The Bourbon Bucket List

CULTURE

Special thanks to the Urban Bourbon Trail and the Louisville Convention & Visitor’s Bureau for this list.

Louisville’s Bourbon Country goes beyond the Urban Bourbon Trail. Be sure to visit these bourbon-infused restaurants, shops and attractions to keep your spirits lifted.

  1. A handful of brand-spanking new bars and restaurants have charged out of the gate, already on top of their game. Meat, Rye on Market, Haymarket Whiskey Bar and the Silver Dollar focus on the art of crafting fine whiskey cocktails and serving up food that is local, simple and satisfying.
  2. Serve up some fun with great bourbon recipes. The Louisville Visitors Center and local souvenir shops and bookstores. Pick up The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book and the internationally acclaimed Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, and discover fabulous dinner and cocktail recipes that will give your next dinner party a shot of bourbon magic.
  3. Rubberneck a couple of bourbon legends. With architecture nearly as impressive as the sour mash masterpieces they helped create, these are must-see road-side attractions for only the most studied bourbon aficionado. Seagram’s Distillery 2500 Seventh Street Road Early Times Warehouses 850 Dixie Highway Bernheim Distillery & Bottling Plant 822 South Fifteenth Street
  4. Bourbon For Breakfast. Award yourself with award winning Bourbon Ball French Toast or Mint Julep pancakes. Lynn’s Paradise Café & North End Cafe. Lynn’s Paradise Café is so kitsch it looks like it was decorated after a few bourbons. Fortunately all the wild décor is offset by good, wholesome comfort food. Offered seasonally (or ask for them), the mint julep pancakes with bourbon-infused syrup at North End Café will get your morning in Bourbon Country off to a spirited start.
  5. Stand on the crossroads of bourbon history. 4th and Main at Butchertown Market. Take a few minutes to check out the historical plaque located on the corner of 4th and Main in Downtown Louisville. You’ll find it an intoxicating read.From the Galt House to 21c Museum Hotel stroll the original “Whiskey Row” for more clues to Louisville’s distilling past.
  6. Bathe in bourbon-scented luxury. Moss Hill at Butchertown Market. Pamper yourself or someone you love with local, handmade, small-batch soaps, lotions and candles in two spirited fragrances: bourbon and mint julep.
  7. Get bitten by the Bourbon Bug. Cake Flour. Indulge in an organic Bourbon Bug created by a local bakery of national fame thanks to a feature on the Food Network. Or, try another bourbon treat – the official Breeders Cup Cupcake.
  8. Discover the bliss of bourbon-flavored beer. Bluegrass Brewing Company (BBC). Knock back a pint of any of the BBC’s delicious bourbon-barrel aged beers on tap throughout the year. Or, grab a six-pack of manliness – the Jefferson’s Reserve  Bourbon Barrel Stout.
  9. Book a party in the Four Roses Loft at BBC’s 3rd and Main location in downtown Louisville. The 3rd floor event space seats up to 130 people for private events. The ambiance is contemporary and shabby chic with a splash of dark, rich wood tones of charred bourbon barrel staves.
  10. Sip bourbon until your plane comes in. Woodford Reserve Bar & Grill, Louisville International Airport. It’s amazing how a good bourbon can take the edge off travel. You might even find yourself hoping for a flight delay, just so you can kick back and enjoy one last drink in Bourbon Country.
  11. Behold a spirit from the past. Riverside Farnsley Moremen Landing. From 1932 to 1948, former Louisville Mayor Charley Farnesley, produced an 86-proof whiskey called Rebel Yell. It was made to his specifictions, 80 proof, and filtered  through activated coal after aging. It is still manufactured by W.L. Weller today. For a taste of history, go to this beautiful pre-Civil War estate to find Charley’s favorite bourbon, Special Reserve Old Fashioned Kentucky Whiskey on display.
  12. Cook with a very special ingredient. Bourbon Barrel Foods at Butchertown Market and other local retailers. Spice up your spice cabinet with bourbon barrel-aged sauces, spices, and flavorings, including Kentuckyaki sauce, sea salt,  peppercorns, vanilla, sorghum and sugar, just to name a few.
  13. Chill out with a Bourbon Ball Ice Cream. Graeter’s or Comfy Cow. (several locations) There is literally no cooler way to enjoy the taste of bourbon than with a delicious Bourbon Ball Ice Cream from two local ice cream stores. This ice cream will make any bourbon lover melt.
  14. Pay your respects to late bourbon greats. Cave Hill Cemetery. Visit scenic Cave Hill Cemetery and see the last resting place of famous bourbon barons, including George Garvin Brown (Brown-Forman), Paul Jones (Four Roses), W.L. Weller and Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle. This is also Colonel Sanders final resting place. (Just follow the yellow line through this scenic heritage site).
  15. See a total crock, that’s honestly worth looking at. Louisville Stoneware. Check out a rare collection of local, antique stone crocks once used to haul bourbon home from the pharmacy. Talk about a prescription for happiness.