Doing the Bourbon Trail

“How do you want your Bourbon?”

“Straight up.”

“Girl, you know what you’re doing?”

“Oh. Yes.”

As most of the planet knows, I’m a wine drinker—through and through. I could drink—and have drunk—wine morning, noon, and night. But I am not an I-drink-wine-only snob. Indeed, I imbibe other beverages like water and Bourbon. Although I never drink water and Bourbon together.

Needing a break from the month-long roof work that was done on The House, Mr. Wonderful, our DD, and I took off on an adventure: exploring Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Admittedly we did it not for our little DD, but for him and me. But she came along anyway and drew in coloring books, while we sipped Bourbon here, there, and everywhere. 

For those of you wondering what makes Bourbon, “Bourbon” the U.S. government decided that it must contain at least 51% corn mash, be aged in new barrels, and when drunk, put hair on your chest. All the Bourbons we drank fit that description.

We visited several distilleries beginning with Maker’s Mark, the popular Bourbon with the white, red, and black label. The distillery’s campus is uniformly beautiful with all the buildings painted in white, red, and black. Even the gardens were lush in white, red, and black plants. Don’t ask me how they did the black plants. But when they choose a theme, they really carry it. All. The way. Through. 

Bourbon is aged in barrels which are stored in a facility called a rickhouse, and the one at Maker’s Maker was stunning. The glass flowered ceiling was made by the same artist who decorated the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, minus the fountains because... water and Bourbon don't mix.

We also toured Woodford Reserve and its limestone buildings were as was as stunning as its Bourbon was delicious. Now that distillery is a personal favorite for both architecture and Bourbon flavor.

 

We had a fabulous guide and tour at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which makes the best Bourbon of them all: Pappy Van Winkle. 

We didn’t taste the Pappy, but we discovered a new beverage: Bourbon Cream. It’s like Baileys Irish Cream but creamier, smoother, and so much better because it doesn’t mix water with Bourbon. Be forewarned: this Bourbon Cream is my new go-to hospitality gift, after dinner drink, and favorite ingredient in an adult root beer float! De-lish!

We had a great time touring the Bourbon Trail. It was fun, delicious, and gave us the break we needed before embarking on our next little home-improvement project: redoing the whole bathroom. Maybe I can survive this latest project, if I have a glass of Bourbon Cream. Or two. Thank you, Bourbon Trail! To My Old Kentucky Home!