Road Trip To Bourbon Country

Liquid Sunshine

To celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month (and my birthday), I made the pilgrimage to prime bourbon country - Kentucky. Not necessarily the first place folks consider for a tourist destination, it was certainly every bit pastoral, relaxing, and idyllic as the beaches all the Labor Day road-trippers swarmed to. The next few weeks will see me posting about my experiences at the different distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Not a bourbon drinker especially, I found the trip to be highly educational. Learning about the distillation process, the history of the drink and its importance in American (particularly Southern) culture, and some surprising culinary uses for it were among the highlights for me.

For those interested in planning a similar trip, a few observations to share:

• Every town I visited (Bardstown, Frankfort, Lexington, Loretto, Louisville, Versailles) was incredibly clean and the people were very friendly
• Meal prices, gas, etc. were all affordable and on par with national averages
• Distilleries varied by location, but most offered free or low-cost ($5-7) entrance fees and usually included a taste or two of their product for those over 21; photos were always allowed and all had gift shops and no-hassle parking
• Driving was super-easy to navigate, even in rural areas, due to great signage, well-paved roads, and accurate mileage markings - getting lost was hard to do
• While most of the distilleries and attractions I visited were family-friendly, kids and teens might get bored with the all-adult content, and tasting rooms that prohibit those under 21 from sitting closer than 10 feet from the area of alcohol consumption
• Small towns still close early, on Sundays, and major holidays! It was disappointing to have to eat at a chain restaurant on Labor Day because I didn't plan ahead better

More to come! First stop: Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY.