Take a Trip (or a stumble) down the Bourbon Trail
You like whiskey. You like Bourbon. You’ve heard whispers of a place called the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – what is it? where is it? what do we recommend? Read on.
What is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?
The KBT is comprised of the bourbon distilleries throughout Kentucky, who got together in 1999 to establish the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour as an opportunity to give visitors a firsthand look at the art and science of crafting Bourbon, and to educate them about the history and tradition of the spirit. And to drink Bourbon.
Where is it?
Not a trick question – The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is in Kentucky, USA. Not to be taken as a literal “trail,” the distilleries involved are located throughout the Kentucky countryside and in downtown Louisville.
The History (you didn’t ask, but we’re telling)
Way back in the 1700s, the farmers and frontiersmen of Kentucky began converting corn and other grains to whiskey making them easily transportable and providing a welcome reprieve from the rough life of the frontier. The process of making Bourbon has remained unchanged to this day.
Where did the name Bourbon come from?
Kentucky farmers used to ship their whiskey in oak barrels down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, stamped from Bourbon County. The trip aged the whiskey, with the oak wood giving it the distinct mellow flavor and amber color. The whiskey from Bourbon County quickly grew in popularity and became known as Bourbon whiskey.
Which distillery’s are our must-sees?
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