Plus, being on your own gives you the flexibility to visit other sights along the way, such as a nice lunch in Bardstown or a scenic drive through horse country. Each of these bourbon distilleries must be a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association, which requires paying a fee. Angels Envy. This is more than just a hotel, it is also an art museum. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. Download the TN Whiskey Trail brochure in PDF format. 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. Do you need a reservation? Artsy, unique, contemporarythis is another top pick in Louisville. The brisket is renowned, especially with their Texas hot sauce. We have not visited this distillery yet but have been drinking their bourbon for quite some time. Plus, there is a high concentration of distilleries located right in town, not to mention lots of great restaurants and hotels to choose from. During these tastings, you still get to learn about the history of the distillery and what sets it apart from the others. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a collection of eighteen bourbon distilleries, is drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. 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. Green River sits out in Owensboro, almost a two-hour drive from Louisville. Bourbon Trail Map - Etsy MIDRANGE: Homewood Suites. 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. A 24" x 18" layout will fold more efficiently than the 22" x 20" layout for example. Located in Downtown Louisville, the Bourbon District is a walkable urban experience for anyone looking for a taste of Kentucky. After breakfast at the hotel, its a 30-minute drive to the Frankfort area, where touring the new distillery at Castle & Key is a true gem. During our visit this ranged from $5 to $20 per person depending on the distillery and the type of tour you choose to take. Children are allowed on the tours and generally pay a reduced tour fee or can tour for free, depending on the distillery. Afternoon: Louisville Slugger Museum and/or the Muhammed Ali Center. If you are looking for a highly rated hotel and dont want to spend a lot of money, this is a great option. Pick your favorites and group them together to form your itinerary, whether you have 2, 3, or more days. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of eighteen whiskey distilleries. 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. This map was created by a user. 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. This hotel gets excellent reviews on Booking.com. KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL: Pick out which distilleries to visit in our article Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Right down the road is the Four Roses Distillery. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. You can also take a tour where you bottle the single barrel whiskey, but spaces are limited and the tour is expensive (but you do end up with a cool souvenir to take home!). Why not? A map that folds up for instance, is approximately the same size as an ordinary poster. Printing a map gives you an image that can be used to guide your instructions. Both times we visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. Even the most enthusiastic bourbon-lover can't just barrel through and sample bourbon at 9 places all in a rush. Children under 21 are welcome on tours, for free or at a discounted cost (and no sampling whiskey for them, of course). If you have three days in Louisville, follow our day #1 and day #2 itineraries above. All rights reserved. Say goodbye to Louisville and head south to Bardstown. Enjoy the nightlife in Louisville, drive through scenic bluegrass Kentucky, watch a horse race at Churchill Downs, visit the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, or spend the night in a historic tavern. They must be designed to work with a standard printing press. Take a Tour of Makers Mark. We chose the self-driving option. Located just outside of Lexington, stay in a suite or one-bedroom apartment, perfect if you like having extra space or a kitchenette. Fantastic article! One of these is the very famous Buffalo Trace Distillery (which we include on this itinerary). If you have concerns then consider alternating driving/tastings with another person in your party, have a designated driver, or take a tour. In one day, it is possible to do three to four tours and/or tastings. Dinner: Mayan Caf. The usual 150-page guide will include maps of the trail, itineraries and cocktail recipes, advice, tasting notes and information on the 19 participating distilleries. Many places offer tastings without a tour. #1 Louisville: Intro to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, #3 Green River and Stitzel-Weller Distillery, #5 Makers Mark, Jim Beam, & the Kentucky Cooperage, #6 Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses & Wilderness Trail, #7 Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, and Town Branch. It's a National Historic Landmark, but it's also gorgeously maintained, and set in a dreamlike corner of the Bourbon Trail. Next, work off that bourbon tasting with a quick visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum, to see where professional baseball bats are made. While in Bardstown, head to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskeyso you can learn all about the liquid gold you've been knocking back! One of the highlights of this tour, other than the tasting, was standing inside of their rickhouse. Tall tales, trip guides, & the world's weird & wonderful. It is possible to print maps by choosing the print option in your printer menu. All other times of year, making reservations is advised but might not be absolutely necessary. Afternoon: Take a tour at Old Forester Distillery. Distillery Directory - Distillery Trail Browse by category to find what you're looking for, or select icons displayed on the map for detailed information. It smells wonderful and it kind of made me hungry! This hotels onsite restaurant, Proof on Main, is one of Louisvilles best restaurants and bars. You can bookmark this post on your browser. Afternoon: Green River. Im looking into doing at least part of the trail myself with some friends when weve all been vaccinated. Jim Beam. We have links to each distillery in our Best Distilleries post. Andrew Jackson, Henry Harrison, and King Louis Phillippe have all stayed here. If you have any questions about this Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary, let us know in the comment section below. My father, who is a Bourbon man, will be celebrating his birthday next month and I thought of taking him on a Bourbon tour. See our privacy policy here. You do not have to take a tour at each distillery. The Major Kentucky Distilleries and the Bourbon Brands They Produce, Mapped. For a lesson on the wild and crazy tales of the Prohibition Era, book a tour at Prohibition Craft Spirits. To read about our favorite bourbon distillery, read this post. Also, the visitors center offers lots of history, facts and figures. 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. For more information, visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail website. Races at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington take place in October and April, and at Churchill Downs in Louisville in November, May, and June . On this tour, you visit micro-distilleries and this takes an additional week to visit all of these distilleries. There are eighteen distilleries on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. If you have plans to tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail between July and early November, make your reservations in advance. I am not sure. 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. You will drive through scenic bluegrass Kentucky, with horse farms as far as the eye can see. In no particular order, the three distilleries to visit in Bardstown are Lux Row, Bardstown Bourbon, and Heaven Hill. Wild Turkey. Consider Lexington and Louisville as practical bases for your trip: most distilleries are within these cities, or in the small towns orbiting them, and both cities have vibrant downtowns full of hotels, restaurants, and notable sights. BUDGET: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Louisville. Lexington or Louisville arent the only places to eat well in bourbon country. With more time, you can make the drive out to Owensboro and visit Green River Distilling Company or drive to Danville and visit Wilderness Trail. 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. Where will your trip lead you? For tour information, visit the Wilderness trail website. Your email address will not be published. It takes five days to complete this tour. To tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail you have two options: self-drive the bourbon trail or join a tour group. Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Field Guide is your passport to exploring the people and the places behind the Bourbon. If you want to tour the distilleries without the crowds, visit Kentucky from the end of November through March. If you've got a sweet tooth, definitely also try the bourbon cream (it's perfect if you're still not sold on straight bourbon) and bourbon brittle. Green River is the outlier, located almost two hours west of Louisville, in a small town named Owensboro. Being on our own, we could choose which distilleries to tour and which ones to just do a tasting. Yes, you can push CTRL+P and that will bring up the printer dialog box. Scheduling a reservation is highly recommended. This is Louisvilles landmark hotel. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner while touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Kentucky Bourbon Trail: The Complete Guide - TripSavvy Some distilleries are closed Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 4 Days: Follow days #1 and #2. We saw their vans everywhere! Some printers from the past might require you to connect to your computer before printing. The process of creating a map to print is slightly more complicated than creating an image that is static. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. It's a pretty cool museum and factory tour, and will definitely make you appreciate old hitters and their bats. Renting a car was cheap, driving between the distilleries was easy (and gorgeous), and we could make our own schedule. This ultra-modern distillery is located in Nulu (New Louisville). When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. Cheers, Julie. 1280 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Lebanon, KY, US. 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. The weather is nice and all of the distilleries should be in operation. To ensure you benefit from our products Contact us for more details. 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. If you need a break from bourbon, a fine margarita at Corto Lima, or craft cocktail at West Main Crafting Co., will do the trick. From Lexington head over to Danville, Kentucky and visit Wilderness Trace Distillery. Tim and I stayed here on our most recent visit to Louisville and we had a very nice experience here. Hotel Tango Distillery. This is a great place to visit to counterbalance the bigger distilleries along the Bourbon Trail. The 1 hour Discovery Tour ends with a tasting at their bar on the second floor. Created by Roadtrippers - March 22nd 2016. We recommend staying in Louisville. Even if there is a sober one among the group, it can be a good idea to arrange a local driver for navigating the winding country roads. Next, hit up Wild Turkey Distillery, which has been crafting Kentucky bourbon since 1869. 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. Your timing depends on which experiences you choose to have at each distillery. At your first distillery, pick up a Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport. Map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Below is a map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. On this tour you visit micro-distilleries, tour historic sights andtowns in Kentucky, and stay in historic bed and breakfast accommodations. We are looking for a private driver for 2 days. Twenty minutes northwest of Woodford Reserve, youll find Buffalo Trace Distillery; 25 minutes southwest is Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, home to the Four Roses and Wild Turkey distilleries. From Bardstown it is a 45 minute drive. Printable Bourbon Trail Map - We offer flattened and free TIFF file formats of our maps in CMYK color and high resolution. 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. Yes! 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 Nope. Then make a quick stop at folk legend Daniel Boone's Gravesite for a great photo op (especially if you happen to have one of those coontail hats). Be prepared for an experience for all five senses. MIDRANGE: Staybridge Suites Lexington. Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour If you want the map twice as wide you can select extra large. Eating is important, of course, and luckily, there are tons of local restaurants where you can get a great meal to soak up some of the liquor. And we highly recommend lunch at the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown. Surprisingly, it is not part of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Most of this day is walkable. We loved everything we tasted on this tour (as did many other people we spoke to who were also touring the trail). Kentucky Cooperage. This distillery is located in Shively, very close to downtown Louisville. Its a step back in time where you learn about the history of Kentucky. For weekends, I would recommend scheduling your tours in advance, any time of the year. Youll need a designated driver along the trail, as youll be sipping and tasting whiskeys. 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. There is a lot of history here. Plan to spend at least 2-3 days traveling along the Bourbon Trail, and stop off at some of the many charming Kentucky towns along the route. 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). In order to see all four, you should be at the first distillery at opening time. Its hot, its crowded, and during the summer months, most distilleries take a break from distilling, anywhere from a week or two or longer. 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). Some distilleries are closed on Mondays. Morning: Rabbit Hole. Then head to The Woodford Reserve Distillery. 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. Sundays, Mondays, and holidays are the most common days to have limited or no hours. These are the rickhouses at Heaven Hill. This Bulleit facility offers a handful of different tours, tastings and cocktail classes. Traveling directly between Louisville and Lexington (when you arent stopping at distilleries) takes less than an hour, and both cities have convenient airports. They offer a comprehensive tour of their facility, including a look into how their bourbon is bottled. Inside of the memorial is a symbolic log cabin, a historic replica of the one that Abraham Lincoln first lived in. Starting off in Louisville, visit the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Honestly, the tours do get repetitive, as they all take you through the distillation process. How you do it is completely up to you. If you want a hotel with an awesome location and one that gets great reviews, the Homewood Suites is one to consider. Visit Your Favorite Distillery. There's a reason that bourbon is historically produced in Kentucky (even though legally it can come from anywhere in the US): the limestone filtered water and locally-grown grains just plain taste better, and the fact that the region has, for most of history, made most of America's bourbon, means that the people there have a deep passion for it, and they also have old-school, time-tested recipes, too. And the smell is amazing! Bourbon is booming right now and so is tourism in Kentucky. Maps & Downloads - Tennessee Whiskey Trail Official Site Prior to touring the Bourbon Trail, Tim and I were not whiskey drinkers. Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809. On the tours, learn how bourbon is produced, hear about the history of the distillery, and end with a bourbon tasting. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. These newer operations often restore the beautiful, historical properties of Kentuckys original stillscenturies-old distilleries that either never reopened after prohibition or closed for other reasons. 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY, US. Yes, May should be a very nice month for the Bourbon Trail. Note: Green River is located in the Central Time Zone. The typical size is Letter to North America and DIN A4 for the rest of the world. The rickhouse is where the barrels are stored. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Distillery Map Bourbon Buzz We were thinking of going the week before Memorial Day weekend and staying through the weekend. All bourbons are whiskey but not all whiskeys are bourbon. You can also inquire for a quote with our team of cartographers. This was our all-around best tour experience. For more restaurant recommendations, check out our article Best Eats in Louisville. Wish I had this information prior will save it for next visit. Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries - Bourbon Obsessed However, people under the age of 21 are not permitted to do a tasting (of course!) 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. Foaling begins in late January and will continue through May, so visit in the spring if you want to meet the youngest future racehorses! Cheers, Julie. It is open daily except for major holidays. After reading your article, I am sold and will make the arrangements soon. How far in advance would you recommend booking tours, or are walk-ins generally accepted at most of the distilleries? Julie Last updated: December 16, 2022 United States 32 Comments. Most distilleries offer free or discounted tours for military personnel. It is said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America and to be visited by Jesse James ghost. But there is more to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail than just distillery tours and bourbon tastings. If you want to do some non-Bourbon activities while road tripping around Kentucky, here are some ideas for you. Dont miss out on the beautiful horse farms in the Lexington area! What Size Of Paper Do You Print Your Maps On? For more great things to do in Louisville, read our post 12 Best Things to do in Louisville. Take the first tour of the day to give yourself enough time to get to Green River.