Kentucky: Land of Bluegrass, Bourbon, and Burgoo
Lovers of local history, bourbon, and caves, rejoice! If you live east of the Mississippi, you don’t need to go far for a great vacation.
Last month, we blazed Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail, explored Mammoth Cave, and traveled “back in time.”
Read on to learn about some of our explorations in the central regions of the Bluegrass State, and be sure to bookmark this post for your next adventure!
Distilleries are cool to visit, even if you don’t love bourbon. The distilling process and history can be fun for everyone!
Taste bourbon, learn local history while doing it
Ahh, Bourbon Country. Every cocktail connoisseur’s or spirit snob’s favorite words. The famous Bourbon Trail is located primarily in Kentucky’s north and central regions. Many are near Bardstown, which is home to lots of cute shops and restaurants, like the Old Talbott Inn. Before I dive into the fun part…
Did you know that, for a spirit to be considered bourbon, its mash (the yellowish mixture of grains) must be made of at least 51% corn? Or that bourbon can be made anywhere, but it must be distilled and bottled in the Bluegrass State before it’s considered “Kentucky Bourbon”? OK, I’m finished geeking out.
You need around two weeks to responsibly enjoy all distilleries on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. We had two days here, so we visited three.
First, the Golden Age classic. Founded in 1953, Maker’s Mark is the largest distillery that’s a certified B Corp. They’re committed to working with their hands as much as possible. This includes using printing presses for die-cut labels and hand-dipping every bottle into the iconic red wax. And, everything from grain testing to bottling happens on their Loretto campus.
The tour was great—it provided a behind-the-scenes look at just about everything. The tasting included five samples of their bourbon “recipes,” which change based on the types of charred staves (wooden planks) used in the aging process. After the tour, we purchased a bottle to dip in the wax ourselves (with supervision). Tours and tastings start at $22/person.
Next, we stopped at Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, which has been around since 1884. The distillery was open during Prohibition, where they prescribed the good stuff for medicinal purposes. For a while, Four Roses was only an export, with major markets in East Asia, but now it can be enjoyed stateside. The campus’ Spanish mission-style architecture is all original—it’s even on the National Register of Historic Places.
While the tour felt a little less personal, the tasting was top-notch: they provided crackers to cleanse the palette and a water dropper to tweak the tasting notes of what we sampled. Tours and tastings start at $22/person.
Finally, we did a self-guided tour at Buffalo Trace. It’s free to enter the Frankfort campus, and they have complimentary tours and tastings! They also rotate the bottles in the gift store daily, and you can purchase rarities like Blanton’s and Eagle Rare at great prices. Just remember: Most brands are limited to one bottle per visitor every 90 days. Buffalo Trace is a large distiller (they also make Pappy van Winkle and other spirits), but it’s not on the official Bourbon Trail (since they’re not on the Board of Distillers).
At the end of our visit, we grabbed a quick bite at the on-campus cafe. We sampled burgoo, a traditional Kentucky stew made with pork, corn, butter beans, onions, and celery. Delish! Definitely worth a try.
After a day of tastings, I recommend fueling up at Sage Garden Cafe in Wilson Plant Co. They also have a butterfly greenhouse you can visit! I had a delicious chai before exploring the nursery and cute boutique. Be careful… There are plenty of pretty plants you’ll want to take home.
Explore caves and national historic sites
Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest-known cave system.
Located 15 minutes off Highway 65, Mammoth Cave National Park is one of three “cave” national parks in the United States (there’s also Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota and New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns). While your national park pass won’t get you a discount, it’s free to enter the park—you’ll just need to pay for a guided cave tour.
We did the longest one available—the Grand Avenue Tour. During the four-mile tour, we learned about Karst topography, which is characterized by sinkholes and underground drainage systems from water that erodes soluble rocks (like limestone). We also learned about the history of local cave explorers.
Mammoth Cave is one of the few dog-friendly national parks—you can take your furry friend on any trails, including backcountry routes. Be mindful of poison ivy and ticks! We left the pups at home, but you can board them at the park for a small fee.
We hiked the Green River Bluffs Trail (1.3 miles) and the Echo River Springs Loop Trail (1.0 miles), which aren’t too far from the cave entrance and visitor center. Don’t forget your bug spray—Southern mosquitos are really friendly.
During our trip, we also visited the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, which is a National Historical Park! You only need about an hour to see everything—including checking out the visitor center, walking the dog-friendly paths, and taking a peek at the enshrined cabin thought to be President Lincoln’s boyhood home. Spoiler alert: it’s not. The actual birthplace is about 9 miles away, and the cabin burned down.
Still, it’s a great way to learn about Lincoln, and this site is more educational than some nearby private attractions that capitalize on the Lincoln family history.
For a vacation filled with historical libations and outdoor places, look no further than Kentucky. The summers are muggy, so choose spring or fall for fairer whether. No matter what, you’ll love checking out the Bluegrass State!