When I tell folks here in Pennsylvania, I’m from Kentucky, many ask me the usual three questions: “Have you been to the Derby?”, “Do you like bourbon?”, and “Is it worth visiting?”.
The answer is a resounding “YES” to all three. I am a huge fan of my home state and I’m always proud to take my PA friends to bluegrass country for a visit to show them around.
Where to begin?
I say, plan a bourbon distillery tour first!
When visiting the Louisville/Lexington areas, you’ll have a multitude of distillery tours to choose from. The funny thing is, when my uncle and aunt treated me to dinner in NYC at La Grenouille in ‘97, the waiter answered in response to my request for a “bourbon and water”, “Madame , we do not serve river water here”.
Hmmm, I wonder if this is still true? No matter, I prefer to sip my favorite bourbon where the best can be found; in Kentucky, of course.
Kentucky IS bourbon country. In the past eight years, I”ve taken four bourbon tours in the Louisville area, big and small.
Wanna go Big Time?
Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
The place is a fantastic “huge” distillery dating back to 1869. Just standing in the parking lot gives you a sense of the distillery’s deep history. We didn’t take the tasting tour, opting instead for the guided tour in and around the site. We marveled bug eyed, while being led through one of the ancient “barns” where tens of thousands of bourbon barrels are stored during their maturation or “resting” period. Wild Turkey is also home to Jimmy Russell, longest working master distiller in the world (as reported in 2016).
Small and Exclusive;
During the pandemic, I visited Louisville with my adventurous friend Dawn. For Covid -safety reasons, we wanted to visit a smaller distillery. Kentucky Peerless Distillery Company seemed perfect…and it is. We thoroughly enjoyed our short tour seeing bourbon being made in front of our eyes in the company’s historic building located in the heart of Louisville’s distillery district. This tour wasn’t cheap but if you are into tasting exquisite small batch bourbons, you’ll love it. We didn’t go home with bourbon but did find affordable goodies in their gift shop I’m still enjoying today.
Fabulous New Kids on the Block
On another girls trip just this past fall, the ladies also wanted to see how bourbon is made. The Angel’s Envy distillery (founded in 2006), is gorgeous and the hour long tour is informative and engaging. But it’s the tasting that makes visiting this place special. After your tour, you are escorted into a private room with limited seating, making for a very intimate tasting experience. You’ll get to sip Angels Envy neat, on the rocks, and as a complement to locally handmade chocolates.
My Home Town Favorite
Even newer is the Jeptha Creed distillery (2016) located just miles from where I grew up in Shelbyville, Ky. What sets their spirits apart from the others is the special bloody butcher corn grown on the family’s farm. Owned and operated by a mother/daughter duo, their distillery is definitely worth a stop.
Their bourbon and vodka are quite tasty, but don’t leave without purchasing a flavored moonshine (we especially love the cinnamon). If you are really lucky, you may be able to take home a bottle of small batch Paw Paw brandy (absolutely delicious!!).
Traveler’s Tip: Consider limiting the number of bourbon tours to no more than three over a long weekend. Blending tours at large and small distilleries should vary the experiences enough to keep the interest of any visitor, bourbon lover or not.
DIY TASTING
When my delightful Danish cousin Christian visited in 2015, I thought it would be great fun to have our own personal bourbon tasting in my folks’ kitchen,using only the big name brands. Although Woodford Reserve “won”, I daresay that in the years since, there are new bourbons on the market vying for top sip the next time we hold our mini competition.
WHERE TO STAY
The following is just to name a few hotels that I’ve visited over the years. If these don’t tickle your fancy, check out Tripadvisor.com for guaranteed help.
HISTORIC
If you like fancy, go historic, go downtown. Louisville’s Brown and Seelbach Hotels are both loaded with history and old world charm. Ever had a Hot Brown? This delicacy is certain to fill your stomach with yummy hot turkey, bacon, tomato, all slathered up with a mornay sauce and served on a thick slice of bread. This simply divine hot dish was invented in 1926 at the beautiful Brown Hotel.
Read and loved the book The Great Gatsby? F. Scott Fitzgerald often visited the Seelbach and most probably fashioned his fictitious ballroom at the Muhlbach where Daisy and Tom married after the actual one in this gorgeous Beaux Arts hotel, now owned by Hilton.
If you prefer to not stay in the city, we’ve had great experiences at several of the Hilton properties on the east end of town. From this side of Louisville, you have easy access to visiting the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and my home county of Shelby County. You’ll find a fantastic outlet mall in Simpsonville along with downtown charming shops. My favorite is the nearby The Little Mount Lavender Farm and gift shop that shouldn’t be missed.
For lunch, head into Shelbyville, an easy 10 minute drive east. Drive by the chain restaurants and enjoy delicious southern inspired recipes using locally grown ingredients at The Red Lion, located in historic Science Hill.
Colonel Sanders lived in Shelbyville during my childhood and the restaurant he built for his wife, Claudia Sanders Dinner House, is still offering up memorable mains like southern fried chicken and country ham along with the longtime restaurant's signature vegetables served family style at your table.
Fun at Churchill Downs
Back in Louisville there are many things to do that aren’t bourbon related such as: touring the Derby Museum, watching bats being made at the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum, riding on the Belle of Louisville (seasonal), walking the Big 4 bridge to Indiana, and by all means, if possible, spend a day at Churchill Downs. The food is great, the horses are beautiful, and of course, it is quite thrilling to have a winning ticket. Lucky me won pretty big this past Sept. on a horse I picked solely for the name – Time for Champagne because personally, I firmly believe it’s always time for bubbly!
Travelers Tip: It can be really hot in the summer in the greater Louisville area. I have found the best times to visit this part of the state are in early April til mid May, and mid-September til mid October for leaf peeping.
No matter what season, make a visit to Kentucky and don’t forget your Derby hat!
We have to love our home state! I'm still a KY girl at heart. I can't respond yes to all three, because I have never been to the Ky Derby, but I did get to fly in the hot air balloon race in 2000 (right before we moved away). Something I will never forget. I didn't care for bourbon when I lived in KY, but I have definitely acquired a taste for it as I've grown older. I love reading all your stories - keep it up! Hugs dear friend!