Best Distilleries on Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Kentucky’s famous Bourbon Trail is rich with American History, tasty spirits and beautiful sites. We recently met a group in Louisville to begin a 3-day, 2-night adventure down the trail to explore and sample what Kentucky has to offer!


Our first stop was Copper and Kings! This Brandy distillery specializes in distilling Brandy that is aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. After an in-depth tour of the distillery we were treated to an old fashion demonstration and tasting using some of Copper and King’s unique spirits! Everyone went home with some new recipe ideas!


Next, it was time to get settled into our Louisville hotel, The Hilton Garden Inn and Suites. We were welcomed with a rooftop reception that let us take in some great views of the city! 


Our second day in Louisville started early with breakfast at the hotel before we loaded up with our guide for the day, Tim from the Kentucky Bourbon Boys. Tim’s expertise on Kentucky and bourbon history made our ride to our first distillery go by in a flash! By the time we pulled into the Barton 1792 Distillery we were so excited to taste some bourbon. 


Barton 1792 Distillery is one of the original Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries. They hosted us for an amazing, in-depth tour of their history and process to make delicious Kentucky Bourbon. Barton 1792 was a great way to start off our day. After some tasting and shopping we loaded up and headed to the next stop!


Heaven Hills Distillery is the largest family owned and operated distillery in America. It is also home to popular bourbons such as Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna and Heaven Hills. The Shapira Family has put together a fascinating tour and tasting for us. We were in awe at the opportunity to tour multiple rickhouses on the property and see how the bourbon barrel aging process works. Those barrels are heavy!

All of this bourbon talk was making us hungry so after saying our good byes to the Heaven Hills staff we headed to the famous Mike Linning’s for some of their famous fried fish and BBQ pork! We had a great time eating like a local while comparing our favorite bourbons. 
Before we knew it, it was time to move on to our next stop, Bulleit Frontier! This more modern distillery is home to well known bourbons such as Bulleit, Bulleit Rye and I.W. Harper. This distillery was one of the most picturesque stops on our trip. We could have lounged on their beautiful lawn all day soaking up the sun and the bourbon but we had places to go and bourbon to sample!

By this point in our trip everyone had a favorite, bourbon or distillery but there was still one thing missing from our bourbon experience, a cocktail! We wanted to know how to mix these great bourbons for those times when you don’t want to enjoy your spirits straight up. Back in Louisville vibrant downtown area the group had a chance to experience a hands on cocktail making class the opportunity to pursue a local liquor store to pick up a few more souvenirs. 


Our evening in Louisville gave everyone a chance to explore Louisville on their own. Many guests enjoyed time at local bars and restaurants. A favorite amongst the group was an underground speakeasy!


Before we knew it, it was Sunday morning and time to wrap up our great Kentucky trip. Of course, Louisville has a lot to offer outside of bourbon. You can’t make a visit to Kentucky without talking about horses! We were given the once in a lifetime experience of getting a backside tour at Churchill Downs Racetrack. We were thrilled to get one on one time with horses who are training at the facility, jockeys, and trainers who told us about what it’s like to work, live and play at Churchill Downs! Our time at Churchill Downs wrapped up with time at the superb Kentucky Derby Museum. By the end of the morning we all wanted to get out our fanciest hats and spend a day at the racetrack!
Our time spent at Churchill Downs was the perfect way to wrap up our time in Kentucky!

All too soon it was time to pack our bags, say goodbye to our new friends and head for home! But – we’ll be going back in 2020. Are you ready to join us? Reserve your spot at: https://www.traveldeliciously.com/