Ahhh… the weekend. Time to de-compress from the past week.
Now, many (many…) people give Ohio a lot of crap BUT I’m going to say it, I’m so grateful to live in Ohio! Shocking I know… but seriously!
It’s centrally located enough where you’ll never tire of the places to visit within an easy drive. We live in Central Ohio, so it’s so convenient to drive places for a long weekend.
THE BEST!
Now, do we have any bourbon lovers in the room?
To be honest, I don’t love bourbon, but my husband enjoys it. I go with him for the scenery + the history (…and cocktails!)
The other weekend, we had a long weekend in Kentucky!
The slowness of pace, the nice people, the bourbon-hunters that throw a tip at you, & the scenery is so beautiful. What’s not to love?
Trust me when I say that there’s NO way to do all of the distilleries in the area in 1 weekend (or even 2 or 3 weekends…). Save some for another trip!
The map below is from the Kentucky Bourbon Trail website: I’d suggest you look at it to get a grasp on the sheer amount of distilleries in the area.
Here’s what I’d suggest for a 3 day weekend hitting most of the biggest distilleries with major history. Some are stop-ins only, others are linger and enjoy.
Of course, (disclaimer alert!) drink responsibly (21+ only) + don’t drive. The roads are super curvy and hilly at times in the hills of Kentucky. Hire a tour or driver if need be.
Kick your weekend off in Louisville (pronounced Lou-a-voll & Lou, for short)
Visit Stitzel-Weller: the history, the decor, the old ricks and stack.
Founded by Pappy Van Winkle (yes, THE “Pappy”) in 1935 this heavy-hitter in the Bourbon scene went under in 1972, like a LOT of other distilleries. It’s back open to the public with Blade & Bow being the showcase.
Insider Tip: Collect the 5 KEYS & send them in for entry into the Five Keys Club. We actually took the first experience tour of the day and key #5 (the hardest one to find) was free game on a table in the Garden & Gun club to open up. The workers say that’s a common occurrence (hint, hint).
Garden & Gun Club (located on the 2nd floor- no reservation needed so go on up!) is BEAUTIFUL. Seriously… and everyone is so nice! Grab a cocktail, sit and relax, take some photos of the gorgeous interior, or walk the museum on the first floor.
The 1st floor museum is pretty wicked & packed with knowledge. Me, I love the old pictures and history. That’s why I’d recommend a tour here. The history is so fascinating.
If you’re staying in Lou, Downtown in Whiskey Row is where you’re headed to next!
Most of the distilleries are there, including: Evan Williams, Old Forester, Angel’s Envy, Peerless, Michter’s Fort Nelson, Castle & Key 502 (outpost only), Buzzards Roost, and more I’m missing I’m sure.
Right outside downtown, Rabbit Hole and Copper & Kings (brandy currently…).
Pre-warning: you’ll need a reservation for Michter’s bar @ Fort Nelson (we got lucky with a 30 minute walk-up wait). It’s worth the shot!
While you’re waiting, walk through the 21c Hotel art installations -or- find Hell or High Water or Number 15, a few bars nearby.
With the early close time on such distilleries, the brewery scene in Lou is exploding. Being that there are so many tasty options start with Ten20 Craft Brewery, Gallant Fox, Atrium Brewing, and Monnik Beer.
Now entering, the “Bourbon Capital of the World”: Bardstown
Gotta love a small town that’s imploded with bourbon-hunting tourists! In all fairness, we went on a Thursday so it wasn’t so bad. Weekends here are not for the faint of heart though.
The small uptown area is quaintly lined with shops, food, & photo-worthy alleyways. But it’s what lies outside the city for why it draws so many people in.
5 minutes south of town is Willett and Heaven Hill. Both are worth a stop, but with a few discoveries first.
Insider Tip #1: If it’s a crappy-weather day, you’ll need a reservation for the Bar @ Willett to do a tasting. Our first time here, the 1st floor bar was open (being summer), but not this past time (early April). Make your reservation in advance… at least a month out.
Insider Tip #2: Make sure that Heaven Hill isn’t releasing one of the reserve bottles. The lines recently went viral because of the sheer length… Thankfully, they let us “cut” the line to skip the line and head to the gift shop. BUT the free museum here is spectacular, truly!
Other distilleries in the area: Lux Row, Bardstown, Jim Beam, and more…
Again, distilleries aren’t open late, so when looking for night-time things to do, I’ve got 2 stops for you!
First is Scout & Scholar (a brewery with a pretty fantastic kitchen: including a gluten free/celiac menu!) and to end your night, a bar with an outrageous selection of bourbons not found anywhere else nearby: the Volstead Bourbon Lounge. Just go, trust me on this one.
Next stop: Maker’s Mark
Hear me out, we’ve always skipped this one when in the area. It’s pretty much lonely where it’s sitting. However, this time, we went and we’ll continue to go back!
Why?
THE GROUNDS ARE SO EFFING BEAUTIFUL is my reason and my husband doesn’t really care for their bourbon but the experience was amazing for him too.
The tasting room is stately & part-art gallery. Now you know it’s important to know, the bathrooms are FIREEEE.
Get a beverage below all of the art glass and go take a walk down the hill, over the creek, past the old ricks, and Star Hill and there you’ll run into the experience center (aka gift shop).
Insider Tip: Dip your own bottle for the cost of just the bottle. The experience is pretty amazing and they have the process down to an art-form. Adding an extra 10 minutes to your visit while the wax dries is a fun, personal addition to the trip.
We had a blast here and if it was a nicer day, we could have stayed for hours…
From here, our group actually headed a hour east to Lexington (Lex) for the afternoon/evening.
There aren’t a ton of distilleries the group wanted to go to on this day, so we went to the Distillery district that houses a brewery (Ethereal), a few distilleries (James E Pepper and Barrel House), and a cidery (Wise Bird).
Fun fact: Wise Bird has a 100% gluten free fryer and their food is so good for a mid-afternoon snack!
Lex will have to be a whole separate post. The city is so cool and we love it.
Onward to the triangle that is Frankfort, Lawrenceburg, and Versailles (aka ver-sails)…)!
This triangle really does deserve and need an entire day to the distilleries.
There are a few that are loads better than the rest (in my opinion…)
Let’s start with the list of ones to stop in, but not to linger at: Four Roses, Wild Turkey (visitors center is still closed as of April 2024), & don’t come at me… Buffalo Trace.
Now, why Buffalo Trace not to linger at?
I’m not saying the grounds aren’t cool. They are. We’ve taken our kids to the hidden playground here too. But the gift shop / tasting room is what kills it for me.
The tasting room isn’t one that you would just get a beverage at and relax. It’s very line-driven. Yes, this time we lucked out & got an allocated Blanton’s bottle (at 1pm), but it’s just not my favorite.
Moving on.. where you do need to take your time: Woodford Reserve and Castle & Key.
Starting with Woodford – the beautiful grounds & shop. I learned that the tasting room & bar have moved into the big gift shop on the south side of the grounds, instead of being by the horses. I’ll miss sitting on the patio watching the prize horses trot around. sigh but fine…
10 minutes up the road is one I would spend hours at … Castle & Key. Literally. From the moment you pull in until you leave, it’s so inviting. The history is pretty dang stellar too!
Built by THE Colonel E.H. Taylor IN 1887 as a train-stop enjoyment with a literal castle & English-inspired gardens, it’s no wonder it’s become quite the popular spot!
Re-opened just 6 years ago (mind blown), the owner’s put in major dollars to bring this property back to life, even finding a sunken-garden under years of neglect.
Book the tour here if you can. Hearing what they’ve done to the place & seeing the destruction the previous-owners did was fascinating.
This is also the perfect stop for someone that doesn’t love bourbon. Helloooo vodka & gin. I’m not a gin person, but everyone else loved them. Their vodka is (in my opinion) delicious.
Imbibe in a beverage, stroll through the gardens, play a game, eat from one of the food trucks, grab a seat by the creek, & walk through the coolest boiler-room gift shop.
HOURS. I could be there hours….
Ok, so there you have it. The major distilleries that would make for a fun, yet busy 3 day weekend.
My husband and I have been down quite a lot, mainly because it’s so easy to get to. Heck, you could do a full weekend in just one city and still not get to everything.
Just know that there’s no way (& this is not a challenge) to do all of these listed above in one long weekend. Like stated before, go a few times.
Enjoy & take your time, bask in the history & please be responsible about it.
If you want the details on where to stay, other things to do, and itinerary inquiries, reach out! I’m here for your questions.
As always, let’s keep life.. simply tamed.
Simply Tamed 