Renting a car was cheap, driving between the distilleries was easy (and gorgeous), and we could make our own schedule. If you are still craving more bourbon, this restaurant is famous for their cocktails and bourbon and whiskey flights. Cheers, Julie. Printable Bourbon Trail Map- We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. We chose the self-driving option. After that, check out the Maker's Mark Distillery. This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. Renting a car gives you the most freedom to explore, but it's not necessary. With driving times averaging about twenty minutes between distilleries, most people can fit in three tours per day (in some distilleries, tours are only offered on the hour). Even the most enthusiastic bourbon-lover can't just barrel through and sample bourbon at 9 places all in a rush. And we highly recommend lunch at the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown. Here are four highly rated hotels in Louisville. It's no secret that all American states can legally produce bourbon, but Kentucky is the spirit's undisputed . Prior to touring the Bourbon Trail, Tim and I were not whiskey drinkers. The rickhouse is where the barrels are stored. 1280 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Lebanon, KY, US. Best Distilleries to Visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary Suggestions for 1 Day to 1 Week, 12 Best Things to do in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville Restaurants: Best Eats in Town. Sundays, Mondays, and holidays are the most common days to have limited or no hours. Tours last one hour and end with a tasting. It's not a part of the Kentucky Distillers Association's official Bourbon Trail, but they are, however, open for tours and tastings. We visited both but prefer the American Stillhouse. For information on how to plan your visit, dont miss our Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Angels Envy puts a twist on whiskey distilling. The original distillery opened on Derby Day in the 1930s, and it recently reopened for tours. The memorial is free to visit. Thanks! The Field Guide is your passport to exploring the people and the places behind the Bourbon. Take a Tour of Makers Mark. Built in 2017 and open to visitors in 2019, this brand-new distillery features modern, state-of-the-art technology. But they see map making as a necessary problem, one which requires a significant amount of time and money. After touring Old Forester, its a short walk to Angels Envy. Most tours teach you the same process about bourbon distilling, with a few differences at each distillery. Plus, there is a high concentration of distilleries located right in town, not to mention lots of great restaurants and hotels to choose from. LOUISVILLE: Plan your visit to Louisville with our articles about the Best Things to Do in Louisville and Best Places to Eat in Louisville. Youll need a designated driver along the trail, as youll be sipping and tasting whiskeys. Louisville is the most logical choice, with its relatively central location, abundance of hotels and restaurants, and easy access to the airport. You know you are at a distillery when you see these prison-style buildings. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map Rocks Glass WellTold (22,289) $19.95 Bestseller Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Art Print - 11" x 15" +, Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map - Kentucky - Bourbon - Louisville - Bardstown - KY GeographicsArt (739) $69.00 FREE shipping Kentucky Distilleries map MediaevalMapmaker (2,260) $23.95 More colors In fact, if you visit every. Plus, its easy to find. Dinner: Mayan Caf. These regions are broken out by geographic location. For more ideas of what to do in Louisville, read our article about the best things to do in Louisville. Specialty tours cost more. If you have any questions about how to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, let us know in the comment section below. Learn how to create your own. Both times we visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. All content and photography shall not be reproduced without written permission from the Kentucky Distillers Association. Is May a good month to do the Bourbon Trail? About this Kentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary, For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article, For more ideas of what to do in Louisville, read our article about. If you want to print a different dimension, choose an alternative size from the drop-down list , then alter the size of the page. This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. We offer a real-time comprehensive list of all the distilleries from start up farm distillery to craft distillery to large pre-Prohibition distillery. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 4 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. Make the most of your time by including a diverse mix of ones to visit, from big names in the industry, to up-and-coming, smaller-batch operations. If you need a break from bourbon, a fine margarita at Corto Lima, or craft cocktail at West Main Crafting Co., will do the trick. Do you have to be a bourbon drinker to have a good time on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? Be sure to click the map to visit www.kybourbontrail.com to plan your trips and get detailed directions to all of the distilleries along the Bourbon Trail! This day includes the remaining distilleries in Louisville with the option to add on one or two museums. At the end of this article, we list specific hotel and B&B recommendations for Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington. Buffalo Trace has a long and fascinating history. In 1999, the Kentucky Distillers' Association formed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour to give visitors a firsthand look at the art and science of crafting Bourbon, and to educate them about the rich history and proud tradition of Kentucky's signature spirit. Thank you for explaining that a bourbon trail tour will encompass a history of how the liquor was made. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. BUDGET: Hampton Inn Bardstown. However, there are few places to visit out this way, if you are interested. Did you know: If you use the Roadtrippers mobile app, your trips will instantly auto-sync over Ready for navigation and good times! Are children allowed on the tours? Yes, May should be a very nice month for the Bourbon Trail. If you plan to take distillery tours, you will need to visit the website anyway, in order to make your reservations. Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. For most people, a combination of tours and tastings is the perfect way to sample the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Im looking into doing at least part of the trail myself with some friends when weve all been vaccinated. If you pay extra, we can also produce these maps in specialist file formats. MIDRANGE: Staybridge Suites Lexington. How to Experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Day 2: Louisville to Lexington: Clermont, Shelbyville, and Loretto, Day 3: Lexington, Frankfort, Versailles, and Lawrenceburg. To get to Evan Williams and/or to get back to your hotel, consider driving or using Uber (we used Uber while in Louisville and kept our car parked at our hotel). It's one of the biggest in Bardstown, which is certainly worth seeing. Races do not run year-round. Even if you dont plan on staying here, a drink in the Lobby Bar is a must-do while in Louisville. For lunch and/or dinner, we recommend Kitchen& Bar, the restaurant at Bardstown Bourbon. Distilling Company Tennessee | DISCUS, Hand Sanitizer 802 Royal Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38107 Beechtree Distillery Bourbon Capital BBQ Challenge. Again, thanks for the great article! Most distilleries offer free or discounted tours for military personnel. KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL: Pick out which distilleries to visit in our article Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Over in Lebanon, hit up the Limestone Branch Distillery, which seeks to make everything as authentic as possible, and as a family-owned and operated craft distillery, their local heritage goes back a few generations. More than one distillery tour taught us that the strain of yeast they use is one of the most important factors in how their final product tastes. However, people under the age of 21 are not permitted to do a tasting (of course!) Plus, there is more to see and do in this part of Kentucky, with scenic drives, great towns to visit, and restaurants to try. Chuckanut Bay Distillery. The Major Kentucky Distilleries and the Bourbon Brands They Produce, Mapped. On our most recent tour in November 2019, we booked all of our tours in advance but only one of them was sold out (the Inside the Barrel Tour at Angels Envy). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Save to your device to access at a later date. Wilderness Trail is the newest member on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Bardstown Bourbon. Learn more about the benefits of printing maps. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries located in and around Louisville. The grand finale of the tour isthe bourbon tasting. Lunch: Walk, drive or Uber to the Mussel & Burger Bar, another one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. Trust me!!! This will minimize your driving and let you stay in the small towns in Kentucky. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. And dont miss our post about all eighteen distilleries, the Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Honestly, the tours do get repetitive, as they all take you through the distillation process. If you are looking for a highly rated hotel and dont want to spend a lot of money, this is a great option. We were thinking of going the week before Memorial Day weekend and staying through the weekend. But map makers don't want to let that stop them from building trails. Kentucky Cooperage. Note: This post contains affiliate links. They have 10 different varieties of bourbon, and a really unusual, Spanish-style building that houses the distillery. We recommend staying in Louisville. Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Also, take some time to enjoy the bucolic setting of this distillery. The barrel making process is a key element in bourbon distilling, and this is the best place to learn all about it, since many distilleries get their barrels here. Morning: Stitzel-Weller Distillery. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL: Pick out which distilleries to visit in our article Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Touring the distilleries, learning about the origins of bourbon, and tasting lots and lots of bourbon whiskey is an excellent way to spend a long weekend. Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. It's the same for maps that are large: they can take up nearly 50% of the screen. All other times of year, making reservations is advised but might not be absolutely necessary. Copyright 2023 Kentucky Distillers Association. MIDRANGE: Homewood Suites. Children are allowed on the tours and generally pay a reduced tour fee or can tour for free, depending on the distillery. The list is ever growing. First, decide on the size of your printout. Each of these bourbon distilleries must be a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association, which requires paying a fee. You can also inquire for a quote with our team of cartographers. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. On the tours, learn how bourbon is produced, hear about the history of the distillery, and end with a bourbon tasting. Visit the distillerys website for up-to-date pricing. It is also possible to save the map in a PDF format. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour is organized into four regionsplease toggle through the drop down menu for official groupings. If you are short on time, or have no desire to visit all eighteen distilleries, here is a short list of the top experiences to have on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. For pricing for each distillery, take a look at our best distilleries post. One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace Distillery (which we include on this itinerary). For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article Best Eats in Louisville. The typical size is Letter to North America and DIN A4 for the rest of the world. The usual 150-page guide will include maps of the trail, itineraries and cocktail recipes, advice, tasting notes and information on the 19 participating distilleries. Ride sharing services are abundant in the area, and there are many guided tour options as well. There are eighteen distilleries on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Now, you can stay in a colonial style room in this very same building. Your email address will not be published. What distinguishes one bourbon from another is the mash bill, the strain of yeast used by each distillery (some strains dating back decades), and how long the whiskey ages in the oak barrels. TRAVEL INSPIRATION: Here are 30great travel booksand a list of the best travelmovies to feed your wanderlust. On day two, visit the distilleries located south of Louisville: Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Bardstown Bourbon, and Lux Row. You will also notice that on some days I have included more than just distillery tours. And the smell is amazing! You take a tour, learn about the art and science behind the distilling of bourbon, and end with a tasting. 526 Happy Hollow Road, Shepherdsville, KY, US. Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey and Four Roses are clustered together near Lexington. Tim and I stayed here on our first visit to Louisville in 2016. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. Kentucky Bourbon is perfectly aged. Rather than paying the fee to join the Kentucky Distillers Association, they prefer to offer free tours and tastings to their visitors. Hotel Tango Distillery. But inside are stacks and stacks of bourbon filled barrels, slowly maturing and filling the air with a wonderful aroma. On the other hand, you may want to sit back, enjoy the ride, and join a tour. Buffalo Trace. I am not sure. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. For a lesson on the wild and crazy tales of the Prohibition Era, book a tour at Prohibition Craft Spirits. Distilleries to visit along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. BUDGET: Glo Best Western Lexington. For most people, a mix of tours and tastings is the best way to experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. They have a few iconic bourbon brands that are produced here: Buffalo Trace, Blanton's (with the little horse on top of the round bottle), and Eagle Rare. Many of these distilleries are historic and their story is fascinating. We both acquired a taste for bourbon on our long weekend in Kentucky. Next, hit up Wild Turkey Distillery, which has been crafting Kentucky bourbon since 1869. Rooms are modern and trendy and there is an onsite restaurant. My father, who is a Bourbon man, will be celebrating his birthday next month and I thought of taking him on a Bourbon tour. You can also spend a few days in Nashville or visit nearby New River Gorge National Park. All of the distilleries are listed inside, with space for your own notes and a stamp from each distillery. Similar to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Craft Tour takes bourbon touring and tasting to the next level. Some distilleries are closed on Mondays. Touring the Bourbon Trail gives visitors an up-close look at how bourbon is distilled, the history behind the crafting of bourbon, and the art behind the perfect bourbon tasting. Bring your military ID, if you have one. Spend the day visiting two big names in bourbon and a tour of a cooperage. And , even then, their maps are already obsolete before they even hit the plotter. This is a great place to start your visit to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. To read about our favorite bourbon distillery, read this post. If you are doing this over a long weekend, plan on spending one day in each area. Spend one day visiting the four distilleries near Lexington: Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, and Town Branch. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. To tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail you have two options: self-drive the bourbon trail or join a tour group. Fantastic article! Four Roses distillery was built in 1910 and features Spanish Mission-Style architecture, a rarity in Kentucky. Plan to spend at least 2-3 days traveling along the Bourbon Trail, and stop off at some of the many charming Kentucky towns along the route. Inside of the memorial is a symbolic log cabin, a historic replica of the one that Abraham Lincoln first lived in. Mint Julep is the most popular tour company in Kentucky that offers tours to the distilleries. Children under 21 are welcome on tours, for free or at a discounted cost (and no sampling whiskey for them, of course). There is even an art museum located inside of the hotel. Heaven Hill is one of the biggest bourbon distilleries, producing Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. Jim Beam. Note: Green River is located in the Central Time Zone. It is possible to print maps by choosing the print option in your printer menu. You do not have to take a tour at each distillery. The blue markers are restaurant recommendations, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and other notable experiences to add into your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. In this post, we cover everything you need to know to have the best experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Foaling begins in late January and will continue through May, so visit in the spring if you want to meet the youngest future racehorses! Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Definitely book tours at your must-see distilleries in advance, regardless of the time of year, and if you plan to do a special tour, such as a cocktail class or behind the scenes tour. If you want to tour the distilleries without the crowds, visit Kentucky from the end of November through March. Located in Lexington, this bourbon distillery also produces beer. This is the busiest time on the trail and tours can sell out. It must be distilled from at least 51% corn. Make sure you do this Tuesday through Saturday before 5 pm, when the cooperage and the bottling line are in operation. Currently, there are eighteen bourbon labels that are a part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Buffalo Trace, located in Frankfort, is one of the most famous bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. Visit the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail website here. Take the history and the gorgeous natural settings, and add delicious, often entertaining whiskey tours and tastings, and you'll see why traveling along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is such a special experience. A Few Facts about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Generally, the default size of the map can be 8.5 By 11 inches. This Bulleit facility offers a handful of different tours, tastings and cocktail classes. Lunch: Doc Crows Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar or Troll Pub under the Bridge. The Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 until 1987. Are you? Most of this day is walkable. Maps & Downloads - Tennessee Whiskey Trail Official Site Maps & Downloads The Google map below represents all members of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. If you have hotel reserved, the staff might be able to make some recommendations for you. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. From beautiful fall foliage, to pumpkin patches and farm cider, this is the best time to experience the Bourbon Trail. You will drive through scenic bluegrass Kentucky, with horse farms as far as the eye can see. Printable Bourbon Trail Map - We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. When the printout is completed then you can save it as PDF. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Evening: Michters Distillery. Our website uses cookies. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. On this tour, you visit micro-distilleries and this takes an additional week to visit all of these distilleries. HISTORIC: Talbott Tavern and Inn. Nothing can be added to the whiskey other than water. Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. Required fields are marked *. A stay at the boutique 21C Hotel makes a great homebase in Lexington; this artsy, modern hotel is located right downtown, and the lobby also functions as a contemporary art gallery. They were one of only three bourbon distilleries that were allowed to operate during Prohibition, producing medicinal bourbon. This was our all-around best tour experience. Browse by category to find what you're looking for, or select icons displayed on the map for detailed information. $20 is the average price for a tour. Santa Claus is a small town filled with Christmas-themed hotels, shops, restaurants, and even an amusement park. It has received accolades from Conde Nast Traveler, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. #1 Louisville: Intro to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, #3 Green River and Stitzel-Weller Distillery, #5 Makers Mark, Jim Beam, & the Kentucky Cooperage, #6 Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses & Wilderness Trail, #7 Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, and Town Branch. Many places offer tastings without a tour. During the mid-20th century, Four Roses was the top selling bourbon in Japan but it could not be purchased in the US, even though it was being produced in Kentucky. Confirm that youre over 21 years of age. If you have three days in Louisville, follow our day #1 and day #2 itineraries above. The top things to do on an Extraterrestrial Highway road trip, The top things to do on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip, The top things to do on an I-40 road trip, The Great Northern is a 3,600 mile, cross-country odyssey, A road trip along New York state's Women's Heritage Trail, 9 stops on a Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail road trip, A cross-country road trip to U.S. presidential libraries, A road trip to filming locations featured in 'The Goonies', Pay Tribute and Reflect at These US Monuments and Memorials. In 2019, it was much busier and had we not scheduled everything in advance, we would have missed out on a lot of tours. Most people stay in Louisville, Lexington, or Bardstown. If you like the idea of getting out of Louisville for the day, I recommend day #1 plus day #4 (the Best of Bardstown) or day #5 (Makers Mark and the Kentucky Cooperage). This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. This is a great place to visit to counterbalance the bigger distilleries along the Bourbon Trail. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail website includes a map of all area distilleries, general exploring tips, and a calendar of upcoming distillery events. Looking to plan trip in mid June 2020, I recommend checking the official websites of the distilleries to see if they are open. We have been twice, the same weekend both times (the weekend before Thanksgiving). This is a great resource for getting an in-depth history of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as well as additional information to help plan your trip. These newer operations often restore the beautiful, historical properties of Kentuckys original stillscenturies-old distilleries that either never reopened after prohibition or closed for other reasons. Everything from five-star restaurants to delicious sandwich stands can be found in the small towns along the way between distilleries. Bourbon can be brewed anywhere in the United States, although 95% of bourbon is currently distilled in Kentucky. These last one to two hours and cost more than your typical tour, but you get a hands-on lesson on how to mix a craft cocktail. If you want to do some non-Bourbon activities while road tripping around Kentucky, here are some ideas for you. They must be designed to work with a standard printing press. For more distillery rules and Kentucky Liquor laws, check out Kentucky Liquor Laws and The Bourbon Trail. If you are really short on time, you can simply visit the gift shop, get your passport stamped, and do a little shopping. If you are only planning a quick visit to Kentucky (3 to 4 days tops), I recommend choosing one place and making this your home base.