A Taste of Kentucky

SIPPING

Along The Bourbon

Have you invited neighbors yet for a drink on your porch or patio? If not, won’t it be great to serve them something different — like a special bourbon you picked up on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?

If you haven’t “done the Trail” yet, there are now 42 distilleries producing quality bourbon on the route. Eighteen are large, familiar names — Bulleit, Four Roses, Woodford Reserve — and another 24 are smaller, artisanal craft distilleries. It’s almost impossible to choose which to visit, which is why the Kentucky Distillers’ Association recommends spending a week on the Trail.

“It depends on the experience you’re after,” says Amandalin “Mandy” Ryan, director of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences. “They’re all a little different;

TRAIL By Mary Mihaly

some visitors come looking for one brand they love, others want to try something new. I’m a big believer in mixing it up — go for the big Jim Beams, then stop at the small family distilleries operating out of a barn. I hear good things about all of them.”

Tastes For Every Taste

Different, you bet. Maker’s Mark, for instance, offers several varieties of tours, ranging in price for the basic, all-outdoors tour ($22) to the “Behind the Bourbon” immersive, cellarto-cistern tour that includes a tasting ($55). And, based on reviews (and my own experience), Maker’s Mark’s has the best gift shop on the Trail, including a corner where you can dip your own bottle top in their signature red wax.

Wild Turkey, on the other hand, is offering no tours at this writing. Still managed by 64-year veteran Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, the longest-working master distiller in the world, Wild Turkey has a gift shop that sells their tasty “crafted with conviction” rye.

Evan Williams Gift Shop Experience, Kentucky’s first commercial distillery, offers a one-hour tour for $18, including a tasting. If it’s on the shelf (it’s only produced seasonally), do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of Evan Williams Egg Nog, made with whiskey, rum and brandy.

While the craft distilleries are popular, I haven’t visited them; they take more time than I can afford right now. My favorite of the big guys is Maker’s Mark. The tour is fascinating, and the bourbon strikes me as a bit sweeter than the others. If bourbon is your poison, you already know that legally, the mash bill, or recipe, must contain at least 51 percent corn; the rest can be any combination of other grains. Maker’s 46 might be their sweetest, but no distiller will reveal the exact ingredients.

HOW-TO HINTS

Planning your trip to the Bourbon Trail is easy. Start at kybourbontrail.com and read the offerings of all the distilleries, download the map, and decide which ones to visit. Northern Kentucky is about a six-hour drive from Northeast Ohio, so plan two travel days and give yourself time to relax.

You won’t run into a crowd of 20-somethings when you get there, though visitors are starting to trend a little younger, Ryan says. “The older demographic is still pretty primary for us, though. They can travel during the week, and I think there’s a bit of nostalgia at work with them, too. They saw their parents and grandparents drinking whiskey and bourbon, and they want to experience those drinks and learn the histories. People are looking for an authentic connection.”

One note to keep in mind: you might not find some of your favorite distilleries on that website. Buffalo Trace Distillery, for instance, doesn’t belong to the association that sponsors the distillers’ website because Buffalo Trace gives tours free of charge. Still, if you wish to tour the distillery, you must register at buffalotracedistillery. com before you visit. And be ready for disappointment: all of their bourbons and most of their other bottlings were sold out when we checked. If they are in stock, they limit purchases to one bottle per visitor, per day.

Kentucky Trail Tips

“Book every tour in advance,” Ryan says. “That’s my number-one tip. Some are booked a month-and-a-half ahead.” You can schedule most tours online.

Ryan also advises taking advantage of the cocktail bars and culinary experiences springing up at the distilleries. Their bartenders know how to showcase their products in their drinks, and you’d be smart to sample them—and ask questions.

Don’t show up just to drink—take at least one tour. Even if you already know how a still works and whiskey is bottled, it will be fascinating and informative.

Bring a designated driver. You won’t want to pass up the wonderful tastes you’re offered along the way.

Wear closed-toed shoes. On some distillery tours, they are required.

Where To Stay

• Old Talbott Tavern - A tiny inn with only six rooms. Dine at the world’s oldest (since 1779) bourbon bar, talbottavern.com in Bardstown, “The Bourbon Capital.”

• 21c Museum Hotel Lexington - A modern art museum/ hotel with a sister hotel in Louisville, curated exhibitions, downtown Lexington, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

• The Samuels House - Established by the same family that started Makers Mark, near Bardstown, thesamuelshouse.com.