Welcome To Bourbonism

Louisville is the epicenter of Bourbon. It’s easy to get flights into Louisville and if you are driving there are three interstates that will lead you to the Bourbon City. Once you get here, there are numerous distilleries just in downtown Louisville, and the bulk of Kentucky’s Bourbon-producing operations are within an hour’s drive of downtown. Visitors can also enjoy the Frazier History Museum‘s Bourbon exhibit as well as a wealth of amazing Bourbon-inspired bars and restaurants. Welcome to Bourbonism!

There’s no better place to experience Bourbonism than right in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky. When you start to plan your next weekend getaway, make use of the Official Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, located right inside the Frazier History Museum, as well as the fantastic Louisville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau! To help you get started with your planning, here is a weekend itinerary. Hope to see you soon!

Friday

• Arrive in Louisville and check into your hotel. Some great downtown options include 21C, Hotel Distil, The Seelbach, The Brown Hotel, The Grady Hotel, and more!
• Visit Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery for cocktails and a tour. The bar menu was designed by cocktail historian David Wondrich and the atmosphere is top-notch!
• Stop by The Frazier History Museum to enjoy the Kentucky Bourbon exhibit.
• Enjoy dinner at Proof on Main and stroll through the hotel’s art galleries.

Saturday

• Start your day with a visit to Kentucky Peerless Distillery or Old Forester Distillery. At Kentucky Peerless you can see a sweet mash whiskey-making operation run by a small family who wanted to resurrect the family brand. At Old Forester you can see a brand that started out small and persisted more than one hundred years, plus you can see barrels being raised and charred on the tour! So much Bourbonism.
• Enjoy lunch at one of the fantastic restaurants on Whiskey Row, including Doc Crow’s, Sidebar, Troll Pub Under the Bridge, Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen, Repeal Oak-Fired Steakhouse, and many more!
• Take a walk on the wild side with a tour at Rabbit Hole, an innovative distillery that makes use of a tiny footprint.
• Enjoy dinner and drinks at one of Louisville’s classic spots, such as The Old Seelbach Bar, where F. Scott Fitzgerald was said to take his inspiration for The Great Gatsby, or the Brown Hotel’s English Grill or Lobby Bar, where the famed Hot Brown was invented.

Sunday

• Start with breakfast at Biscuit Belly or Toast.
• Stroll down Market street and visit the NuLu Marketplace or some of the other unique shops like White’s Mercantile, Peace of the Earth, Revelry Gallery and Boutique, and more!
• Take a tour at Angel’s Envy to see the legacy that distilling great Lincoln Henderson created or Have an afternoon tour at The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and experience the theme-park style Bourbon experience that was the first to open up on Main Street!

Spending a weekend in Louisville, Kentucky is a great way to dip your toes into the possibilities of Bourbon tourism. Each small-footprint distillery has put a lot of thought into visitor experiences, and no two tours are alike. We hope to see you in Bourbon City soon! Cheers!

Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl