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. On this tour you visit micro-distilleries, tour historic sights andtowns in Kentucky, and stay in historic bed and breakfast accommodations. This is a great place to visit to counterbalance the bigger distilleries along the Bourbon Trail. In 2019, it was much busier and had we not scheduled everything in advance, we would have missed out on a lot of tours. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Prior to touring the Bourbon Trail, Tim and I were not whiskey drinkers. Bourbon Country Map Use this interactive map of Kentucky to plan your visit by finding nearby attractions, hotels, shopping, and restaurants. Map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Below is a map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. 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. 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. The Field Guide is your passport to exploring the people and the places behind the Bourbon. Plus, everyone who visits gets a mini souvenir Louisville Slugger for themselves! You know you are at a distillery when you see these prison-style buildings. Take the evening to explore downtown Lexington. 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. Sleep in Louisville. From the Brown, you can walk (or call a rideshare) to distilleries along the citys historic Whiskey Row by the Ohio River, such as Angels Envy, Old Forester Distilling Co., and the modern Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisvilles artsy NULU district. The KY Bourbon Trail Here are some more resources to aide you in making your way to the places that make Kentucky's world-renowned bourbon. This inn has been welcoming guests since 1779. Walk across the street to Proof on Main. If this is part of a bigger road trip through the USA, visit our United States Travel Guide for more inspiration and travel planning tips. Nothing can be added to the whiskey other than water. It smells wonderful and it kind of made me hungry! The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen whiskey distilleries. This is the busiest time on the trail and tours can sell out. Some printers from the past might require you to connect to your computer before printing. Some of them are new kids on the block, and others have been around since bourbon's inception. The Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 until 1987. Plus, its easy to find. For more information about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, we have two more articles that will help you plan your trip: The Ultimate Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Both times we visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. Are the distilleries open now? My husband has been thinking about taking me to one for out anniversary. If you are looking for a highly rated hotel and dont want to spend a lot of money, this is a great option. Everything from five-star restaurants to delicious sandwich stands can be found in the small towns along the way between distilleries. 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. Next, work off that bourbon tasting with a quick visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum, to see where professional baseball bats are made. It is not the actual log cabin of Abraham Lincolns birthplace. Each distillery has a gift shop selling bourbon and related souvenirs. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It has received accolades from Conde Nast Traveler, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. It's worth it to buy a bottle here, because you get to dip the top in the iconic red wax yourself! The Major Kentucky Distilleries and the Bourbon Brands They Produce, Mapped. Some distilleries are closed Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. They like to talk about their mash bill and their yeast strains that they use. It is open daily except for major holidays. If you have three days in Louisville, follow our day #1 and day #2 itineraries above. 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. Buffalo Trace, located in Frankfort, is one of the most famous bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. Any advice you have on this front would be greatly appreciated, since Ive heard mixed answers. Do you have a PDF of the great Article? Children under 21 are welcome on tours, for free or at a discounted cost (and no sampling whiskey for them, of course). How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. Most distilleries offer free or discounted tours for military personnel. Creating a snapshot image is easy since all dimensions are measured in pixels. Make sure you do this Tuesday through Saturday before 5 pm, when the cooperage and the bottling line are in operation. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. Jack Frys and the Brown Hotel Lobby Bar are also great options. After touring Old Forester, its a short walk to Angels Envy. Here are four highly rated hotels in Louisville. Its centrally located, so you can walk to many of the sights and distilleries on Whiskey Row. A long weekend is a good amount of time to spend on the Bourbon Trail, but if you plan to combine your trip with other area activities, a week is definitely doable. Here, you'll enjoy rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 1 Day: Follow day #1, where you get a great overview of the distilling process and get to visit three distilleries in Louisville. Very interested in a 3 day trip. Then visit the Town Branch Distillery from Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, and maybe cut all that booze with a beer or two as well! This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. MIDRANGE: Staybridge Suites Lexington. You will also notice that on some days I have included more than just distillery tours. These include Willett, Pogue, Boone County, Neeley Family Distillery, Kentucky Peerless, Kentucky Artisan and many others. However, people under the age of 21 are not permitted to do a tasting (of course!) Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour are trademarks of the Kentucky Distillers Association. You can also select Print from your web browsers menu (the web browser menu typically looks like 3 dots in either the horizontal or vertical position). Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington make a great home base for this day (and day number 7 below). During these tastings, you still get to learn about the history of the distillery and what sets it apart from the others. While you are in the area, consider a tour at Buffalo Trace, adding on a visit to Bulleit in Shelbyville, or lunch or dinner in Lexington. For more information, visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail website. Also, take some time to enjoy the bucolic setting of this distillery. Our website uses cookies. Whether you just have a few days or an entire week, we have some great ideas for how you can plan your time. A beautiful time of year, however, is mid-September to late-October. We recommend staying in Louisville. During our visit this ranged from $5 to $20 per person depending on the distillery and the type of tour you choose to take. Wilderness Trail sits a bit farther away, in Danville. Created by Roadtrippers - March 22nd 2016. Click OK to confirm. Cheers, Julie. You can elect to skip the tour and just do a tasting instead. Also, consider how the map will be folded. The memorial is free to visit. The historic grounds are beautiful to visit, the history behind Makers Mark is intriguing, and at the end of the tour you get to hand dip a bottle in red wax. Some distilleries are closed on Mondays. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. MIDRANGE: Homewood Suites. How you do it is completely up to you. Spread out over two separate trips, it took us seven days to visit seventeen distilleries (one more distillery has been added since our visit in November 2019), doing a combination of tours and tastings. Afternoon: Green River. Today, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of 18 major bourbon whiskey distilleries (Heritage Distilleries) and 23 smaller and newer microdistilleries (Craft Distilleries) that will give you the ultimate experience of learning all about Kentucky bourbon: its history, technology, craftsmanship, and artistry. This cocktail class is only offered once a day, so if you like this idea, plan your other distillery visits around this class. Select the size of the map before it is time to print it. We were thinking of going the week before Memorial Day weekend and staying through the weekend. It's the same for maps that are large: they can take up nearly 50% of the screen. 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. Honestly, the tours do get repetitive, as they all take you through the distillation process. For dinner, opt for classic and refined, or hip and casual. We have links to each distillery in our Best Distilleries post. 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. 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). PRO TRAVEL TIP: When planning your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, check the distilleries websites for updated hours and tour availability. Morning: Makers Mark. But how big should the maps be? Choose the size you would like to print and click OK. After that, select your print quality. Fantastic article! Since it's the largest maker of Kentucky bourbon, you'll get a different view: that of a larger-scale operation. There are eighteen distilleries on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Jim Beam has two locations on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail: the American Stillhouse, which is located in Clermont, and the Urban Stillhouse, which is located in downtown Louisville. In this article, learn how to plan your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, with suggestions on where to stay and what else to add in as you tour the trail. Just look for the giant, golden David statue out front and you know that you are in the right place. The Definitive Bourbon Trail Road Trip (Three Days) Lexington Brewing Company. We chose the self-driving option. Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The food is delicious!! Right down the road is the Four Roses Distillery. Learn how to plan your bourbon tasting itinerary, when to go, where to stay, and even ideas for things to do off of the bourbon trail. Uber and Lyft are also all good choices, and if you've managed to stay sober, biking can also be a fun option. For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article Best Eats in Louisville. There is a lot of history here. Starting off in Louisville, visit the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. This was our all-around best tour experience. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries, is drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. This distillery is located in Shively, very close to downtown Louisville. The mash always looks the same but the horse farms have different aspects to showcase at different times of the year. In 2008, it was Historic Hotels of Americas top pick. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for a visit here. And dont miss our post about all eighteen distilleries, the Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. To read about our favorite bourbon distillery, read this post. Im looking into doing at least part of the trail myself with some friends when weve all been vaccinated. Carry it with you, and allow it to guide you to adventures unknown. One of the highlights of this tour, other than the tasting, was standing inside of their rickhouse. As you drive back to Louisville, you have the option to stop at the Lincoln Boyhood Home and National Museum and/or Santa Claus, Indiana. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. For most people, a combination of tours and tastings is the perfect way to sample the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We loved everything we tasted on this tour (as did many other people we spoke to who were also touring the trail). Visit the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail website here. Their first bottled bourbon dates back to 1870. All standard one-hour tours are roughly the samea tour of the facility ending with a tasting. Similar to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Craft Tour takes bourbon touring and tasting to the next level. The blue markers are restaurant recommendations, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and other notable experiences to add into your Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner while touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. On this immersive tour, travel back in time to 1783, when bourbon distilling got its start. 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. Its hot, its crowded, and during the summer months, most distilleries take a break from distilling, anywhere from a week or two or longer. Learn how to create your own. This is the best historical lesson about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and a great place to get an overview of how bourbon came to be. Since it is located off of the Bourbon Trail and does not have the actual log cabin that Abraham Lincoln was born in, this is only worth it if you have an interest in American history or Abraham Lincoln. Lunch: Doc Crows Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar or Troll Pub under the Bridge. The tour is very well done and you get to see a few things that many tours do not include. For more information on these tours and experience, read our article, More Information for Your Trip to Kentucky. This hotel also gets great reviews and has an excellent location. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Currently, there are eighteen bourbon labels that are a part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. At Lux Row, the first few rows of the rickhouse are removed, forming a small lobby. Standing here, you get to appreciate just how many barrels sit on the shelves of a rickhouse. 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. Your email address will not be published. Unfortunately, I do not have any private drivers to recommend. Take the first tour of the day to give yourself enough time to get to Green River. Sleep in Louisville. Seeing as this is the only "bourbon tour" in Louisville proper, it's worth the stop. Heaven Hill. Best Distilleries to Visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail State Map of All Kentucky Distilleries - Distillery Trail A combination of ideal weather, limestone water sources, and a long history of the craft make Central Kentucky the bourbon capital of the world. Visiting the winding trail of bourbon distilleries here (now officially called the Kentucky Bourbon Trail) has become a main draw to the area, and a whole tourism industry itself. Many people state that the Buffalo Trace tour is their favorite in Kentucky. For more distillery rules and Kentucky Liquor laws, check out Kentucky Liquor Laws and The Bourbon Trail. However, note that the map will display an uninspiring look, since it will be used only for only one printing session. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Guide: What To Know and Distilleries to Visit Are children allowed on the tours? Whether you're a bourbon snob, or you just like drinking, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-visit. The worst time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, according to the guides that we spoke to, is during the summer months. Andrew Jackson and King Louis Phillippe both stayed here. 3125 US-231 North, Shelbyville, Tennessee 37160 Featured Old Dominick Distillery Tennessee | Tennessee Whiskey Trail, Hand Sanitizer | Bourbon, Gin, Vodka, Tennessee Whiskey 305 S Front Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103 B.R. Spend one day visiting the four distilleries near Lexington: Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, and Town Branch. Yes, May should be a very nice month for the Bourbon Trail. We offer a real-time comprehensive list of all the distilleries from start up farm distillery to craft distillery to large pre-Prohibition distillery. Printable Bourbon Trail Map- We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. This will minimize your driving and let you stay in the small towns in Kentucky. LUXURY:The Brown Hotel. Spring is a nice time to visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Aging must take place in a new, charred oak barrel. It smells so good in here!! Visit their website here. Surprisingly, it is not part of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Angels Envy. Visiting these distilleries is similar to visiting a winery. These five rules are: Bourbon contains at least 51% corn with different proportions of wheat, malted barley, or rye.