand from a small-scale privately owned operation to a household name in less than a quarter of a century. “Our Bourbon has experienced wonderful growth, in particular these last five years where that number has been in the double digits,” Tom says of Bulleit Bourbon’s expanding presence in the marketplace.

That growth has been complemented by the introduction of Bulleit Rye. “We transitioned from Bourbon to rye, a completely different category in and of itself, instead of a line extension, which would be us making a different type of Bourbon. The hope is that your new product won’t cannibalize your existing product. You hope that the new category also halos the other and creates an excitement for both brands, and that is in fact what has happened.”

With greater demand comes increased pressure to keep the shelves stocked. “Our focus is on making sure we have the adequate supply to grow our small batch brands. We pushed the rye project back twice to ensure we could stay in supply. We felt that if people were to try our rye they were going to like it, and we wanted to ensure that we would be in the position to meet that demand.”

48 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

It’s no wonder with the explosive growth of both Bulleit whiskies, Diageo recently announced its intention to build a new distillery. The Bulleit Distilling Company is set to open in 2016 on a rural farm in neighboring Shelby County to help ensure the future supply of Bulleit products.

As Tom is quick to note, such aspirations are only made possible through the collective effort of a great team. One of those team members out on the front lines is Hollis Bulleit, Tom’s daughter and lead ambassador of Bulleit’s strong connection with the bartenders and mixologists who have embraced both the Bourbon and rye in the creation of their cocktails.

“When we’re talking about Bourbon distillation and the Bourbon community here in Kentucky we often use the word ‘family’,” Tom says. “And that is what we are aiming to do here with this facility. We want folks to come and have the opportunity to see what it is that makes us who we are.”

With both its Bourbon and rye gaining a foothold in markets all over the globe, as well as the Bulleit Experience opening this year, it’s hard to imagine experiencing Bourbon Country without a taste of Bulleit.

meet the

MASTERS With the rise of Bourbon’s popularity reaching levels the spirit hasn’t seen in decades, it really makes sense that the true rock stars of the new “Bourbon Movement” are the folks whose job is to make sure that the Bourbon available to buy is nothing but the utmost quality. These people are known as Master Distillers, and it takes several years (sometimes decades) to truly master the art of making Bourbon.

While some of these whiskey making maestros are known for perfecting age-old techniques, others are making a name for themselves by using innovative processes. Here are some of the legendary Master Distillers of Bourbon Country.

Craig Beam Heaven Hill

Craig Beam has been teaming up with his fabled father, Parker, since 1982 to produce some of the world’s best Bourbon. This partnership has garnered numerous awards and accolades for the storied Bourbons he’s in charge of including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna and Fighting Cock. With a bloodline that is also connected to the famous James “Jim” Beam, the seventh generation Master Distiller should have this family owned and operated distillery busy with plans to expand the trophy case for decades to come.

Parker Beam Heaven Hill

Heaven Hill’s Master Distiller of Bourbon Whiskey, Parker Beam, has been involved in the business for over half a century. This sixth generation Master Distiller has Bourbon in his blood as he worked alongside his father, former Master Distiller Earl 50 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

Beam, for nearly three decades before taking over his position in 1975. In September, 2007, Parker’s Heritage Collection was released, which has become an aficionado’s dream, as Parker was able to showcase some of the distillery’s finest barrels of Bourbon. This year’s Parker’s Heritage will be raising money for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) - a cause the veteran distiller became involved with after being diagnosed with the disease last year.

Mark Coffman

Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co

Mark Coffman could possibly be the busiest distiller in Kentucky these days and that’s saying a lot. The Master Distiller of the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company was not only the project manager for the company’s recent $6 million dollar boutique Bourbon distillery that opened in the city it’s named after, but also pulled double duty overlooking the ground breaking of a $20 million expansion for its brewery operations as well. Coffman also recently broke ground overseas, working on distilling projects in Carlow County, Ireland to make whiskey and also Haiti to start production of Haitian Rhum. He’s also leading the Alltech Academy of Craft Brewers and Distillers, a series of educational seminars designed for those interested in obtaining better knowledge about the alcohol business, with the first one being taught in Dublin, Ireland during the summer of 2013.

Greg davis

Fred Noe

Greg Davis has been at Maker’s Mark since 2010, when he left the Master Distiller’s position at Barton’s 1792 Distillery to become the main Bourbon maker at one of the world’s most recognizable brands.

Because of his age (just north of 40), Davis is known by some industry insiders as the “Baby Distiller”, even though his 6’4’’, 200 pound-plus frame would suggest otherwise. Davis stepped up as Maker’s Mark’s Master Distiller after Kevin Smith left the position to become Beam Global’s Head of Distilling Operations. Davis has a reputation of being extremely efficient, which is a skill almost all major Bourbon brands desire at their Master Distiller positions, as companies try to keep up with supplying the growing demands of consumers who want to buy more Bourbon.

No one can say “distilling is in my blood” quite like Fred Noe. The seventh generation Master Distiller is the great-grandson of Jim Beam and the son of Bourbon baron Booker T. Noe. He’s been at Jim Beam for almost 30 years and was announced as the Master Distiller and face of the world’s largest Bourbon company in 2007. His on the job hats include distiller, educator, diplomat and international ambassador.

When he’s not watching over the world’s most popular Bourbon, Jim Beam, he participates in handselecting barrels of Bourbon for the brand named after his dad, Booker’s, and also helps the brand stay innovative by developing new brands such as Devil’s Cut and Knob Creek Smoked Maple.

Maker’s Mark

Chris Morris

Woodford Reserve and Old Forester

Chris Morris had his introduction to the Bourbon industry in 1976 when he joined the Brown-Forman team in Louisville, Ky. While he has held sales and marketing duties during his career, Morris is known for his brilliance in operations and was named Master Distiller of the award-winning Bourbon brands of Brown-Forman in 2004. Morris enhanced his reputation as a gifted whiskey distiller in 2007, the first year of the now annual “Master Collection” release that allows Morris to show off his vision for innovative products, like aging Bourbon in former wine cask and using centuries-old methods such as the “Sweet Mash” process. Morris is also a world renowned spirits historian who travels the world as a brand ambassador for the Bourbon brands he’s ultimately responsible for.

Jim Beam

Ken Pierce

Barton 1792 Distillery

Since he joined the Barton 1792 Distillery team in 1994, Ken Pierce hasn’t looked back. He officially became the Master Distiller of the oldest operating distillery in the “The Bourbon Capitol of the World” in 2010. Pierce’s most important duty is the safeguarding of the distillery’s flagship brand, 1792, a project he’s worked on since he started at the distillery when he developed the brand’s taste profile before it was released to the public.

Out of the 28 barrel aging warehouses on the 192acre property he oversees, Pierce chooses only barrels from Warehouse Z for 1792, because of its optimal Bourbon aging location that allows it to receive what he believes is optimal air-circulation.

Willie Pratt

Jimmy russelL

Michter’s Master Distiller, Willie Pratt has over 40 years of experience in the whiskey industry with in-depth knowledge ranging from selection of grain, to distillation, to barreling and maturation.

Good naturedly referred to as “Dr. No” by Michter’s salespeople, Willie is known for refusing to release whiskey for bottling until he feels it is just right, even though the whiskey may already be significantly older than the age stated on the label.

Pratt is a proud native of Louisville, Ky where he, his wife Patsy, his children, grandchildren, and his great grandchildren live. Among Willie’s outside interests and hobbies are fishing in Florida, riding Harley motorcycles, and until recently when his parked plane was totaled on a runway, flying his Cherokee fourseater.

For 60 years, Jimmy Russell has put the sharpened claw on the “Kickin’ Chicken”. James “Jimmy” Russell grew up less than five miles from the Lawrenceburg, Ky distillery and began working there at age 19.

During his tenure as Master Distiller, his chief aim has remained constant: to bottle a Bourbon as consistent in taste as it is strong. Lately, this thirdgeneration distiller has been traveling the world promoting and educating others about Wild Turkey and Bourbon in general.

“The thing that is most satisfying to me is when people come up to me and say, ‘We enjoy the flavor and the taste.’ That is the most important thing to me. I want Wild Turkey to be consistent in flavor and taste today and tomorrow, ten years from now and on and on.”

Michter’s

Eddie RusselL Wild Turkey

Thankfully for Wild Turkey fans, birds of a feather not only flock together, they make wonderful whiskeys as well. In September 2005, Wild Turkey released Russell’s Reserve, a collaboration between Wild Turkey Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell, and his son, Eddie Russell. The fanfare that followed proved that many enthusiasts of the brand believed this was a signal that another Russell had come of age. More recently, Eddie had his hand in releasing another small batch product called Forgiven, which is a blend between 6-year-old Bourbon and 4-year-old rye whiskey. Under his father’s tutelage, Russell has learned every aspect of the whiskey-making process, from working on the bottling line and moving barrels in the storage houses, to partnering with his father and crafting small batch Bourbon; Eddie is sure to keep Wild Turkey flying high into the 21st century.

52 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

Wild Turkey

Jim Rutledge Four Roses

With one of the most impressive resumes in the Bourbon industry, Jim Rutledge has been building his reputation as one of the best Bourbon makers in the world for more than 40 years. He was part of the first class to be inducted into the “Bourbon Hall of Fame” in Bardstown, and accepted Malt Advocate’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2007. However, for American drinkers who favor the rye-heavy Four Roses taste, Rutledge’s biggest accomplishment occurred in 2002, when Four Roses Bourbon was brought back to the United States after he was instrumental in convincing their new parent company, Kirin Brewery, to release it in the domestic market, which signaled the end of the over 50-year absence from the U.S. consumer. Rutledge has continued to make sure the company gets its corn from the same grain source for the last 50 years, along with storing its barrels in one-story brick warehouses to achieve consistency along with its award-winning flavor.

Harlen wheatley Buffalo Trace

One of Kentucky’s oldest distilleries is operated by one of the youngest Master Distillers in the Bourbon industry. Harlen Wheatley joined Buffalo Trace in 1995, after attaining degrees in chemistry and chemical

engineering. He has held the title of Master Distiller at the Frankfort, Ky based distillery since taking over for the legendary Gary Gayheart in 2005 and is only the 6th person since the Civil War to hold the title there.

Wheatley is not only in control of the company’s flagship product, Buffalo Trace, but also oversees production of Blanton’s Bourbon and the Pappy Van Winkle line of Bourbons that will soon be bottled there as well. The Kentucky born distiller is also pleasing “Bourbon geeks” with his experimental whiskies that are released several times during the year.

Wild Turkey’s New Nest

story by Robbie Clark photos by Victor Sizemore

When executives at the Wild Turkey distillery were initially discussing their visions for a new, much-needed visitors center at their Lawrenceburg, Ky., campus, they weren’t sure what they wanted, aside from a world-class facility that could accommodate the growing number of visitors, but they knew what they didn’t want.

seem to mind, like a pair of interactive iPad stations where visitors can take a virtual tour of the distillery - a nod to the younger generation of Bourbon fans.

They didn’t want hokey attractions or overblown features.

They didn’t want the experience to be in your face. They didn’t want, as master distiller Jimmy Russell eloquently put it, “Disney World.”

“I remember the first day we sat down,” said Eddie Russell, Jimmy’s son and associate distiller at Wild Turkey, “Jimmy was really big on not wanting ‘Disney World,’ because he’s such a traditionalist.”

Jimmy is celebrating 60 years at the distillery this year, so it is forgivable, and even understandable, if the seasoned veteran of the Bourbon industry didn’t want anything installed that could be considered as annoying as the Magic Kingdom’s It’s a Small World boat ride, since Jimmy has a reputation of dropping by the visitor center to greet guests before they begin a tour.

Wild Turkey approached a handful of architects for potential designs and finally selected Louisville firm De Leon & Primmer’s plan - a tasteful and timeless 9,146-square-foot, two-tier center on a bluff overlooking Young’s High Bridge as it spans the Kentucky River 280 feet in the air. The building’s interior and exterior appearance, designed in a way to resemble a tobacco barn, fits seamlessly into its rustic setting … with just a few modern bells and whistles thrown in that Jimmy doesn’t 54 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

“For me, you’ve got to be a little modern to get the consumer that we have now. Our consumer has changed so much, it used to be people my age and older men. Now it’s 21- to 35-year-old male and females, so they’re coming in and they are used to iPads,” Eddie said.

The iPad stations on are in the first floor tasting area, adjacent to an outdoor patio area. A long corridor featuring a timeline history of Bourbon and Wild Turkey leads guests down to the area, which also boasts the distillery’s old Vendome still, which was replaced when considerable upgrades were made to the distillery’s production capabilities. The equipment change was so recent, all the varieties of Wild Turkey Bourbons on the shelves of the tasting room came from the still on display.

“We’ve got the old still here, and you get to see what it looks like inside,” Jimmy said. “When you took the tours, you couldn’t see what it looked like inside because it was in operation. What you’re drinking now came out of there.”

The still rises between the levels to the second floor, an area Eddie calls the “coup de force” for the visitors’ experience, offering sweeping vistas of the river. Perched at one of the tables looking out the windows, Jimmy gave a succinct assessment of his favorite amenity for the new visitors center.

“Well, you can see,” he said.

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The Spirit of the Maker

story by Robbie Clark photos by Victor Sizemore

In many ways Rob Samuels’ grandmother, Margie Samuels, had as much to do with the recent Dale Chihuly art installation at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Ky., as the young president of the Bourbon brand. The 40-foot-long, 6-foot-wide sculptural composition, consisting of 1,300 multicolored, individual hand-blown glass pieces, created by one of America’s most preeminent artists, is in keeping with what she helped create with her husband, Bill Samuels Sr., 60 years ago.

(18th century in the U.S.), he was still interested in producing the spirit, just not the kind that blew your ears off, as was de rigueur at the time. So adamant was Bill Sr. in creating his own brand of refined, craftsmanstyle Bourbon, he sold the family distillery, burned their recipes, and started anew in Loretto by purchasing and renovating Burks’ Distillery in 1954. Using the water from a 14-acre spring-fed lake just a stone’s throw away and a new mash bill, Bill Sr. created Maker’s Mark Bourbon.

When Bill Sr. inherited the T.W. Samuels Distillery, which his ancestors founded at Samuels Depot about 35 miles away in the 1840s, the facility was still a commercially viable operation. As a descendent of a family that had been in the whiskey business since the 1500s in Scotland

At least he created what went in the bottle, Margie Samuels created everything else. Even the bottle. Even the name. Even the letterpress label. And the iconic red wax seal - that was her idea.

56 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

She also set the tone for the Maker’s Mark campus. At that time, distilleries were unsightly industrial operations serving one purpose, a no-frills production.

They weren’t the tourist destinations you see today. But if her husband was going to put such an emphasis on his hands-on style of Bourbon production, Margie wanted to make the place attractive enough where she could invite friends and members of the community over to come see for themselves.

“My grandmother complimented him in a lot of ways,” Rob Samuels said. “Her vision for the campus was to recreate a Victorian village, which is what you have here. All the projects we’ve done here since the beginning are really borne out of her original vision for the campus.”

Several decades later, to do something special to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of Maker’s Mark, Rob Samuels pulled a trick from his grandmother’s playbook - he wanted to have something created that visitors would want to come see.

He wanted to commission Chihuly, whose large glass sculpture pieces have been commissioned throughout the world, because he felt that the artist’s meticulous approach to his large-scale artwork was symbolically fitting of Maker’s Mark’s handmade essence. Samuels had to use a little handmade ingenuity of his own, however, to get a response from Chihuly after phone calls and emails went unreturned.

“Finally I wrote him a two-page, handwritten letter, and I said I’m an eighth generation whisky maker, my grandparents created this beautiful handmade brand, and our handmade Bourbon is made probably more inefficiently than your process,” Samuels said. “We

have a beautiful campus, I think it would be a beautiful backdrop to showcase a piece of your work uniquely inspired by Makers.

“He called me immediately.”

Initially, Samuels wanted the piece to fit above the bottle-dipping area in the gift shop, but on the night before Chihuly and his team was to visit Loretto, while watching a documentary about the artist’s work in Venice, where some pieces were displayed down dark, narrow alleys, Samuels thought an aisle of an aging warehouse would be the optimum canvas for the artist to work.

Chihuly agreed, and “The Spirit of the Maker” began to take shape.

The piece ribbons the signature red hue from the wax bottle sealing throughout and gives a nod to the nearby lake with touches of blue – there’s even a few cherubs to watch over the “angel’s share.” It took Chihuly’s team five days to place each individual piece. During the unveiling, Samuels says Chihuly leaned over and said that he thought this venue was the most interesting environment where my work has been displayed.

“The Spirit of the Maker” was unveiled in the early spring, just a few weeks after Maker’s Mark announced a sizeable expansion plan to boost production for the coming years, but Samuels knows that as the company and its facilities grow, quality will always trump quantity.

“You almost assume that as we make a little bit more and bottle a little bit more and produce a little more, that the site itself is going to lose some of its charm. And it’s not, all of this and everything that we’re doing is all a continuation of my grandmother’s vision,” he said.

Diageo’s New Distillery

story by Justin Thompson photos by Victor Sizemore

The World’s largest liquor company, Diageo, hosted a ground-breaking ceremony today in the rural countryside of Shelby County, Ky to announce its intention to invest $115 million over three years for the building of a distillery and warehouse operation that will be officially known as the Bulleit Distilling Company. This initial investment will include a 1.8 million proof gallon (750,000 9-liter cases a year capacity) still and six barrel storage warehouses while adding at least 30 full-time positions.

Speakers from the local government (including Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear) and Diageo’s upper management all raved about Tom Bulleit’s commitment to his namesake brands (Bulleit Bourbon and Rye) and how his determination has turned them into some of the fastest growing and established Bourbon and Rye whiskey brands in the world. Diageo North American President Larry Schwartz even admitted that he didn’t want to launch Bulleit Rye, but was convinced to do so by Tom. Bulleit Rye is now considered by some as the leader in Rye whiskey market share in the world.

While it’s not official, a source shared with The Bourbon Review that the old still at Stitzel-Weller Distillery (which is also owned by Diageo) could be repurposed or even melted down so the metal could be used to construct the new column still at this facility. Tom Bulleit also believes that this could be the largest still built in America in the last 75 years.

While finalization of these plans is still subject to approval by local government, the project will represent a significant investment in Kentucky’s growing Bourbon 58 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

industry. As of now, there are over 5 million barrels of Bourbon aging in Kentucky. Diageo already holds the title of owning the largest Scotch (Johnnie Walker) and Canadian (Crown Royal) whiskey brands in the world, so their expansion into Bourbon operations has been suspected by analysts and industry experts for years.

Over the last year, Diageo’s momentum in North American Whiskey has accelerated with both flagship and new-to-world brands. Fuelled by flavor innovations and consumer demand for premium brands with authenticity, Bourbon is currently the fastest growing spirits category in the U.S., enjoying 14% value growth for the latest 52 weeks. This popularity is mirrored globally, with the super-premium price segment growing 24% over the last three years.

The 300 acres of property the Bourbon Distilling Company will one day operate on will include plenty of space for expansion. Diageo’s North America Supply President Paul Gallagher shared, “One of the things Tom (Bulleit) and I did when looking at this facility was focus on its growth potential. We do have the capability at this facility to grow even bigger.”

The proposed distillery will be designed to fit in with the surrounding countryside and during construction Diageo will take measures to conserve the natural landscape in the area. Approximately 100 acres of land around the property line will act as a natural barrier to site operations. Diageo North America has a strong record of achieving zero waste to landfill in its operations, and the company aims to achieve the same in Kentucky. Tom Bulleit pledged, “This will be the most environmentally friendly distillery and neighbor to Shelby County.”

Woodford gets a Face Lift

By Justin Thompson

Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, recently completed a stunning renovation of their visitor center and gift shop at the historical site. The $1.9 million renovation included the addition of a tasting room and improvements to the retail space and aesthetic enhancements by blending contemporary features like back lighted walls lined with their bottles of Bourbon along with cozy and warm leather furniture and tables made from re-claimed wood from some of the preexisting warehouses on the property.

Overall, the Bourbon industry has spent close to $350 million recently on new production and tourism facilities.

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Woodford Reserve’s parent company, Brown-Forman, has also recently announced its plans to spend an additional $35million on expanding their production and warehouse capabilities for Woodford Reserve, with construction currently underway.

One of the fastest-growing super premium Bourbons, Woodford Reserve was introduced in 1996 and the visitor center opened in the same year. The Woodford Reserve Distillery has received increasing numbers of visitors since its opening with approximately 130,000 visitors stepping through their doors last year.

Your guide to Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown, Lebanon, Frankfort, Shepherdsville & Bowling Green Plus: Distillery profiles & tour hours 62 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

Bourbon, Bed & Breakfast More information about the BB&B’s can be found at www.bouboncountry.com Bed and Breakfasts are renowned for their warmth and hospitality. In the heart of Bourbon Country, some of our B&Bs take that even further by adding another “B”. This list details those establishments that have embraced the state’s signature spirit and offer guests some additional interactions with Kentucky Bourbon.

Eagle Hill Manor Bed & Breakfast

Bardstown Enjoy selected Bourbon breakfast specialties, and (in season) Dan’s scrumptious homemade Bourbon chocolate fudge.

440 E. Stephen Foster Ave

Earlier owners of the Talbott Tavern include T.D. Beam (Jim’s brother) and Tom Moore who started his own distillery at the location where Barton distillery is now. Before turning in have a taste of some of the finest Bourbons made with our Bourbon sampler. www.talbotts.com

Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast

Bowling Green

Beautiful Dreamer B&B

Bourbon Lover’s Paradise...from its Bourbon-themed accommodations, Bourbon Café and Bourbon Bar (opening 2014), and its Bourbon Spa with its Bourbon-oriented treatments. www.bourbonmanor.com

Cabin in the Woods

You and your guests will receive a Bourbon Country Gift Basket, including Bourbon treats, upon arrival at this serene family getaway.

You can swim, hike, fish, or just enjoy the countryside.

1365 Shady Lane, Boston, KY

Springhill Winery, Plantation and B&B

Start your Bourbon Country Experience with our homemade Apple Bourbon Jelly as part of our home cooked country breakfast. www.historiceaglehillmanorbb.com

Talbott Tavern

Spongie Acres Bed & Breakfast

Enjoy homemade Bourbon truffles upon check-in and Bourbon-inspired recipes. Gift shop includes Bourbon display. www.spongieacresbedandbreakfast.com

The Candle Loft

Nestled above Candle Makers on the Square, enjoy one of their Bourbon Candles as a gift and Bourbon truffles on arrival. www.thecandleloft.net

Louisville

Evening reception featuring Plantation Bourbon Tea or Bourbon Lemonade, fruit and cheeses.

Highlights of the country breakfast include praline French toast and Springhill’s Bourbon syrup, Bourbon glazed ham, and even Bourbon grits. www.springhillwinery.com

Aleksander House

Red Rose Inn

Guests are offered after dinner liqueurs including Wild Turkey Honey Bourbon. Breakfast includes old fashioned French toast made with challah bread topped with a caramel Bourbon banana sauce and finished with a Bourbon chocolate sauce. www.innatwoodhaven.com

Begin your day with a delicious country gourmet breakfast with homemade goodies such as Chocolate Panna Cotta with chocolate Bourbon sauce, Peach Bourbon patchwork cobbler and other Bourbon treats.

End you day with delicious Bourbon almond toffee. www.redroseinnbardstown.com

Cooking with Kentucky’s Own Bourbon expert, guests will enjoy recipes from “A Splash of Bourbon”

by David Domine. www.aleksanderhouse.com

Inn at Woodhaven

1888 Rocking Horse Manor

Stay in a former Bourbon Baron’s home and enjoy the craftsmanship that went into the great homes of Old Louisville. Enjoy a glass of Bourbon in the parlor or library with wet-bar or outside in the courtyard in view of the original carriage house. www.rockinghorse-bb.com

Central Park B&B Serving Bourbon baked apples, maple Bourbon French toast with Bourbon syrups. Enjoy Louisville’s famous Bourbon Happy Balls in every room. www.centralparkBandB.com

Dupont Mansion B&B

Enjoy Bourbon inspired breakfasts and evening desserts. Special packages include an Urban Bourbon Bus Tour, Bourbon Baron walking tour and premium Bourbon gifts. www.DuPontMansion.com

Inn at the Park

Enjoy Bourbon inspired breakfasts and evening desserts. Special packages include an Urban Bourbon Bus Tour, Bourbon Baron walking tour and premium Bourbon gifts. www.InnatPark.com

Samuel Culbertson Mansion Breakfast includes a house made Bourbon sauce daily and many changing recipes laced with premium Bourbons. Over 20 different premium Bourbons in house in addition to a generous collection of vintage Bourbon decanters. www.culbertsonmansion.us

Bluegrass Country Estate Bed and Breakfast A unique Bed and Breakfast on a Horse Farm, combines Kentucky’s Best; Horses and Bourbon with evening samplings of Kentucky Bourbons and morning workouts of up and coming Thoroughbreds. www.bluegrasscountryestate.com

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Louisville, Kentucky Home of the Kentucky Derby and the Urban Bourbon Trail

L

ouisville’s rich Bourbon heritage begins with its strategic location along the Ohio River in the late 18th century, when frontier farmers in Kentucky first started using the land’s distinctly limestonefiltered water to distill whiskey.

As Louisville became a vital commercial hub in the second half of the 19th century, the city’s Main Street was dubbed “Whiskey Row” due to the large concentration of Bourbon-related offices and warehouses centered in the district.

Prohibition, and other political and economic forces, took its toll on Louisville’s Bourbon industry through the 20th century, but a renaissance in “America’s Native Spirit” in the 1990s spurred a renewed emphasis on Louisville’s Bourbon heritage, and as well as the city itself on the national stage.

Visitors to Louisville have ample opportunities to explore many Bourbon-related attractions in town or use the city as a home base when wandering the Bourbon Trail. Be sure to pick up a free “passport” to Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail while you’re in town in which dozens of bars and restaurants, all with more than 50 different varieties of Bourbon, are detailed and mapped – just don’t try to complete the trail in one day. Visit www.bourboncountry.com for information about where to get a passport.

Eat & Drink When it comes to eating and drinking options in Louisville, your cup overfloweth. And Bourbon aficionados will revel in the attention and diligence these venues give in distilling the Kentucky spirit into their menus and ambiance, not to mention bottle-lined bars.

These locations are included on the Urban Bourbon Trail, so it goes without saying that each has a handsome selection of Bourbon varieties.

Bristol Bar & Grille – Downtown racks up more and

more “Best of Louisville” awards each year, and for good reason: the Bourbon selection is solid, and the menu is expansive.

614 W. Main St. www.bristolbarandgrille.com

Bristol Bar & Grille – Highlands was the original Bristol

Bar; opened in 1977 in the heart of the eclectic Highlands neighborhood, it quickly became a favorite among locals.

1321 Bardstown Rd. www.bristolbarandgrille.com

Asiatique offers a unique, and surprisingly successful, marriage of Asian-inspired foods and drinks with America’s native spirit.

1767 Bardstown Rd. www.asiatiquerestaurant.com

Buck’s is a smart dining experience

Bistro 301 is located in a downtown historic building and is known for its fresh, local and regional foods. Fun fact: The restaurant’s bar was spotlighted in the beginning of the Bill Murray movie “Stripes.”

301 W. Market St. www.bistro301.com

Derby Cafe has the esteemed

Bourbons Bistro has over 130

selections of Bourbon to choose from, along with some antique expressions, as well as a seasonal menu featuring Kentucky favorites.

2255 Frankfort Ave. www.bourbonsbistro.com

set among the stately Victorian mansions of Old Louisville rounded out with nightly live piano music.

425 W. Ormsby www.buckslou.com

privilege of serving the Kentucky governor a mint julep on Derby Day and is a convenient lunch option while touring the Kentucky Derby Museum.

704 Central Ave. www.derbycafe.com

Dish on Market is a storied downtown watering hole serving lunch, dinner and breakfast, including Truman’s Breakfast – the president enjoyed a shot of Bourbon with his daily egg.

434 W. Market St. www.dishonmarket.com

Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar,

St. Charles Exchange puts

laboriously crafted cocktails front and center in this impeccably decorated downtown fine dining downtown restaurant.

113 S. Seventh St. www.stcharlesexchange.com

located in the heart of Whiskey Row, is a hip oyster and Bourbon bar with an emphasis on new Southern cuisine.

127 W. Main St. www.doccrows.com

Sidebar at Whiskey Row,

Down One Bourbon Bar & Restaurant, featured in National

home of Bourbon, burgers and beer, is located inside the Whiskey Row Lofts, a historic limestone structure originally built in 1877 by the L&N Railroad to serve as their headquarters.

129 N. Second St. www.sidebarwhiskeyrow.com

Geographic’s “Best in the World: MustSee Places for 2014,” has a selection of more than 120 Bourbons, including a proprietary barrel program.

321 W. Main St. www.downonebourbonbar.com

Harvest sources at least 80 percent of its chow within a 100-mile radius of Louisville – the over 70 varieties of Bourbon are from even closer, naturally.

624 E. Market St. www.harvestlouisville.com

Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge serves lunch

and dinner and turns into a nightclub after 10 p.m. on weekend nights, while being conveniently located in the Fourth Street Live! complex.

446 S. Fourth St. www.makerlounge.com

Marketplace Restaurant fuses

Southern comfort food, Italian panache and live jazz with surprising success in this downtown location.

An impressive cocktail list always helps.

651 S. Fourth St.; www. theatersquaremarketplace.com

O’Shea’s Downtown is a 15,000 square-foot, four-story building located in the Iron Quarter District of downtown Louisville, also known as Whiskey Row. 123 W. Main St. www.osheaslouisville.net Haymarket Whiskey Bar

might be billed as a “dive bar,” with its vintage pinball, but 75-plus Bourbons behind the bar might speak otherwise.

331 E. Market St. www.haymarketwhiskeybar.com

Lilly’s has been a favorite dining spot in the Highlands for over 25 years, and the owner and chef’s esteemed Bourbon heritage is reflected in the menu.

1147 Bardstown Rd. www.lillyslapeche.com

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Ramsi’s Cafe on the World brings over 100 dishes from around the world to the historic Highlands neighborhood – Sunday brunch is a trustworthy refuge for Saturday night revelers.

1293 Bardstown Rd. www.ramsiscafe.com

Rye believes that local and regional food simply tastes better and capitalizes on the products of its local farms focusing on sustainable, seasonal, unadulterated ingredients.

900 E. Market St. www.ryeonmarket.com

The Silver Dollar is housed in a former firehouse, and with its cleverly crafted food and drink menu and carefully curated background music, pays tribute to the honky-tonk “Bakersfield Sound.”

1761 Frankfort Ave. www.whiskeybythedrink.com Sway at the Hyatt Regency Louisville has a menu based on the farm-to-fork concept and combines flavors of Southern kitchens and American favorites with the freshest ingredients from local farms, dairies and butchers.

311 S. Fourth St. www.louisville.hyatt.com

Volare Ristorante serves products sourced from the chef’s own 10-acre farm, and offers an innovative modern Italian farm-totable menu.

2300 Frankfort Ave. www.volare-restaurant.com

Stay

The Troll Pub Under the Bridge is a unique, underground

dining experience located at the corner of Second and Washington streets. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see Louie, the 8-foot-tall Troll.

150 W. Washington St. www.trollpub.com

With over 17,000 rooms available in the Louisville area, finding digs that suit your tastes, and budget, is easily accomplished. Many accommodations, from corporate mainstays to quirky or historic boutique hotels, are conveniently located downtown, and limited service options, as well as quaint bed and breakfasts, also are options. But if you’re looking to stay somewhere where you can have a quick Bourbon nightcap before retiring for the night, you might consider these venues – all with their very own stop on the Urban Bourbon Trail.

BLU Italian Grille serves regional Italian classics with a contemporary flare.

280 W. Jefferson St. www.marriott.com

21c Museum Hotel

A 90-room boutique hotel with a contemporary art museum and avant-garde design, 21c quickly became one of the most fashionable places to stay since opening in 2006.

Be sure to check their website to see what the exhibits will be on display during your stay – just don’t forget to adventure outside of the hotel during your stay. Proof on Main (www.proofonmain.com), an awardwinning restaurant on the ground floor, has an impressive collection of Bourbons, creative cocktails, and a menu showcasing the delicious regional fare – all in an exquisite setting.

700 W. Main St. www.21cmuseumhotels.com

Varanese has turned a mid-’50s

service station into a striking upscale, casual restaurant, complete with an all-season patio with retractable serpentine glass doors.

2106 Frankfort Ave. www.varanese.com

Vernon Club is a venerable

watering hole located in the oldest bowling alley in Louisville, and the oldest active bowling alley in the country – dating back to 1936.

1575 Story Ave. www.vernonclub.com

Village Anchor is located 15 miles outside of downtown, and worth the drive – this fashionable European “bistropub” has year-round alfresco dining in a former railroad train station.

11507 Park Rd. www.villageanchor.com Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant takes all the things diners enjoy about authentic Italian cuisine and makes it even better using Bourbon as an ingredient in many dishes.

150 S. Fifth St. www.vincenzositalianrestaurant.com

Louisville Marriott Downtown

A four-diamond hotel, the Louisville Marriott Downtown provides skywalk access to the 4th Street Live entertainment district, as well as the Kentucky International Convention Center. Inside, the Bar at BLU features over 60 Bourbons and a Bourbon-themed menu, as well as Bluegrass music on Thursday nights. Sports fans can catch the game at Champion’s Sports Bar, and

Brown Hotel

Noted as the birthplace of the decadent Hot Brown sandwich, a filling open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and Mornay sauce first whipped to feed the late-night dance crowd, the luxurious Brown Hotel, included on the National Register of Historic Places was built with the bravado of the Roaring Twenties with distinctive English Renaissance designs. The lavish Brown Hotel Lobby Bar, equipped with a grand

piano and a hand-painted, two-story ceiling, has seduced travelers and locals alike for decades.

335 W. Broadway www.brownhotel.com

Seelbach Hotel

The opulent Seelbach Hotel, forged with the swagger of Gilded-Age confidence, has attracted all walks of celebrity – from the famous, such as Elvis Presley and nine sitting U.S. Presidents, to the infamous, including frequent Seelbach guest Al Capone. The mahogany textured Old Seelbach Bar is nearly as storied as its namesake, continuously showing up on lists of best bars in the country, and was even immortalized in “The Great Gatsby” as the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald (also a notable visitor) when describing the setting for Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s wedding.

500 S. Fourth St. www.seelbachhilton.com

Hyatt Regency Louisivlle

A stone’s throw away from the rambunctiousness of the bars and restaurants of the Fourth Street Live! complex. The recently renovated Sway restaurant gives diners the an opportunity to try some of the region’s freshest ingredients from local producers used in traditional, but innovative, Southern staples.

311 S. Fourth St. www.louisvillehyatt.com

Louisville Marriott East

Galt House Hotel

The venerable Galt House Hotel is Louisville’s only waterfront hotel.

Though the current two-tower complex, the fourth iteration of the hotel, wasn’t envisioned until the ‘70s, the original Galt House dates back to 1835 and housed luminary American and global icons, from President Abraham Lincoln to Charles Dickens. The hotel’s bar, Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar, decked out in equine memorabilia, is home to the one of the world’s largest assortment of Bourbons, with over 160 on the shelf.

140 N. Fourth St. www.galthouse.com

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The Louisville Marriott East may be located a few miles from downtown attractions, but it is an advantageous home base for day trips on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and the hotel’s re-envisioned Charr’d Bourbon and Kitchen Lounge, an upscale dining experience with a Bourbon-themed menu and motif, is an appealing attraction in itself.

1903 Embassy Square Blvd. www.marriottlouisvilleeasthotel.com

Shop Take a taste of Bourbon Country home, from a hard-to-find bottle to locally crafted food items inspired by our native spirit.

A Taste of Kentucky

With three Louisville locations, the store is home to a unique assortment of gifts, food, crafts and charming

gift baskets, all featuring distinctive Kentucky flavor. Bourbon barrel cake, Bourbon candies, cookbooks, Kentucky food, locally made arts and crafts and more are among the treasures you’ll find.

Three Louisville locations www.atasteofkentucky.com

Art Eatables

This chocolatier and confectioner is renowned for their melt-in-yourmouth Bourbon truffles. The local shop, owned by a husband-andwife duo, has a charming retail location in Louisville’s trendy SoFo neighborhood. You’ll know you’re sinking your teeth into their homemade, artisan chocolates when you see the trademark “BIT” (Bourbon Information Token) featured on each price of candy telling which Bourbon was used in its production.

631 S. Fourth St. www.arteatables.com

Bourbon Barrel Foods

Once Bourbon is pulled from a barrel, more and more people are finding innovative uses for the empty drums. Bourbon Barrel Foods ages condiments, like soy sauces, Worcestershire sauce and vanilla extract, in used, repurposed Bourbon barrels to give their products a uniquely Kentucky flavor.

1201 Story Ave. No. 175 www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com

Cellar Door Chocolates

Originally a small-batch wholesale confectionery, Cellar Door Chocolates graciously opened its first retail shop (and hot chocolate bar) in the historic Butchertown Market in 2010. While the homemade truffles have certainly given the company a savory reputation, the Evan Williams Bourbon Balls are an authentic take on the iconic sweet.

1201 Story Ave. No. 109 www.cellardoorchocolates.com

Liquor Barn

This mega-store shelves 130 varieties of Bourbon, as well as many other tasty accoutrements to accompany your drinking experience, including the Just Add Bourbon t-shirt line.

Four Louisville locations www.liquorbarn.com

Louisville Visitor Center

Aside from being an exhaustive resource for coordinating your activities and stay in Louisville, the conveniently located visitor center is great place to stock up on Louisville paraphernalia, such as their popular line of “Just Add Bourbon” gear, which comes adorned on baseball caps, t-shirts and even beer coozies.

301 S. Fourth St. www.gotolouisville.com

Old Town Wine & Spirits

With over 100 Bourbons on the shelves, Old Town Wine & Spirits offers a variety of favorites for all tastes, including several expressions of the rare Pappy Van Winkle line.

1529 Bardstown Rd. www.oldtownwine.com

Louisville Stoneware

Since 1815, this Louisville company has been crafting beautiful pottery from locally sourced clay.

Along with elegant tableware, the master artisans also craft many whimsical Louisville-themed curios, Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets and other keepsakes, including “Just Add Bourbon” syrup jugs and Mint Julep cups with the recipe on the back.

731 Brent St. www.louisvillestoneware.com

Taste Fine Wines and Bourbon

Choosing Bourbons by their taste not their price tag is the goal when you visit Taste Fine Wines and Bourbon in the NuLu neighborhood. Belly up to the unique tasting bar to try a shot before you purchase an entire bottle.

634 E. Market St. www.tastefinewinesandbourbon.com

Westport Whiskey & Wine

Westport Whiskey & Wine has over 125 Bourbons to choose from, as well as daily tastings, classes and regularly scheduled workshops with master distillers.

1115 Herr Ln. No. 140 www.westportwhiskeyandwine.com

The Wine Rack

The Wine Rack shelves just over 50 different Bourbon brands, including various specialty brands that aren’t commonly sighted in most stores.

Tasting opportunities are offered at request 2632 Frankfort Ave. www.wineshoplouisville.com

Heaven Hill Distilleries put a lot of effort into renovating their historic building, which is over 120 years old, in a multi-million-dollar fashion that honors its flagship Bourbon brand.

Inside, and visible from outside along Whiskey Row, a five-story Evan Williams bottle, turned upside down, with its neck extending into the lobby, creates a flowing “Bourbon fountain.”

Today, Bourbon is back on top in Louisville, evidenced not only by the proliferation of bars and restaurants with an abundance of Bourbon selections, but by the number of distilleries opening up shop in and around Louisville.

From boutique brands to industry mainstays, there’s going to be a lot more Bourbon flowing through downtown Louisville in the coming years, but production is almost secondary to the new facilities – all the new distilleries are interested in bringing the Bourbonmaking experience to visitors with glimmering new equipment and educational tours.

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

Opened last fall, this urban distillery has led the way in Louisville’s Bourbon Rennaisance.

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The third-floor tasting room and private event space has unsurpassed views west to the beautiful Louisville skyline and Ohio River bridges. The distillery complex also includes a large courtyard oasis that will host special events.

1111 E. Washington St. www.copperandkings.com

Peerless Distillery

Distilleries There was a time when downtown Louisville was awash with all sorts of Bourbon-related facilities – distilleries, warehouses, corporate offices – so much so that one area with a particularly high concentration was dubbed “Whiskey Row.” And then Prohibition hit and all but decimated the industry in the Derby City.

natural brandies. The state-of-the-art distillery distills world-class spirits to enjoy on the rocks, with premium mixers or in the composition of imaginative cocktails. And it doesn’t hurt that the brandies are all matured in used Bourbon barrels.

Another new-old Bourbon is coming to Louisville. Peerless Distilling owned by Corky Taylor and son, Carson - will be open in a former industrial space at 10th and Main streets as part of the Whiskey Row revival.

Visitors to the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience can see a functioning distillery, fitted with modern versions of the same copper pot stills the Bourbon’s namesake used when he set up his distillery on the Ohio River over 200 years ago (the new distillery is almost directly across Main Street from where Williams established his early distillery).

The facility also offers guests guided tours where visitors are brought back in time to see Williams’ original distillery, Louisville wharf scenes and video renderings of Whiskey Row at the turn of the 20th century.

528 West Main Street www.evanwilliams.com/visit.php

Copper & Kings

Brandy in Bourbon Country, why not? Copper & Kings, Louisville’s only brandy distillery, opened in 2014 in the Butchertown neighborhood. Copper & Kings uses traditional copper-pot distillation to forge untraditional, craft-distilled,

Peerless will operate its own bottling line and a continuous copper still, handmade by Vendome Copper and Brass in Louisville. The distillery plans to bottle and sell a Lucky Moonshine product initially. Later plans are to develop a four-year-old Peerless Bourbon and a premium, small-batch Bourbon to be branded “Henry Kraver.”

Kraver, the great-grandfather Corky Taylor, owned the original Peerless Distilling in Henderson, Ky. That distillery closed after Kraver died in 1938.

The owners hope to make Peerless a unique “grain to bottle” Bourbon experience all under one roof, with production of moonshine expected to begin in late fall 2014 and its first Bourbon expected four or five years down the road. They hope to be open for visitors by Derby 2015. www.kentuckypeerless.com

Michter’s

Plans are under way for an urban micro-distillery and visitors center near the corner of Eighth and Main streets in downtown Louisville.

Michter’s, a division of New York-based Chatham Imports, is completely renovating the historic Fort Nelson building, constructed in the late 1800s, into an impressive, state-of-the-art structure as a showcase.

Michter’s roots date back to the mid-1750s (with legend that George Washington saved his troops from freezing to death during a frigid night at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War), but production stopped in 1989 before being resurrected by Chatham Imports during the ‘90s. Today the company produces single barrel and small batch Bourbons, single barrel ryes, and American whiskey.

Angel’s Envy

Louisville Distilling plans to invest approximately $12 million to renovate and outfit the former Vermont American Building, at the corner of East Main and South Jackson streets in downtown Louisville with a distillery and visitors center for the company’s Angel’s Envy brands (which include two Bourbon varieties and a rye).

As with Michter’s new downtown distillery, being constructed a few blocks west along Main Street, Louisville Distilling is leaning on the expertise of Louisville-based Joseph & Joseph Architects to manage the project, which will house the Angel’s Envy distillery operations, as well as a “brand experience” center that will be open to the public and include guided tours of the distillery.

Plans are for the facility to be a fully functional distillery, from grain milling to blending to bottling on site. Louisville Distilling anticipates the new urban distillery will be operational and ready to host visitors by the summer of 2015.

Angel’s Envy has made a name for itself on the Bourbon scene for its unique approach to producing, specifically finishing, its spirits. Their Bourbons, once they have been aged in American white oak barrels, are

then finished in port casks for another three to six months; their rye whiskey is finished in hand-selected Caribbean rum casks for up to 18 months.

Grease Monkey Distillery

While the forthcoming onslaught of distilleries on Whiskey Row might be stealing the spotlight, the 4,000-square-foot Distilled Spirits Epicenter opened in 2012 with a fully functioning distillery that is ready to satisfy all of your distilling needs.

As part of the Distilled Spirits Epicenter, a large, educational complex situated in a renovated auto mechanic garage on 8th Street completely dedicated to booze, Greasemonkey Distillery – with a 250-gallon cooker, three 250-gallon fermenters and a 250-gallon pot still – is giving curious students of the Moonshine University a hands-on learning experience for distilling, from start to finish.

And, to take advantage of the growing artisan distilling trend, the facility also has commercial appeal, and is available for use by large distillers needing the proper equipment for a small-batch run, and even for startup entrepreneurs.

Experts from the facility’s Beverage Mechanics program help collaborate and facilitate projects, and there’s even a bottling service for custom runs.

For those interested in learning more about the distilling process, the organization offers a variety of options, from two-hour “enthusiast” classes to an intensive five-day distiller course. Visit the epicenter’s website for a schedule of upcoming options.

801 South 8th St. www.moonshineuniversity.com

The Bulleit Experience at Stitzel-Weller Distillery

Early in 2014, Diageo announced plans to renovate and re-imagine the venerable Stitzel-Weller distillery as a visitors center featuring The Bulleit Experience. The initial plans include an investment of $2 million to develop the facility’s original administrative

building to illustrate the distillery’s storied history and pay homage to the characters and brands that have dotted Bourbon’s heritage, as well as showcase the Bulleit Bourbon brand.

The Shively, Kentucky, Stitzel-Weller facility hasn’t been a functioning distillery since it ceased production in 1991, but since it first opened on Derby Day in 1935, it has been regarded with esteem and veneration.

Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. created the company, and with it the craftsmanship that would set the tone for Bourbon production decades later. Through the years, Stitzel-Weller has produced some of the most recognizable Bourbon brands, such as Old Fitzgerald and Weller. The Bulleit Experience is slated to open in the fall of 2014.

Vendome Copper & Brass Works

You aren’t going to see any Bourbon distilling at Vendome Copper & Brass Works, but you will see how one of the most integral pieces to the process is made. Vendome has been building coppers stills in Louisville for more than 110 years and is one of only a few copper fabricators who make copper stills for distilling purposes in the world.

Until 2014, the Vendome plant, as important as it may be to the Bourbon industry, was never open to the public, but now through a partnership with Mint Julep Tours (a boutique travel agency specializing in distillery and other Bourbon-related tours) visitors can see the handmade process in making the stills that is so essential to Bourbon production.

Lexington, Kentucky

W

A Glorious Gateway to Bourbon Country

hen riding along the gently bending hills of the Bluegrass and admiring a patchwork scheme of horse farms surrounding Lexington, you might begin to agree with American pioneer Daniel Boone’s famous words: “Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place.” The secret to the region’s undeniable beauty lies underneath the blue-tinted grass.

The limestone-rich source of water that nourishes world-class horses also supplies Bourbon makers with an ingredient for Bourbon making that only nature can perfect.

Kentucky’s second largest city isn’t just pretty to look at — it’s a thriving, growing and welcoming southern community that shares every tourist’s enthusiasm for Bourbon. While staying at this gateway to Bourbon Country, a logical starting point for your westward tour, be sure to explore the equestrian legacy of Lexington.

Keeneland, the city’s historic Thoroughbred racetrack, was selected as the host site for the running of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup, and the Kentucky Horse Park was the location of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010.

Distilleries and Breweries In the mid-1800s, Lexington’s Manchester Street was the hub of Kentucky’s Bourbon distilling industry. For many decades during the 19th century, Bourbon making

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was absent in urban Lexington.

But an influx of new distilleries has ended the Bourbon drought, revitalizing a Kentucky tradition and putting downtown Lexington back on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail map.

Citizens of Lexington are also some of the most fanatical newcomers to the craft-brewing scene with four craft breweries in the heart of the city. In a true spirit of camaraderie, these four breweries are known for teaming up to put on local festivals like Lexington Craft Beer Week and even to create some original special release brews.

Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co A leader in bringing back the tradition of Bourbon making in

Lexington, Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. produces Town Branch Bourbon, Kentucky Ale beer and a variety of other spirits, including a Bourbon-infused coffee drink. Two copper pot stills made visible through glass walls

are the centerpieces of the distillery, which was constructed in part from Kentucky limestone. The distillery is the only member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that packages a brewery tour with a distillery tour for a price of $7.

401 Cross St. - (859) 887-3406 www.kentuckyale.com

Barrel House Distillery

While its owners patiently await the arrival of the first batches of Bourbon distilling in virgin barrels, the Barrel House Distillery keeps its Bourbon visitors intrigued with other spirit endeavors, including its homemade moonshine and vodka. The small-batch distillery is located on Manchester Street in the Distillery District, a rising section of town where the Bourbon tradition began. The gift shop is

open Wednesday through Sunday with tours starting 15 minutes past the hour.

1200 Manchester St. #9 - (859) 259-0159 barrelhousedistilling.com

West Sixth Brewing Co.

With its always jam-packed public beer garden inside a warehouse known as the Bread Box, West Sixth Brewing Co. is more than a craft brewery - it’s a community. In addition to producing its constantly growing family of canned beers, West Sixth serves its devoted fans with a cool place to hang out.

Sample a few flights of beers, like the ever-popular West Sixth IPA or Lemongrass Wheat, or check out one of the experimental brews.

501 West Sixth St. - (859) 705-0915 www.westsixth.com

Country Boy Brewing Co.

Country Boy Brewing was founded in February 2012 by a group of brewing enthusiasts who are adamant about experimenting with ingredients and flavor. This sense of brewing adventure has earned beers like Cougar Bait Blonde and Jalapeño Smoked Porter popularity with customers - and awards at national brewing competitions.

436 Chair Ave. - (859) 554-6200 www.countryboybrewing.com

Blue Stallion Brewing Co.

The newest member of the craft beer family, Blue Stallion Brewing specializes in German and British brewing styles of beer in a nod to the original master of beer making.

A swanky upper level lounge and poolroom keep customers active and guzzling brews like the Munich Dunkel and Scottish 70 Schilling from large steins.

610 West Third St. - (877) 928-2337 www.bluestallionbrewing.com

Chase Tap Room and Brewing Co.

With several years tapping beers at the historic Victorian Square, the Chase Tap Room was reinvented as craft-brewing hype hit Lexington.

The taproom currently serves a list of craft beers, including local brands. But the owner plans to gradually grow the business and brewing company to offer his authentic brews made from Chase Brewing Co. 266 Jefferson St www.chasetaproom.com

Eat Crispy skin on fried chicken, creamy cheese grits topped with succulent shrimp and a chunky savory stew with a funny name are all southern classics on menus in Lexington. But Lexington’s culinary scene isn’t isolated to southern fare – ethnic restaurants, tapas bars and burger joints have sprung up in Lexington, making the area a foodie destination. It’s hard not to find a restaurant incorporating fresh, local ingredients grown in the agricultural communities near and within Lexington.

Jefferson Davis Inn

For locals who remember old Jefferson Davis Inn tavern that closed in 1996, the rebirth of the three-story tavern known as the new “JDI” was a welcome addition to downtown dining in early 2013.

Now with its fresh interior and friendly stone fireplaces, the tavern pours a variety of Bourbon and serves a full spectrum of brunch, lunch, dinner and game-day appetizers that are always popular with University of Kentucky fans.

319 Cedar St. - (859) 246-0202 www.jeffersondavisinn.com

The Dish

A step away from downtown in the desirable Chevy Chase neighborhood, The Dish is a mature and intimate restaurant serving stellar American cuisine. The restaurant boasts a large patio along the street. Don’t forget to ask about the exceptional selection of wine and specialty cocktails.

438 S. Ashland Ave. - (859) 317-8438 www.thedishlex.com

Village Idiot

A fun and lively downtown joint, the first gastropub of Lexington offers an inventive menu and a long list of drinks contrived at its full-service downstairs bar. At Village Idiot, you can have it all – a bacon-topped burger with fries, a plate of crab mac and cheese or a southern-inspired entrée like duck and waffles. The drinks offer endless

options as well, from a local craft beer on tap, to an on-the-money Old Fashioned to a fine imported wine.

The entrée specials are also worth a gander.

307 W. Short St. - (859) 252-0099 www.lexingtonvillageidiot.com

Dudley’s on Short

A staple restaurant where extraordinary American cuisine is commonplace, Dudley’s on Short has served downtown Lexington for more than 30 years. With its glass paneled doors that open to the sidewalks along Cheapside Park, the relaxing restaurant invites passing visitors inside with its elegant décor and second-story patio with a magnificent view of downtown.

The Kentucky Proud menu of salads, short plates and main dishes includes first-rate seafood, steaks, pork, steaks and pastas.

259 W. Short St. - (859) 252-1010 www.dudleysrestaurant.com

AZUR Restaurant and Patio

Located on the south side of Lexington, Azur Restaurant and Patio delivers brilliantly crafted dishes from the mind of Chef Jeremy Ashby. Opened since 2007, the restaurant’s indoor Europeanstyle ambiance and outdoor bar and patio provide the ideal setting to savor traditional dishes with unorthodox ingredients and pops of the chef’s originality.

3070 Lakecrest Cir.#505 - (859) 296-1007 www.azurrestaurant.com

Coles 735 Main

For more than 75 years, the brick building on the corner of South Ashland and Main Street has housed several historic restaurants serving the Lexington community and Thoroughbred fans visiting for the races. Coles 735 Main continues that tradition with a diverse menu that features grilled steaks, braised ribs, shrimp and grits, savory stews and more.

735 East Main St. - (859) 266-9000 www.coles735main.com

Willie’s Locally Known

If you’re looking for live local music and lip-smacking barbecue, go no further than Willie’s Locally Known.

This casual downtown bar and grill boasts some of the best barbecue in town coming from a large smoker in the back. Local Bluegrass bands keep tunes rolling throughout the night from an indoor stage and a Ping-Pong table and dartboards entertain guests on the large covered back patio.

805 N. Broadway - (859) 281-1116 www.willieslex.com

The Jax!

With its “be yourself” motto, The Jax! landed on the corner of Limestone and Short in 2013, providing a light-hearted version of white-tablecloth dining downtown.

The versatile and internationalinspired menu includes pot stickers, Bourbon-rubbed salmon and the Short Street Filet. Offering a twicedaily happy hour, this hot spot is a great place to street-watch and order cocktails with friends.

101 W. Short St. - (859) 721-2339 www.jaxlex.com

Malone’s

The Bluegrass Tavern, named one of the “Top 5 Bourbon Bars” by The Bourbon Review The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

74

Known for steak that can rival the filets served in famous Chicago joints, Malone’s is the granddaddy of the Bluegrass Hospitality Group’s continuously growing family of restaurants. Through more than two decades of steakhouse success in Lexington, owners Brian McCarty and Bruce Drake have added popular spinoff restaurants, including Harry’s All-American Bar

and Grill, Sal’s Italian Chophouse, Drake’s and Aqua Sushi.

3347 Tates Creek Rd - (859) 335-6500 www.bluegrasshospitality.com

Merrick Inn

An intimate and tucked away mansion with consistently delicious southern fare, Merrick Inn is a family run restaurant that has served Lexington for more than 30 years. Locals flock to the patio for daily specials on warm summer evenings in Kentucky.

1074 Merrick Dr. - (859) 269-5417 www.themerrickinn.com

Nick Ryan’s Saloon

With a fenced patio overlooking Jefferson Street and saloon-style bench seating indoors, Nick Ryan’s Saloon has earned its status as a highly recommended location for fine southern dining in a revitalized section of town. The restaurant’s creamy shrimp and grits, crispy fried chicken and delicate fish entrees are sure to please. Order a classic Bourbon cocktail from one of two bars located inside the restaurant.

157 Jefferson St. - (859) 233-7900 www.nickryans.com

Portofino

With strings of hanging lights, flower boxes, a fence enclosure and a lemon tree at its center, Portofino’s patio stands as one of the most romantic outdoor dining locations in downtown Lexington.

An always highly touted restaurant for special occasions and intimate dates, Portofino has continued to impress diners year after year with consistently delicious, made-fromscratch Italian cuisine.

249 E. Main St. - (859) 253-9300 www.portofinolex.com

Shakespeare & Co.

After its poetic landing in Lexington, Shakespeare and Co. has received a standing ovation for its broad menu and its theatrical decor. The menu is a running soliloquy of food that includes pizzas, pastas, soups, teas, sandwiches, brunch and more.

367 W. Short St. - (859) 367-0413 www.shakespeareandco.us

Table Three-Ten

Table Three-Ten has expanded Lexington’s dining repertoire with a revolving menu of stunning flavor combinations and adventurous, unexpected ingredients. Its high industrial ceilings, eclectic wall art, low light and long bar give the restaurant a big-city feel. Each day at the restaurant holds exciting surprises, with a seasonal menu that’s complemented by blackboard specials that could include oysters, wild boar or roasted rabbit.

310 W. Short St. - (859) 309-3901 www.table-three-ten.com

National Provisions

Get a taste of the world in this chic and urban-feeling establishment located within another business pocket of Lexington experiencing a welcome revitalization. Tantalize your sweet side as you look through an assortment of homemade croissants and sugary tarts in the Boulangerie, or enjoy a dinner inspired by a distant country while sharing a long industrial table in the sleek Beer Hall. Come ready to meet new friends - tables are shared and cozy inside the Beer Hall.

710 National Avenue (859) 303-4763

Enoteca

Grape vines curl around the railing of a brick patio belonging to Enoteca on the corner of Jefferson and Second Street. Inside a brick building painted pea green with the silhouettes of wine glasses, you’ll find a full-service bar stocked with labels that will make any Bourbon guru order neat from the top of the shelf. With a hip lounge, restaurant and private room, as well as a new sky deck, the tapas restaurant and wine bar offers tasty small plates to share, with items including stuffed mushrooms with manchego, beef empanadas and shrimp with garlic butter.

191 Jefferson Street - (859) 687-0346 enotecalex.com

Jean Farris Winery and Bistro

The back-story of Jean Farris Winery and Bistro is a love story. Owners

Ben and Jeanie O’Daniel found each other in 1997 while touring the world of wine. Now the couple runs an award-winning winery and bistro on Old Richmond Road.

Their Cabernet and Petite Sirah have won gold medals at international competitions. Founded on the idea that wine is best when shared with friends at a table, the Jean Farris Bistro specializes in fine farm-totable foods, like charcuterie, tender halibut, scallops, vegetable pastas and a savory filet, in an elegant back-patio atmosphere.

6825 Old Richmond Road jeanfarris.com - (859) 263-WINE

Winchell’s

It may feel like an ordinary neighborhood grill, but don’t write-off the food at Winchell’s on Southland Drive. From its crab salsa-topped blackened salmon to its oozing hot brown, expect forkfuls of southern goodness when you enter this usually crowded sports bar and grill. It’s a favorite located in the Southland neighborhood.

384 Southland Dr. - (859) 278-9424 www.winchellsrestaurant.com

Windy Corner Market

Wind along the hills of Horse Country to find this charming country diner that’s also one of Lexington’s best-kept secrets.

Founded by James Beard Award semifinalist Ouita Michel, the restaurant lures visitors about 10 miles away from downtown Lexington for a real-deal country style breakfast, crunchy fried oyster Po Boys and beer cheese-slathered burgers that are beyond belief.

4595 Bryan Station Rd. - (859) 294-9338 www.windycornermarket.com

Drink On the rocks, shaken, stirred or from the tap, the bars in Lexington will pour to your pleasing.

Belle’s Cocktail House

One of Kentucky’s most charismatic figures of the early 20th century, Madam Belle Brezing was the well-

known socialite who ran the most “orderly of disorderly houses.”

Recreating the iconic Belle’s house was the inspiration behind Belle’s Place, a stylish southern bar where visitors can order a stiff cocktail or one of more than 200 Bourbons.

High-end cocktails crafted with local, fresh ingredients are named after famous Kentucky horses, places and events.

156 Market St.

Bluegrass Tavern

A bonafide, no-frills Bourbon bar in Cheapside Park, Bluegrass Tavern offers more than 200 different varieties of Bourbon. Enthusiastic bar tenders will make one of the best versions of the old-fashion you’ve ever tried.

115 Cheapside St. - (859) 389-6664

SkyBar

Feel like a VIP as you dance to the beats of a DJ on top of the town. This elevator-only accessible nightclub provides panoramic views of downtown Lexington.

269 West Main St #900 - (859) 368-7900 skybarlex.com

Parlay Social

A throwback to the speakeasies of Bourbon Country’s past, Parlay Social is a theatrical lounge at the corner of Market and Short Streets.

Cocktails like the Keeneland Breeze and My Old Kentucky Home salute symbols of the Bluegrass with a splash of Bourbon. The bar also attracts a line-up of local bands on the weekends.

149 W. Short St. - (859) 244-1932 www.parlaysocial.com

Henry Clay’s Public House

A bar that pays tribute to The Great Compromiser – the distinguished pre-Civil War politician from Lexington who introduced the Mint Julep to Washington’s high society.

112 N. Upper St. - (859) 368-7754 www.henryclaypublichouse.com

Bigg Blue Martini

Located on the ground floor of the downtown Hilton, the Big Blue Martini hosts live music on the weekends and provides an epic selection of custom martinis.

369 W. Vine St. - (859) 231-9000 www.thebiggbluemartini.com

Paulie’s Toasted Barrel

A hot spot located centrally to the Lexington Convention Center and other area hotels, Paulie’s Toasted Barrel lights up the night with live music and more than 100 Bourbon varieties at its Bourbon bar.

517 W. Main St - (859) 327-3333 pauliestoastedbarrel.com

The Blue Heron

There’s no better place to end the night than The Blue Heron. With its wrap around patio, large mahogany bar and stone fireplace, the sister bar to the Grey Goose restaurant is a relaxing neighborhood locale for friends and cocktails.

185 Jefferson St. - (859) 233-1500 greygooserestaurants.com

Stay For a place to rest your head, Lexington hotels have the convenience, comfort and costefficiency to accommodate your Bourbon journey.

Essence of the Bluegrass

A gentleman’s estate, Essence of the Bluegrass bed and breakfast treats visitors to a daily awakening surrounded by the Thoroughbreds of Horse Country. The four themed rooms in the bed and breakfast include luxurious amenities and views of Kentucky sunsets. A short drive from downtown to the bed and breakfast passes by many world-famous horse farms.

4343 Mt. Horeb Pike - (859) 255-0067 essenceofthebluegrass.com

Embassy Suites

Guaranteeing class and comfort, Embassy Suites is centrally located on Newtown Pike just a few miles to the Kentucky Horse Park and

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downtown Lexington. Bourbon Trail tourists will have immediate access to Interstate-75 and Interstate-64 as they continue their journey.

1801 Newtown Pike (859) 455-5000

Gratz Park Inn

With its preserved Victorian interior, Gratz Park Inn is a first-class luxury hotel located in the heart of Lexington’s historic downtown district.

120 W. Second St. - (859) 231-1777 www.gratzparkinn.com

Hyatt Regency Lexington

Within walking distance of Rupp Arena, the Lexington Convention Center, Jefferson Street, Cheapside Park and many other downtown attractions, the Hyatt is a convenient downtown hotel.

401 W. High St. - (859) 253-1234 www.lexington.hyatt.com

Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa

Positioned next to the interstate on Newtown Pike, the Marriott boasts amenities including a full-service spa, golf course and a steakhouse.

1800 Newtown Pike - (859) 231-5100 www.marriott.com

Shop Leave room in your suitcase to shop a variety of boutiques and specialty stores in Lexington.

Artique

Artique showcases the work of local and regional artists with handcrafted jewelry, blown glass and other art pieces.

(859) 272-8802 www.artiquegallery.com

Keeneland Gift Shop

Central to Triangle Park and downtown restaurants, the Hilton Lexington/Downtown is home to the popular Bigg Blue Martini lounge and Triangle Grille restaurant.

369 W. Vine St. www3.hilton.com

From fashionable leather boots to fine equestrian glassware, the gift shop located at Keeneland Race Course has an inventory of artwork, home items, clothing and accessories, and Kentucky and equine books and memorabilia.

4201 Versailles Rd. - (859) 254-3412 www.keeneland.com

Hilton Lexington Suites

L.V. Harkness

Hilton Lexington: Downtown

Located a few miles away from downtown, the Hilton Suites at Lexington Green is adjacent to the restaurants and shops in Lexington Green and Fayette Mall. The hotel is also close to the Bluegrass Parkway, which leads to many other locations on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

245 Lexington Green Cir. - (859) 271-4000 www3.hilton.com

Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast

For a more intimate location to stay in downtown Lexington, rest your head at the Lyndon House Bed and Breakfast, a lovely Victorian home.

507 N. Broadway - (859) 420-2683 www.lyndonhouse.com

Lexington’s emporium of high-end items for the home keeps a selection of tableware and other home furnishings and accessories, as well as meaningful keepsakes, such as jewelry, and equine-related gifts.

531 W. Short St. - (859) 225-7474 www.lvharkness.com

Get Around on the COLT Trolley

Traveling by foot is a great way to experience Lexington. The city’s free COLT Trolley service provides a ride to almost anywhere in town, with routes that operate until 3 a.m. on the weekends during the warm seasons. So keep the car in park and find a pleasant green trolley to take you to a dinner, distillery or other attraction in downtown Lexington. lextran.com/route-maps/colt-trolley

Bardstown, Kentucky The Bourbon Capital of the World

L

ittle red dots on a Kentucky Bourbon Trail map signify why Bardstown is identified as the epicenter of Bourbon Country. A humble little town untouched by tourism and time, Bardstown is located within a cluster of many of the world’s most famous distilleries. Within a few miles of the town, visitors will reach five of the eight distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and one distillery on the Craft Bourbon Trail. The town itself holds several Bourbon bars, Bourbon-inspired restaurants, boutique Bourbon shops, and bed and breakfast inns to live up to its title of “Bourbon Capital of the World.”

While residents of Bardstown are proud of their Bourbon heritage, they are also welcoming hosts who embrace the natural beauty, preservation and rich history of their quaint town, which was one of six in Kentucky certified as a Kentucky Cultural District. Bardstown landed on Fodor’s second annual list of America’s best small towns and the town’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival was listed as one of Kentucky’s 10 best summer events on TheCultureTrip.com. Travel and Leisure magazine credited Bardstown as “America’s Favorite Town” and “America’s Most Beautiful Town Square” in 2013. Visitors are nodding in agreement with USA Today’s 2012 ranking of Bardstown as one of America’s Most Beautiful Small Towns.

Heaven Hill Distillery and the Bourbon Heritage Center

The barrel-shaped Parker Beam tasting room is certainly hard to miss once you’re inside the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center. Inside this larger-than-life barrel, a Bourbon Host guides visitors through the tasting experience, encouraging them to dip their nose into a snifter before sipping one of the distillery’s featured Bourbons.

The multigenerational family-owned Heaven Hill Distillery is the second-largest Bourbon holder in the world. This is where an estimated 17 percent of the world’s future Bourbon is being distilled. The distillery names its labels after pioneers of the Bourbon industry, including Elijah Craig and Evan Williams. Visitors can choose from one of three tours: the Portrait of Heaven Hill, an educational half-hour tour; the Mashbill Tour, which includes a walk through Rickhouse Y and tasting of three acclaimed whiskeys; or the Behind the Scenes tour, which includes a visit to the cistern room, a look at the bottling process and a tasting of four Bourbons of the visitor’s

choice. A trolley from downtown Bardstown provides a free ride to the distillery.

1311 Gilkey Run Road (502) 337-1000 www.heavenhill.com www.bourbonheritagecenter.com

Barton 1792 Distillery

Home to 28 high-rise aging warehouses, Barton 1792 was founded in 1879 with the name of its originator, Thomas Moore. The Tom Moore Spring, a natural source of water on the 196-acre estate, continues to supply ironfree water for Bourbon production today. The quality of the distillery’s 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Barrel Select Bourbon earned it the status of the toasting Bourbon of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

Barton offers three distinctive tours that vary in length of time and level of exposure to the Bourbon making process. A one-hour Tradition Tour gives visitors a look inside Warehouse H, a traditional rickhouse built in the 1930s. The hour-and-half Bushel to Bottle tour tracks the process of Bourbon from fermentation to bottling.

Finally, the in-depth, two-hour Estate Tour takes visitors behind the scenes and across the grounds of the property, with highlights that include a stop at the world’s largest Bourbon barrel and a viewing of the barrel filling process.

As an added bonus for your visit, all Bourbon tours are free.

501 Cathedral Manor (502) 331-4879 or (866) 729-3722 www.1792bourbon.com

Willett Distillery

Bardstown’s Willett family can trace its lineage back to the year their forefathers settled in Kentucky, which was the same year Kentucky became a state. The Willett Distilling Co. formed in 1936, and the warehouses were built on a hill so the natural breeze would help aid in the maturation process.

Today, the Willett family continues to store their barrels on the same hill in Bardstown. The distillery today utilizes some of the same mash bills that were written by their forefathers to produce boutique small batch and single barrel Bourbon and rye whiskeys.

1869 Loretto Road (502) 348-0081 www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com

The Kentucky Bourbon House

You haven’t truly experienced southern hospitality until you’ve had the pleasure of sitting at a bar across from Kentucky Col. Michael Masters and his wife Margaret Sue. The couple entertains guests of the historic Kentucky Bourbon House with a faultless version of the Mint Julep, a drink that’s synonymous with Derby Day in Kentucky.

Masters has smiled for the camera while serving his delicious concoction on the Travel Channel and on the Food Network.

Barton’s 1792 Distillery

In the evening, the duo specializes in hosting memorable in-home dinner gatherings for visitors of Bardstown.

Small parties of up to 24 guests or fewer ensure an intimate night of sipping prized Bourbon, sharing stories and eating home-style southern meals. Guests may also find lodging at one of three cozy cottages. Reservations are required and calling ahead is encouraged.

107 E. Stephen Foster Ave. (502) 349-0127 www.kentuckyshomeforbourbon.com

The Jailer’s Inn

One of the oldest cities in Kentucky, Bardstown holds historic buildings that have lured many visitors on the hunt for a good ghost story. In fact, the town offers two ghost tours during certain months of the year. The historic rugged stone Jailer’s Inn downtown housed prisoners as the Nelson County jail until 1987. Fearless visitors can stay in the black and white jail cell, which provides a chilling picture of incarceration in the early days of Nelson County. If staying overnight in a cell doesn’t appeal to you, the former jailhouse provides six other more glamorous rooms for guests.

111 W. Stephen Foster Ave. (502) 348-5551 www.jailersinn.com

My Old Kentucky Home State Park Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast

My Old Kentucky State Park evokes nostalgia for an old way of life in Kentucky during the 1800s. Visitors will delight in Victorian-era costumes and classic American music presented during outdoor performances of the Stephen Collins Foster Story, the famous American composer who wrote the state’s official ballad, My Old Kentucky Home. With an 18-hole golf course, campgrounds and tours of the 292-acre estate’s antebellum mansion, families will enjoy non-stop activity at this historic park.

501 E. Stephen Foster Ave. (502) 348-3502 parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/old-ky-home

Getz Museum of Whiskey History

Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center

78 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

History buffs and whiskey collectors could spend hours upon hours examining the artifacts on exhibit inside the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Perhaps the infinite allure of this museum located Spalding Hall is the reason it was named Whisky Magazine’s Visitor Attraction of the Year for 2014.

114 N. 5th St. (502) 348-2999 www.whiskeymuseum.com

Kentucky Bourbon Festival

Every year in September, Bardstown hosts a six-day bash celebrating all things Bourbon. In its 23rd year running, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival will be held Sept. 16-21 in 2014. The festival includes cocktail hours, black tie events, Bourbon tastings, cooking demonstrations and family friendly activities. A summer highlight for locals and visitors, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is the ideal time to dive into the Bourbon culture, rated as a top-10 summer event by TheCultureTrip.com.

A nod to the state’s musical heritage, this year’s festival will include a Bourbon tasting event that chronicles the historic relationship between Bluegrass music and Bourbon. Chef John Varanese of Varanese restaurant in Louisville and Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe will partner for a Kentucky Bourbon Culinary Arts Cooking School at My Old Kentucky Home State Park.

1 Court Square (502) 348-3623 www.kybourbonfestival.com

Kentucky Bourbon Manor

Rest your head at one of nine rooms inside two restored plantation homes across the train tracks in Bardstown.

The newly opened Kentucky Bourbon Manor guarantees a romantic stay in Bardstown, with rooms that include private fireplaces, antique furnishings, whirlpool tubs and king beds. Every homemade breakfast is riddled with elements of Bourbon. With its Old-World ambiance and gated park-like setting, visitors of the Kentucky Bourbon Manor will relish in a new home away from home. The manor also hosts Bourbon culinary workshops and a Bourbon spa.

714 N. Third St. (502)-BOURBON www.bourbonmanor.com

The Kentucky Railway Museum

Climb aboard an old-time passenger train at the Kentucky Railway Museum in nearby New Haven, Kentucky. A family friendly stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, visitors can explore World War II era train car, take a ride on a steam locomotive and explore 70 pieces of historic railway equipment.

136 S. Main St. New Haven, KY 40051 (502) 549-5470 www.kyrail.org

The Harrison-Smith House

Owners Newman and Rachel Miller and Justin Hughes want visitors to leave Bourbon Country remembering the whiskey just as much as the tasty southern food.

Having traveled to many places around the world and experienced memorable pairings of food and beverage, they believe Bourbon visitors deserved to sample the very best culinary traditions of Kentucky. Their menu includes authentic southern cuisine with local farm-fresh ingredients. Like all great southern food, everything from the Harrison-Smith House kitchen will be made from scratch.

103 East Stephen Foster Avenue harrisonsmithhouse.com

The Rickhouse

Mimicking the interior scape of the many rickhouses in the area with stacks of Bourbon barrels, the Rickhouse located in the lower level of Spalding Hall offers a menu drenched in Bourbon inspiration. With more than 130 Bourbons from which to choose and expert sampling sessions, the restaurant is the most heavily stocked Bourbon bar in the city.

Xavier Drive (502) 348-2832 www.therickhousebardstown.com

Old Talbott Tavern

More than 200 years ago, stage coaches pulled by horses stopped in front of the Old Talbott Tavern carrying westward-bound travelers. Historical figures including pioneer Daniel Boone, statesman Henry Clay and President Abraham Lincoln are recorded as guests of this historic inn. Today, the yellow-stoned building on the Court Square still replenishes hungry and thirsty travelers, but most are bound for Bourbon distilleries. With cars now stopping at its curb, the establishment serves as a five-bedroom bed and breakfast, Bourbon bar, southern restaurant and gift shop.

107 W. Stephen Foster Ave. (502) 348-3494 www.talbotts.com

My Old Kentucky Dinner Train

Operating year-round, the Old Kentucky Dinner Train chugs through 17 miles of Bourbon Country, taking off from the Historic Depot not far from the center of Bardstown. The ride includes a French-inspired meal prepared by the train’s chef and a relaxing view of Kentucky’s landscape, Bourbon distilleries and the nearby Bernheim Forest. Waiters in tuxedos ensure the comfort and enjoyment of guests seated in the car. Reservations are required for the dinner train and lunch and dinner rides are available.

602 N. Third St. (866) 801-3463 or (502) 348-7300 www.kydinnertrain.com

Shopping Downtown

Don’t forget to browse through the eclectic local shops in downtown Bardstown. Whether you fancy antiques, décor, fashion, art, candies or Bourbon memorabilia, you’ll find a memento to take away from Bourbon Country in the town’s charming shopping district. Bourbon lovers who want to purchase a variety of local boutique Bourbons and upscale gifts from Bourbon Country should definitely check out the Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace.

Located on West Flaget Street in the historic Mary May House, the marketplace houses a Bourbon bar and back patio. And for art and decoration, be sure to check out At Mary’s Art and Antiques, Artist’s Barrel and Bardstown Art Gallery. www.visitbardstown.com/listings-category/things-to-do/shopping/

A

Lebanon, Kentucky At the Bull’s Eye of Kentucky, A Little Town Doused in Bourbon

ffectionately known as the beating heart of Kentucky, Lebanon is geographically located at the center of the state, which also happens to be a hot spot for Bourbon distilling. Lebanon is a short distance from a megabrand distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and a distillery part of the Craft Bourbon Tour. The town also claims the Kentucky Cooperage, which readies the interior of oak barrels used to age many of the area’s Bourbons. Along with its Bourbon heritage, Lebanon attracts visitors with its country festivals, spiritual grounds and Civil War sites and topnotch southern food. Hikers and nature lovers will also delight in walking paths at the Cecil L. Gorley Naturalist Trail.

Maker’s Mark Distillery

One of the most admired brands of Bourbon in the world, Maker’s Mark distillery invites customers to come meet the real makers – the employees who still bottle this iconic Bourbon by hand. Bill Samuels and his son Bill Samuels Jr. perfected the Maker’s Mark family recipe that earned the then-budding distillery a front-page article on the Wall Street Journal in the 1980s. But this family business has exploded in the past few decades, and the bottles that are hand-dipped red wax and labeled with torn paper are now symbols of prestige and coveted collector’s items.

An innovative leader in Bourbon making and marketing, Maker’s Mark integrated progressive alterations to the distilling process by adopting a French-oak staves method for its newer Maker’s 46. High demand for the Maker’s Mark Bourbon in 2013 paved the way to upcoming expansions, including the installment of a 50,000-barrel warehouse. Visitors can take a guided tour of the complete Bourbon-making process, ending with an opportunity to seal their own bottle with a dip of molten red wax. A special two-hour behind-the-scenes tour allows fans of the brand to get even closer to the Bourbon making process and leave with a set of wax-dipped glasses.

3350 Burk Spring Road, Loretto, KY 40037 (270) 865-2881 - www.makersmark.com

Limestone Branch Micro-Distillery

With its rugged stone exterior, the Limestone Branch Distillery relies on the flow of cold, limestone-rich water for its micro-distilling operations. Brothers Steve and Paul Beam point to the their forefathers, who played integral roles in the development of the Kentucky Bourbon industry, to explain their own passion for distilling. They returned to Lebanon to continue that family tradition on Bourbon’s most fertile grounds.

With a sacred approach to distilling, the brothers use a hand-hammered pot still to produce one-barrel batches

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of Bourbon and moonshine, or shine. Their line of Appalachian-style moonshine has expanded to include flavors of jalapeño, cherry pie, pumpkin pie and even a chocolate moonpie. Their Bourbon is still resting in barrels, not eager to be released until it reaches its peak in flavor.

1280 Veterans Memorial Parkway (270) 699-9004 - www.limestonebranch.com

Kentucky Cooperage

The charred inside of a Bourbon barrel contributes notes of smoke and oak to the final product through years of aging. These fire-derived flavors are what make America’s spirit so exceptional when compared to other whiskeys. The family-owned Independent Stave Company has supplied those charred barrels to Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Barton’s 1792, Maker’s Mark, Four Roses and Jim Beam, to name a few. Visitors to Bourbon Country can watch the entire barrel making process, from the shaping of the staves, to the charring of the barrel, to the inspection of the barrel’s durability, during a free tour at the Kentucky Cooperage.

712 E. Main - (270) 692-4518 www.independentstavecompany.com

WhiteMoon Winery

Just like the Bourbon making process, the journey of arriving at a captivating wine can take years. While she started the vineyard in 2002, winemaker Alex Payne didn’t produce a product until 2011, and she opened the doors of her award-winning winery in 2013. The vineyard’s plum wine received high marks at the Indy International Wine Competition in 2012. Other varieties include the Moonlight white and Moondance dry red.

Visitors are invited to taste the goods and tour at the facility off of Old Calvary Pike.

1395 Calvary Pike (270) 402-1285 www.whitemoonwinery.com

Restaurants and Lodging

If your Bourbon journey has worked up an appetite, Lebanon has more than 40 restaurant offerings to feed your craving. Chaser’s Restaurant and Cedarwood restaurants offer traditional southern fare in downtown Lebanon. Area options also include international and Italian cuisine.

From the privacy of a bed and breakfast to a budgetfriendly hotel, a variety of places to stay are located in Marion County near popular Bourbon sites. The historic Myrtledene Bed and Breakfast offers history and comfort while the Rosewood Cabins are more rustic options housed on a golf course. For a list of all accommodations and restaurant choices, visit visitlebanon.com. www.visitlebanon.com

Shepherdsville, Kentucky

H

A Family Line of Bourbon Greats Among the Knobs

ead south on Interstate 65 towards Bullitt County from metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky, and you’ll quickly find yourself in a geographic area defined by a series of bumpy hills known by Kentuckians as “knobs.” This section of Bourbon Country is known for scenic hiking trails, a legendary distillery and a collection of awardwinning wineries. For an extra dash of spontaneity, venture inside the Most Awesome Flea Market in the World or take a spin around the longest go cart track in the world at Kart Kountry.

Jim Beam American Stillhouse

Master Distiller Fred Noe of Jim Beam American Stillhouse has Bourbon built into his genetic makeup. The great-grandson of distillery namesake Jim Beam, Noe represents the seventh generation of a Bourbon dynasty that started with Jacob Beam in 1795. Jim Beam produces popular labels like Jim Beam, Basil Haydens and Knob Creek. The distillery has stuck to an old family tradition of making great Bourbon, using a passed-down strain of yeast that is 75 years old and aging Bourbon in a barrel twice the required amount of time required to earn the title of “Bourbon.” But the distillery in Clermont has changed a bit over the years, with a flashy new American Stillhouse that opened in October 2012, and the newer addition Fred’s Smokehouse. While getting a look at how its craft recipe of Bourbon is made, visitors can sit down with some smoked barbecue and Bourbon, and they’ll start to feel like one of the family.

526 Happy Hollow Road - (502) 543-9877 www.americanstillhouse.com

Four Roses Bottling

While the recipe and ingredients are important, location and climate are also influential factors in the process of Bourbon making. That’s why Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg transports their Bourbon to achieve its flavor in single-story warehouses in the ideal climate of Cox Creek in Bullitt County. Weekday guided tours of the Four Roses warehouses and bottling facility are available to Bourbon tourists from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

624 Lotus Road, Cox’s Creek, Ky. (502) 543-2264 - www.fourroses.us

Wineries

While indulging in some of the world’s finest Bourbon, consider trying out one of Kentucky’s authentic wineries. Although the state’s Bourbon heritage is more commonly known, Kentucky was once a national leader in wine production. Bullitt County is the location of four

award-winning wineries, including Brooks Hill Winery, Forest Edge Winery, MillaNova Winery and WightMeyer Winery. The Wight-Meyer winery received the Commissioner’s Cup in two categories of wine during the 2014 Kentucky Commonwealth Wine Competition.

A trip to all four wineries, as well as the Jim Beam American Stillhouse and the Four Roses Tour, completes the official Wine and Bourbon Tour and earns visitors a commemorative glass from Bullitt County.

Brooks Hill

Milla Nova

Forest Edge

Wight-Meyer

2746 Brooks Hill Road Brooks, KY 40109 (502) 957-7810 www.brookshillwinery.com 1910 Clermont Road (502) 531-9610 forestedgewine.com

744 Gentry Lane Mt. Washington, KY 40047 (502)664-8304 www.millanovawinery.com 40 Meyer Drive (502) 921-0267 www.wight-myervineyards.com

Cattleman’s Restaurant

Opening its doors to road warriors hungry for a filling meal, this American Roadhouse was inspired by the distinctive black and red exterior of Jim Beam American Outpost. Especially bold eaters can order the house special, the 20-ounce sirloin known as the “Sheriff.”

139 Historical Trail - (502) 543-3574

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

Connect with nature while trekking through the nurseries, gardens and winding trails of the preserved Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. With 35 miles of hiking trails, the Bernheim Arboretum and Forest showcases the diverse terrain of Kentucky, from dipping knobs to creek beds to dense woodlands. Hours are seasonal.

Clermont, KY - (502) 955-8512 bernheim.org

Lodging

Whether you’re parking at a campground or looking for a bed where you can rest your head, Bullitt County provides a variety of accommodations for the Bourbon traveler. The area includes 13 hotels with all of the major franchises. Use your Hilton Honors, Priority Club, Choice Privileges, Marriott Rewards or others to find just the right spot. Or embrace the outdoors at one of Bullitt County’s campgrounds. For a full list of accommodations, visit Travelbullitt.org.

Frankfort, Kentucky

W

Sample Kentucky’s History on the Trail of the Buffalo

hether you are a historian, a proud Kentuckian or simply curious about the Commonwealth, Frankfort will inspire you with a dose of history to go along with your Bourbon tour. The State Capitol of Kentucky, Frankfort contains beautiful architecture, preserved historical landmarks, charming small businesses and a blossoming new arts district downtown. In addition to serving as a hub for government and historical affairs, Frankfort is the location of Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest continuously operating and most award-winning distillery in the nation. An essential stop in Bourbon Country, Frankfort is conveniently located off the Interstate 64 between Louisville and Lexington.

Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Museum of Military History

labels crafted at the distillery, include E.H. Taylor, Albert Blanton, George T. Stagg and Elmer T. Lee. With more than 500 awards under its belt, Buffalo Trace boasts more accolades than any distillery in the nation.

In addition to its flagship Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the distillery produces highly sought craft Bourbons including Blanton’s, W.L Weller, Old Charter and Pappy Van Winkle. All Bourbons are aged a minimum of eight years to permit the development of dynamic flavors. Visitors can taste the spirits for themselves in the Saloon and even select a ripe barrel as the ultimate souvenir from Bourbon Country. Buffalo Trace offers five distinctively themed tours, all of which are free to the public and end with a free tasting.

113 Great Buffalo Trace www.buffalotrace.com

The Kentucky Historical Society is the place to turn for anything related to Kentucky history, whether you are in Hickman or Pikeville, Louisville or Whitley City.

Begin your exploration at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort created, in the words of its namesake, so that “all Kentuckians may discover their roots in time and place.” The center includes the premier library for Kentucky genealogy research, interactive exhibits that tell Kentucky’s stories from prehistoric to current times, educational activities for all ages and more. The campus also includes the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Museum of Military History.

Reservations recommended for group tours.

100 W. Broadway (502) 564-1792 history.ky.gov

Capital Cellars

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Serafini

Because of its impressive longevity and many generations of brilliant master distillers, Buffalo Trace Distillery was named a National Historical Landmark in 2013. Its long list of leaders, whose names are sealed on many

Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory

Withstanding the test of time, Buffalo Trace Distillery has perfected and innovated the practice of Bourbon distilling in Kentucky for more than 200 years. Following the path of the buffalo through the wilderness in the 1700s, settlers planted roots in Frankfort and soon discovered the naturally filtered limestone spring water that was ideal for making the area’s first versions of Bourbon. The buffalo have vanished from the hills, but the Bourbon industry has stuck around, making Buffalo Trace Distillery the oldest continuously operating distillery in the nation.

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Locally owned and operated in Frankfort for more than 25 years, the two locations of Red Dot Liquors supply Bourbon tourists with a selection of Bourbons at reasonable prices.

227 W. Broadway www.capitalcellars.net

Red Dot Liquor

Locally owned and operated in Frankfort for more than 25 years, the two locations of Red Dot Liquors supply Bourbon tourists with a selection of Bourbons at reasonable prices.

1139 U.S. 127 Century Plaza or 740 Schenkel Lane (502) 227-4001 Take traditional Italian fare and incorporate a little bit of southern flare – that’s the inspiration behind the menu at Serafini’s. Located across from the Old Capitol building on West Broadway, Serafini’s identifies as an Italian restaurant inspired by its southern surroundings. Guests will choose from Italian dishes like Chicken Piccata and Sausage Carbonara, or southern delights like the Governor’s Hot Brown.

243 W. Broadway St. www.serafinifrankfort.com Let your sweet tooth run wild with an assortment of mouth-watering caramels, chocolate-covered cherries, Bourbon brittle, vanilla crèmes, Kentucky Irish coffees and

pulled cream candy at the historic Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory. The family factory also concocted the famous chocolate bonbon with a creamy Bourbon filling and pecan crunch - the iconic Bourbon ball.

Today, a historical marker stands in front of the candy factory on Second Street paying tribute to founder Ruth Hanly Booe, the “Inventor and Mother of the Bourbon Ball.” In the year 1919, cohorts Rebecca Gooch and Ruth Hanly Booe started their candy business in the saloon of the Old Frankfort Hotel, using a marble slab that remains in use at the factory today. Ruth won popularity at Frankfort’s sesquicentennial with her Mint Kentucky Colonel, a chocolate cream with a mint and pecan center. After receiving a compliment about the flavor of her candies when paired with a sip of Bourbon, Mrs. Booe worked for two years formulating the original recipe for the Bourbon ball.

Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History

Now in its third generation of ownership by the Booe family, the factory still utilizes antique equipment to make their candies. Visitors will tour the candy museum and candy factory and hear the Ruth Booe story. Tours are $4 and end with a sample of candy.

116 E. Second St. www.rebeccaruth.com

The Dragon

Bourbon tourists seeking a beer and a bite to eat should look no further than The Dragon. The Dragon’s menu offers pub favorites such as fish and chips. After hours entertainment and a multi-level deck overlooking the Kentucky River make this a hot spot in Frankfort.

103 W. Main St. www.dragonpub.com

Rick’s White Light

It landed on the television show America’s Finest Dives with Guy Fieri, but Rick’s White Light Diner was a local favorite All-American diner long before it gained notoriety on the Food Network. Owner and cook Rick Paul chatters with his guests while he makes creole-inspired plates of crawfish pie, an oyster po boy and home-style breakfast, menu items all made with local ingredients. Rick’s is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sunday.

114 Bridge St. www.rickswhitelightdiner.com

Capital Cellars located in historic Downtown

Bridge Street Shops

Downtown Frankfort is experiencing a Renaissance thanks to the efforts of property owners Eric and Mary Northcutt.

Browse art galleries and gift shops that are bringing a renewal to the Bridge Street block, which is decorated with Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels filled with plants and flowers, café seating and picnic tables.

Bridge Street, Downtown Frankfort Award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery

Bowling Green, Kentucky

I

Geared for fun with Caves, Cars and Craft Distilling

f you’re a fan of classic cars, cavernous wonders or historic town squares, mark the western edge of Bourbon Country on your traveling itinerary. The location of the world-famous National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green is a fun, welcoming and convenient place to rest your head at the tail end of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, with easy access off of Interstate 65. With a highly touted craft distillery to call its own and a revitalization movement occurring in a historic downtown district, Bowling Green wins the favor of its visitors with its college town spirit, authentic local businesses and nearby cave explorations.

National Corvette Museum

America’s favorite flashy sports car, the Corvette embodies style, luxury and racetrack-worthy speed. Celebrating 20 years in existence, the nonprofit National Corvette Museum displays 70 models of this iconic car, including race champions, mint classics, prototypes and more. An exciting new development opening in 2014, the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park will put visitors in the driver’s seat through high performance driver education schools or in the passenger seat during special event opportunities. The state-of-the-art facility also offers a unique meeting space and garages for car enthusiasts.

350 Corvette Drive - 270-781-7973 corvettemuseum.org and motorsportspark.org

Corsair Distillery

In recent years, the micro distilling movement has swept through the country, prompting many whiskey makers to label their operation a craft distillery. But not many have made a big statement crafting small-batch, handcrafted spirits like Corsair in Bowling Green.

Stacking up a load of awards since its establishment in 2008, the Bowling Green distillery’s humble beginnings were in the garage of childhood friends Darek Bell and Andrew Webber. A member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, its Triple Smoke whiskey earned honors as Whisky Advocate magazine’s Artisan Whiskey of the Year in 2013. It puts experimental and off-the-wall spirits like Pumpkin Spice moonshine, Red Absinthe and Quinoa Whiskey on the market nationwide. The distillery has a location in the heart of downtown Bowling Green and a larger facility in nearby Nashville, Tennessee.

400 E. Main St. #110 - (270) 904-2021 www.corsairartisan.com

Mariah’s

Joining a revitalization movement downtown, the longstanding Mariah’s restaurant recently relocated from a historic home to a fresh and stylish location in Hitcents Park Plaza. With panoramic views from classic brickwall interior dining rooms, the restaurant attracts hungry patrons only a few steps from downtown festivals, live musical performances and professional Minor League

84 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

Baseball games. The new layout provides private spaces for special events and group meetings. While the location is different, the restaurant still serves food favorites like wood-fired pizzas, crisp salads, high-quality steaks, and a wide selection of burgers and wraps.

360 East 8th Avenue - (270) 846-0020 www.mariahs.com

440 Main Restaurant/ Micki’s on Main

With a splash of Bourbon in many of its dishes, the whitetablecloth 440 Main Restaurant and Bar brings the festive flavors of the bayou to Bourbon Country. Specializing in New Orleans style cuisine, the menu includes steaks, seafood, and Cajun classics like jambalaya and shellfish creole. And if you’re hankering for a burger and a stiff beverage, Micki’s on Main next door has a more casual atmosphere. The joint attracts the area’s best musicians for live performances on Friday and Saturday nights.

440 Main St. - 270-793-0450 www.440main.com

Shots: First Call and Pub Crawl

If you’re planning a pub-crawl downtown, launch your night at Shots, the “first call” destination. This popular spot with the college crowd is known for fast bar service, a feeling of high energy and plenty of activity, offering party shots, bingo games, themed crawls, scavenger hunts and more.

1044 State St. - 270-904-2285

The Candle Loft

Overlooking downtown Fountain Square Park, The Candle Loft soothes its guest with scents of hand-poured Bourbon candles. A short walk from the Corsair Distillery, this apartment-style suite is located above the Candle Makers on the Square shop with breakfast at one of the neighboring establishments included.

415 Park Row - (270) 843-3001 thecandleloft.net

Mary Jane’s Chocolates

Go ahead and cave in – the sweet treats at Mary Jane’s Chocolates are worth it. Handmade chocolate truffles, including this shop’s rendition of the famous Bourbon ball, are among the tempting delicacies. Special order chocolates are also available.

1640 Scottsville Road (270) 282-6126 maryjaneschocolates.com

Bowling Green Pipe and Cigar

Bring home the perfect companion for a glass of straight Bourbon with an imported cigar from Bowling Green Pipe and Cigar. Visitors at the shop are welcome to sit and smoke a cigar while sipping a great variety of America’s spirit.

434 E. Main St.

MAKER’S MARK DISTILLERY

Maker’s Mark Distillery is the world’s oldest operating Bourbon whisky distillery on its original site. Visitors can enjoy a tour through the site, with stops at the Original Owner’s house, the Quart House, the Still House and the Bottling House. The last stop of the tour, the tasting room and gift shop, allows visitors a hands-on experience with dipping their own bottle in the signature Maker’s Mark red wax. With lunch at the Toll Gate Cafe, visitors can enjoy a complete tour experience at Maker’s Mark.

tours:

Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

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location:

3350 Burks Spring Rd, Loretto, KY (270) 865-2099

JIM BEAM DISTILLERY

As the first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Jim Beam Clermont facility employs more than 300 people and welcomes more than 80,000 visitors annually. The Jim Beam Tourism Development Project, completed in the Fall of 2012, further enhances visitors’ experiences with Jim Beam and celebrates the history and heritage of the Clermont plant. A new state-of-the-art welcome center complex is able to accommodate approximately 200,000 visitors annually.

tours:

Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

location:

149 Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, KY (502) 543-9877

LIMESTONE BRANCH DISTILLERY

Brothers Stephen and Paul Beam, have a Bourbon distilling lineage that stretches through seven generations, linking them to two of Bourbon’s earliest distilling families, the Dants and the Beams. While at their distillery, visitors will notice displays of black and white photos, newspaper clippings and empty bottles of retired Bourbons, a tribute to the brothers’ deep distillery heritage. The Beam brothers themselves will gladly walk visitors through the production process of their craft spirits.

tours:

Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday 1 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Top of the hour

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location:

1280 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Lebanon, KY (270) 699-9004

WILLETT DISTILLERY

Founded by Thompson Willett in 1935, the family still owns and operates the distillery, pulling water from two springs located on 120 acres outside of Bardstown. Inside the Cistern Room as the Willett Distillery, visitors can watch the very beginning of bourbon’s journey. In this oaky scented room, barrels are filled with a clear liquid and weighed on an old-fashioned barrel scale. They are then hoisted with a metal chain into a warehouse sitting at the highest level of elevation in Bourbon Country.

tours:

Usually offered daily Please call ahead

location:

1869 Loretto Road Bardstown, KY 40004 (502) 348-0899

THE BULLEIT BOURBON EXPERIENCE AT STITZEL-WELLER

Walk the hallowed grounds of this private facility while learning the history of Bulleit Bourbon.. Sample famous Bulleit brands, enjoy Bourbon and rye-inspired appetizers and desserts, and leave with your own unique Bulleit rocks glass.

This is an incredible opportunity to tour a historic distillery that’s never been opened to the general public before.

tours:

Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

On the hour - last tour is at 2PM

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location:

3860 Fitzgerald Rd, Louisville, KY

BARTON’S 1792 DISTILLERY

Twenty-eight warehouses are home to hibernating Bourbon barrels on the grounds of Barton’s 1792 Distillery.

Established by Thomas Moore in 1879, Barton’s 1792 Distillery is located within the city limits of Bardstown and has become a must-see distillery on the Bourbon tour. The distillery extracts water from the same limestone springs its founder used to make Bourbon more than 100 years ago. Every step in the Bourbon making process takes place on site.

tours:

Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to3:00 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

location:

501 Cathedral Manor, Bardstown, KY (866) 239-4690

FOUR ROSES DISTILLERY

Four Roses Distillery can be found in the quiet Kentucky countryside along the banks of the scenic Salt River in Anderson County. This distillery was built in 1911 and features a unique Spanish Mission-Style architecture rarely seen in Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors to Four Roses Distillery are treated to a free tour of the beautiful facility, which was named the 2011 American Whiskey Distillery of the Year by Whiskey Magazine.

tours:

Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. On the hour

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location:

1224 Bonds Mill Road, Lawrenceburg, KY (502) 839-3436

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY

America’s native spirit was born in the Bluegrass, and few industries have had a greater impact on the development of this region than Bourbon. Today, the magic of fermentation and distillation still goes on much like it did over 200 years ago. For an up-close look at this fascinating industry, begin your Bourbon Trail adventure at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the world’s most award-winning distillery.

tours:

Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sun 1 p.m. -3 p.m. Apr-Oct Only

location:

1001 Wilkinson Blvd. Frankfort, KY (502) 696-5926

HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY

As you pass the second largest supply of Bourbon in the world and enter the elegant white oak and limestone center, you suddenly realize that this is more than just another distillery tour. Whether you love Bourbon, Kentucky lore, local legends, or interactive entertainment, you’re going to have a barrel of fun. True to its dedication to history and heritage, the distillery opened the Bourbon Heritage Center in 2004, an interactive educational experience telling the story of Bourbon’s journey through time.

tours:

Tues - Sat: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mar - Dec Only

94 The Official Guide to Bourbon Country

location:

1311 Gilkey Run Rd, Bardstown, KY (502) 337-1000

WOODFORD RESERVE DISTILLERY

The Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, is known throughout the world as the “homeplace of Bourbon.” The picturesque site in the heart of thoroughbred country is the only place you can see Kentucky’s two most famous products - Bourbon and horses - maturing side by side. Between its rich history and the craft Bourbon distilled there today, it has quite a story to tell. The best way to hear it is to visit for yourself.

tours:

Monday thru Saturday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sunday (Apr-Dec): 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. On the hour

location:

7855 McCracken Pike, Versailles, KY (859) 879-1812

WILD TURKEY DISTILLERY

Bourbon has been distilled on this unique site overlooking the Kentucky River since the mid-1800’s. It wasn’t until 1940, however, when Thomas McCarthy established the name during a wild turkey hunt, where he discovered the great taste of what is now Wild Turkey Bourbon. The Wild Turkey Distillery is a fully-working distillery, and its knowledgeable guides are happy to show tourists through the entire process of making the finest Kentucky Straight Bourbon, from the grains to the barrel.

tours:

Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m., 10:30, 12:30, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.

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location:

1525 Tyrone Road, Lawrenceburg, KY (502) 839-4544

BARREL HOUSE DISTILLERY

Located in the historic Distillery District in downtown Lexington, Barrel House Distillery opened its doors in 2010. Owners Peter Wright and Jeff Wiseman have launched Pure Blue Vodka and Devil John Moonshine and are close to releasing a barrel aged rum. They also have plans to have a whiskey in production soon.

tours:

Thursday - Friday 12:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

location:

1200 Manchester St, Building #9 Lexington, KY (859) 259-0159

ALLTECH BREWING & DISTILLERY CO.

Opened in 2012, Town Branch is the newest distillery to open in Bourbon Country. Their flagship spirit, Town Branch Bourbon, has a state of the art home - and Lexington has a distillery making Bourbon for the first time in several decades. Visitors to the Town Branch Distillery can not only witness the Bourbon making process from start to finish in the limestone wall wrapped facility, but they can also tour the award-winning brewery also on site.

tours:

Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

On the hour

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location:

401 Cross Street, Lexington, KY (859) 255-2337

CORSAIR ARTISAN DISTILLERY

One of the largest and more innovative craft distillers in the nation, Corsair has an impressive growing portfolio of brands to its credit. By combining traditional recipes with unique ingredients and techniques, Corsair has made a national name for itself by pushing the limit on how spirits are distilled. Their labels include Triple Smoke American Single Malt Whiskey, 100 percent Rye Whiskey, Wry Moon Unaged Rye Whiskey, Pumpkin Spice Moonshine and Corsair Gin and Barrel Aged Gin.

tours:

Friday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

location:

400 East Main Street #110, Bowling Green KY (270) 904-2021