How far in advance would you recommend booking tours, or are walk-ins generally accepted at most of the distilleries? Ride sharing services are abundant in the area, and there are many guided tour options as well. At your first distillery, pick up a Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport. 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. 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). It is not the actual log cabin of Abraham Lincolns birthplace. These five rules are: Bourbon contains at least 51% corn with different proportions of wheat, malted barley, or rye. NASHVILLE: For recommendations on what to do in Nashville, check out our articles Best Things to Do in Nashville and Best Eats in Nashville. 526 Happy Hollow Road, Shepherdsville, KY, US. Distillery Directory - Distillery Trail Pick your favorites and group them together to form your itinerary, whether you have 2, 3, or more days. Angels Envy puts a twist on whiskey distilling. If you are looking for a highly rated hotel and dont want to spend a lot of money, this is a great option. Each of these bourbon distilleries must be a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association, which requires paying a fee. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. 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). Woodford Reserve. There are many distilleries you can visit in Kentucky that are not part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. On this tour, you visit micro-distilleries and this takes an additional week to visit all of these distilleries. It has received accolades from Conde Nast Traveler, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. It is a very fun thing to do and it was one of our highlights on our first trip to Kentucky. Each distillery has a gift shop selling bourbon and related souvenirs. The worst time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, according to the guides that we spoke to, is during the summer months. Plus, if you save your ticket from the distillery tour, you can tour their warehouse operation, located in Cox's Creek, for free! It is not the actual log cabin of Abraham Lincolns birthplace. Makers Mark is a must-visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Renting a car gives you the most freedom to explore, but it's not necessary. But many distilleries offer special tours. The Angels Envy tour features a tasting of their Rye whiskey straight from the barrel. Wilderness Trail sits a bit farther away, in Danville. Next, work off that bourbon tasting with a quick visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum, to see where professional baseball bats are made. The list is ever growing. However, with various sizes for printing come a variety of new variables. Monday through Friday, tours are offered at the Kentucky Cooperage (1 pm is the latest tour time). The blue markers are restaurant recommendations, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and other notable experiences to add into your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. Andrew Jackson, Henry Harrison, and King Louis Phillippe have all stayed here. 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. One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace Distillery (which we include on this itinerary). All bourbons are whiskey but not all whiskeys are bourbon. Explore our guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for suggested routes, cant-miss spots, and other tips for having the best experience in bourbon country. It was delightfully quiet, with small tour groups. Some of these yeast strains have been used for decades at each distillery. Nothing can be added to the whiskey other than water. It is also possible to save the map in a PDF format. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. This is the busiest time on the trail and tours can sell out. Do you have to be a bourbon drinker to have a good time on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? Most tours teach you the same process about bourbon distilling, with a few differences at each distillery. Angels Envy. Printing a map gives you an image that can be used to guide your instructions. Jack Frys and the Brown Hotel Lobby Bar are also great options. 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. Hours vary by day of the week, with more tour times on Fridays and Saturdays. Pdf Printable Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map - We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. Buffalo Trace. A memorial now stands at his birthplace. Take the evening to explore downtown Lexington. UPSCALE: 21c Museum Hotel Lexington. This itinerary is organized into seven different daily itineraries. This ultra-modern distillery is located in Nulu (New Louisville). Save to your device to access at a later date. The weather is pleasant and bourbon is in full production. This day includes the remaining distilleries in Louisville with the option to add on one or two museums. Jim Beam. We offer a real-time comprehensive list of all the distilleries from start up farm distillery to craft distillery to large pre-Prohibition distillery. Map | Kentucky Bourbon Trail And for full details on Bluebird Cafe, read our article How to Visit Bluebird Cafe. There is also the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. Its a step back in time where you learn about the history of Kentucky. Generally, the default size of the map can be 8.5 By 11 inches. 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. For more information on these tours and experience, read our article about the distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Heaven Hill is one of the biggest bourbon distilleries, producing Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. As one of the largest sellers of bourbon in the world, their tour seems to reflect that in having one of the more interactive tours. This is a beautiful distillery. This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. If you prefer, you can inquire for a quote with our group of cartographers. Check the Churchill Downs website for the race schedule before you go. We recommend staying in Louisville. During this one-hour class, we mixed two cocktails: the Kentucky Mule and the Sazerac. It's no secret that all American states can legally produce bourbon, but Kentucky is the spirit's undisputed . This map was created by a user. First, decide on the size of your printout. Maps & Downloads - Tennessee Whiskey Trail Official Site This is more than just a hotel, it is also an art museum. It was educational, lots of fun, and a great way to tour another distillery without taking a tour. The Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 until 1987. However, there are few places to visit out this way, if you are interested. Honestly, the tours do get repetitive, as they all take you through the distillation process. The distilleries are grouped together in four general areas. Trust me!!! We chose the self-driving option. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail began in 1999 as a way to bring tourism to Kentucky. Tours last one hour and end with a tasting. Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington make a great home base for this day (and day number 7 below). Kentucky Cooperage. It's a great destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which focuses on smaller and more inventive distillers. Bourbon is booming right now and so is tourism in Kentucky. Tours last approximately one hour, ending with a tasting. Sleep in Louisville. They must be designed to work with a standard printing press. All rights reserved. Renting a car was cheap, driving between the distilleries was easy (and gorgeous), and we could make our own schedule. Also, remember that the quality of maps is unbeatable! After touring the three distilleries, you can either return to Louisville or spend the night in Bardstown. Four Roses distillery was built in 1910 and features Spanish Mission-Style architecture, a rarity in Kentucky. A combination of ideal weather, limestone water sources, and a long history of the craft make Central Kentucky the bourbon capital of the world. Most people stay in Louisville, Lexington, or Bardstown. Kentucky Bourbon Trail | Earth Trekkers - Google My Maps The Major Kentucky Distilleries and the Bourbon Brands They Produce, Mapped. All content and photography shall not be reproduced without written permission from the Kentucky Distillers Association. A visit to Buffalo Trace is definitely worthwhile when you are in the area, even if it is not officially on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. In one day, it is possible to do three to four tours and/or tastings. For information on how to plan your visit, dont miss ourKentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary. If you want to see the entire bourbon distilling process from start to finish, including the making of the barrels and the bottling of the final product, take the Old Forester Discovery Tour. For dinner, opt for classic and refined, or hip and casual. Before heading out of Lexington, check out the citys historic Distillery District, home to the recently revived James E. Pepper Distiller (and several other restaurants, bars, and breweries), one of Kentuckys first bourbon brands originally created during the American Revolution. If you have three days in Louisville, follow our day #1 and day #2 itineraries above. Even if you dont plan on staying here, a drink in the Lobby Bar is a must-do while in Louisville. If you only have one day on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the combination of these three tours hits the most important steps in the distilling process. On the other hand, you may want to sit back, enjoy the ride, and join a tour. Specialty tours cost more. We are wine drinkers. Most of this day is walkable. The food is delicious!! During the aging process, a small percentage of the bourbon evaporates per year, what is referred to as the angels share. If you want to take home this aroma, many gift shops sell bourbon-scented candles. Make sure you check the hours of the distilleries you want to visit before your trip. Also, the visitors center offers lots of history, facts and figures. It is open daily except for major holidays. Its a short walk to the Mayan Caf. Use it to customize your trail experience. Day after day, distillery tours can get to be monotonous. Over in Bardstown, there's Willett Distillery. This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. To tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail you have two options: self-drive the bourbon trail or join a tour group. Sleep in Louisville. The distilleries of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail are deeply rooted in history, many beginning operations in the 18th or 19th centuries that are still operated by the same families generations later. Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey and Four Roses are clustered together near Lexington. Starting off in Louisville, visit the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Take the first tour of the day to give yourself enough time to get to Green River. Renting a car was cheap, driving between the distilleries was easy (and gorgeous), and we could make our own schedule. You can search by name, state, spirit, amenity or simply click on the map to discover distilleries you never knew existed! A 72-Hour Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail - The Manual After that, check out the Maker's Mark Distillery. Spend the next day slowly heading out of Louisville to visit a few distilleries on the citys outskirts, and then use Lexington as a homebase for the next couple of days. It's a National Historic Landmark, but it's also gorgeously maintained, and set in a dreamlike corner of the Bourbon Trail. They like to talk about their mash bill and their yeast strains that they use. Lexington Brewing Company offers a wide variety of tours as well as a mixology class. In 2016, we were able to show up and do a lot of tastings. For weekends, I would recommend scheduling your tours in advance, any time of the year. However, there is a lot more to do in this part of Kentucky than just tour bourbon distilleries. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to Your Places, click Maps, and you will see this map on your list. Its good to know that classes about cocktails can be taken during a bourbon tour. This takes the headache out of planning a day of distillery tours, perfect for some people. Woodford Reserve (a seven-minute drive from Castle & Key) has its own restaurant and is a great mid-day stop for lunch and a tour of its beautiful grounds. When the printout is completed then you can save it as PDF. This is a great bit of Texas BBQ in the heart of Kentucky. Your email address will not be published. If you have specific non-KBT distilleries in mind I recommend checking their websites for pricing information. This distillery is so new that their bourbon is still aging, although they do have other liquor you can sample when you visit, like rum aged in old bourbon bottles and unfiltered vodka. See our privacy policy here. It is even rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Jesse James. Note: Due to COVID-19, distillery tours may be cancelled or offered on a reduced schedule. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. There are many advantages to printing a map. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour is celebrating its 22nd birthday with a new Bourbon Trail Passport & Field Guide for visitors but this year, there's a twist. The distilling process at Green River is very innovative and a visit here is worthwhile if you want to learn about a unique way to distill bourbon. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. Aging must take place in a new, charred oak barrel. BUDGET: Glo Best Western Lexington. Learn more about the benefits of printing maps. Distilling Company Tennessee | DISCUS, Hand Sanitizer 802 Royal Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38107 Beechtree Distillery It smells wonderful and it kind of made me hungry! Id rather not print the article because of all of the adds. For tour information, visit the Wilderness trail website. They offer both tours and tastings individually, so if you'd rather skip seeing the still and warehouse, you can just sample their wares-- try the sweet and spicy Wild Turkey Honey Stinger! Youll need a designated driver along the trail, as youll be sipping and tasting whiskeys. In Louisville, stay downtown at the Brown Hotel, a city landmark full of history and romance. The red markers are the seventeen distilleries on the trail. How can I safe it to find once again? Download the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Distillery Map Download Now Join Our Newsletter Mailing List Fields marked with an * are required First Name * Last Name * Email * If you are a human seeing this field, please leave it empty. For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article Best Eats in Louisville. 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. The tour guides are very knowledgable and encourage questions. NEARBY DESTINATIONS: Asheville, North Carolina makes a great weekend destination. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of bourbon whiskey distilleries located in Kentucky. There are eighteen distilleries on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. and cannot participate in the Passport program. Tall tales, trip guides, & the world's weird & wonderful. It's the same for maps that are large: they can take up nearly 50% of the screen. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour is a collection of small and/or new (er) distilleries assembled by the Kentucky Distillers' Association. For information on how to plan your visit, dont miss our Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. PRO TRAVEL TIP: When planning your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, check the distilleries websites for updated hours and tour availability. Explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experiences and find what youre looking for in our map below. To read about our favorite bourbon distillery, read this post. If time allows, consider the areas other great export: thoroughbred horses. Yes, all of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries charge a fee for a tour or a tasting. If you dont want to take a cocktail class, Bardstown Bourbon also offers a one hour tour that starts with a tasting and ends with tasting straight out of the bourbon barrel. The best time of year for a road trip down the Bourbon Trail: Summer is high season along the trail, so you'll have more crowds to contend with, and hotels will be slightly more expensive. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries located in and around Louisville. Below is a map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Created by Roadtrippers - March 22nd 2016. A combination of ideal weather, limestone water sources, and a long history of the craft make Central Kentucky the bourbon capital of the world. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Inside of the memorial is a symbolic log cabin, a historic replica of the one that Abraham Lincoln first lived in. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. However, if you like the idea of getting outside of the city, Bardstown also makes a nice option. 528 W Main St Louisville, Kentucky (502) 272-2623. UPSCALE: 21c Museum Hotel. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. BUDGET: Hampton Inn Bardstown. There is even an art museum located inside of the hotel. Take a specialized tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Buffalo Trace, located in Frankfort, is one of the most famous bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. Northern Route New Riff Second Sight Old Pogue Boone County Neeley Family Western Route Boundary Oak Casey Jones MB Roland Dueling Grounds Central Route Kentucky Artisan Kentucky Peerless Jeptha Creed Willett Preservation Bluegrass Route Finally, day three can be spent in Louisville, visiting Stitzel-Weller, Old Forester, Michters, Rabbit Hole, Angels Envy, and/or Evan Williams. 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). This is a great spot for lunch or dinner while touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Why not? Browse by category to find what you're looking for, or select icons displayed on the map for detailed information. Travel back in timeto 1783, to the very early days ofLouisville, where you will learn about the early history of bourbon and this area of Kentucky. In order to ensure that you benefit from our products we invite you to contact us for more information. There is a lot of history here. Morning: Makers Mark. Founding Fathers Distillery. Unfortunately, we do not have a PDF of this article. The typical size is Letter to North America and DIN A4 for the rest of the world. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. The bourbon and whiskey at Green River spend less time in the barrel than at most distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Learn how to create your own. Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays are the days that distilleries are most likely to close their doors to tour groups, but this varies from distillery to distillery. But there is more to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail than just distillery tours and bourbon tastings. This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. There are tours and special events at both facilities year round. This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. There are many more distilleries you can visit in Kentucky that are not part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The tour gives a fabulous insight to the making of bourbon, the property is gorgeous, the history behind Makers Mark is intriguing, and the bourbon is delicious. BUDGET: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. Old Forester offers a tour with the president of the company (a few times per year). While in Bardstown, head to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskeyso you can learn all about the liquid gold you've been knocking back! And many distilleries offer longer, behind the scenes tours for a more detailed look at the distilling process. Bourbon Country Map Use this interactive map of Kentucky to plan your visit by finding nearby attractions, hotels, shopping, and restaurants. Here's how. Its located right around the corner from 21c Museum Hotel, so you can walk to many sights in downtown Louisville. This is a beautiful property with a lot of tour and tasting options. UPSCALE: 21c Museum Hotel. Our website uses cookies. From Bardstown it is a 45 minute drive. 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. Visit Your Favorite Distillery. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Distilleries - Google My Maps This cocktail class is only offered once a day, so if you like this idea, plan your other distillery visits around this class. If you pay extra, we can also produce these maps in specialist file formats. We started at Wild Turkey and were the only ones on their 9 am tour. Green River is the outlier, located almost two hours west of Louisville, in a small town named Owensboro. Located in Bardstown, the Old Talbott Tavern dates back to the 1700s. For a lesson on the wild and crazy tales of the Prohibition Era, book a tour at Prohibition Craft Spirits. State Map of All Kentucky Distilleries - Distillery Trail Creating a snapshot image is easy since all dimensions are measured in pixels. This tour does the best job explaining the history of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Dine on Central American food prepared by the chef who grew up on the Yucatan Peninsula. The memorial is free to visit. During these tastings, you still get to learn about the history of the distillery and what sets it apart from the others. Any advice you have on this front would be greatly appreciated, since Ive heard mixed answers. Andrew Jackson and King Louis Phillippe both stayed here. Lunch: Walk, drive or Uber to the Mussel & Burger Bar, another one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. They give a really thorough background on the drink and Louisville's history with it (and yes, it ends with a tasting). MIDRANGE: Staybridge Suites Lexington. And dont miss our post about all eighteen distilleries, the Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The tour takes you through the entire distilling process from start to finish, so you'll get to see the still, the warehouse, and the bottling process. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Guide: What To Know and Distilleries to Visit Note: This post contains affiliate links. Built in 2017 and open to visitors in 2019, this brand-new distillery features modern, state-of-the-art technology. Bulleit Distilling Company. Dive deeper into the history behind bourbon distilling. It's a pretty cool museum and factory tour, and will definitely make you appreciate old hitters and their bats. Green River sits out in Owensboro, almost a two-hour drive from Louisville. This distillery features bourbon finished in port wine barrels and rye whiskey finished in rum barrels. List of Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Best Time to Visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Tips, Tricks, and Advice for Touring the Bourbon Trail, check out our post about the best distilleries. Visit their website here. Many people state that the Buffalo Trace tour is their favorite in Kentucky. They also operate a bed and breakfast. In this post, we cover everything you need to know to have the best experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Chuckanut Bay Distillery. Distillery Trail is the place to start your distillery tour experience. These include Willett, Pogue, Boone County, Neeley Family Distillery, Kentucky Peerless, Kentucky Artisan and many others. Here are four highly rated hotels in Louisville. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 3 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. Are you? How to Experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Day 2: Louisville to Lexington: Clermont, Shelbyville, and Loretto, Day 3: Lexington, Frankfort, Versailles, and Lawrenceburg. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Has A New Passport, Field Guide Available For Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. Uber and Lyft are also all good choices, and if you've managed to stay sober, biking can also be a fun option. Note: Green River is located in the Central Time Zone. The Definitive Bourbon Trail Road Trip (Three Days) There are five rules that distinguish bourbon from all other whiskeys. Major Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries Map | VinePair Their signature tour is a one-hour tour of the distillery. The Old Talbott Tavern, located in Bardstown, is also a great pick. The rickhouse is where the barrels are stored. This is the biggest driving day on this Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. Read on to learn how to use printable maps. All three of these cities have great hotel and restaurant options with easy access to the Bourbon Trail.