Louisville,KY- Bourbon Trail & More
Venture into the fascinating and unique world of Bourbon, refined and customized just for you. While Kentucky is home to many distilleries there is a special focus on Louisville which makes it a great home away from home stop. There is an interesting culture in the area that many are not aware of, including innovative art, fine dining, beautiful architecture, and a very welcoming community.
SAMPLE ITINERARY for your Fully-guided or Self-Guided experience
(Minimum 8 guests for fully-guided experiences)
Five Day Taste Of The Bourbon Trail
Louisville, Kentucky (History, architecture, whiskey, beer, culinary focused)
A Custom Fully-Guided Trip Includes:
Ground transportation as described throughout tour
All accommodations while visiting
Experienced tour guides (English, Spanish)
Included meals: Meals are included as described (B,L,D)
All included activites as described in itinerary
Not Included:
Baggage fees are common upon check-in at the airport. These fees are the responsibility of the guest.
Fees for theatrical or live performances outside of our tour itinerary are the responsibility of the guest.
Travel insurance is recommended for all travelers, in the event that they need to cancel.
Items from the Mini-Bars
A Curated Self-Guided Trip Includes:
All accommodations while visiting
Entrance fees to attractions when required
Experienced tour guides (English) on location for particular experiences (as noted)
Not Included:
Meals outside any mentioned below in the itinerary (if guest chooses B&B option, breakfast is included)
DAY #1
Today is the official commencement of the tour, we’ll have a fun continental breakfast at the hotel and then our explorations begin.
Our favorite boutique Hotel is proudly part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Located in the downtown Market District, this historic building was built in 1883 and commissioned by pharmacist J.B. Wilder as a medicinal bourbon apothecary. To this day, the warm hospitality of Kentucky lives on in a refined and gracious setting.
We’ll take a short walk to a unique museum to learn about the history of Kentucky, its people, and bourbon, as well as a hidden experience. This will be a very fun interactive time which will set the stage for the events to come.
Who says Pub Grub has to be boring? This question is the motto of our lunch stop today. All made-in house fresh ingredients from the land and sea used to create gourmet twists on classic bar food will get your appetite ready for this delicious experience.
Our first distillery visit today will be just down the street. This label brings together an independent master craftsman’s talent and 200 year of bourbon pedigree. This perfected skill produces a return to the art of craft-first, hand-blended batches of only 8 - 12 barrel production at a time. This small batch emphasis leaves its mark on the final product through its layers of complexity.
The original and first brewer owned and operated brewery in Louisville is the story of four friends struggling with their love for beer and the lack of craft options in the area. These friends decided to team up and do what they love most to step the beer industry up a bit and since opening they have grown to distribute their product to 43 states and 25 countries! We’ll enjoy a tasting of what made their monumental growth possible.
After enjoying a flight of beer to cap off our afternoon, we will have a bit of free time to explore or relax back at the hotel before preparing for a special welcome dinner.
Dinner- One of Esquire magazine's 20 best new restaurants in the country, the focus on local Appalachian ingredients infused with Louisville’s soul make this the perfect welcome to a city whose prominence is intimately tied to the land around it.
DAY #2
Breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast is served every morning from 7 am, enjoy it at your own pace before we begin our activities for the day. We will meet in the lobby to walk to our first distillery at 9:50am.
Our first visit today is to the proud first distillery created on Whiskey Row. The distillery was established as far back as 1783 and many years and barrels later, they still produce Bourbon the right way, using the original time-honored methods. Fitting that this will be our first stop this morning.
A “toe-tappin” classic whiskey hall with belt-driven fans, a 1920’s bar, and some excellent southern comfort food will welcome us to one of the best bourbon bars in America and our stop for lunch along our journey of the bourbon trail.
Summer time , good company and a district preserved in the 70s due to its architectural importance, Old Louisville is considered one of the most unique and exuberant neighborhoods in the country. This will be the setting of our casual walk this afternoon for about an hour as we take in all the unique facades.
After our guided tour is complete, we will have a short time to continue to explore this area and take photos of sites of particular interest to us. After this break we will continue to our second distillery visit of the day.
This afternoon we continue our walk along the historic Whiskey Row with a visit to another great distillery. George Garvin Brown, the distilleries founder, created his first bottled Bourbon in 1870 and personally signed each bottle. Today, it is the only downtown distillery which houses an active cooperage-charring barrels in the same facility where spirits are being aged.
This afternoon we’ll visit a brewery whose claim of “Beer is Food” - might intrigue us enough to have to stop in. Situated in a historic building erected in 1880 (and which is listed on the National Historic Register), the cellar level houses the brewery and bar reminiscent of a traditional European pub. By this time we’ll all be looking forward to the stone floors, dark wooden high top tables and cold brewed beer.
As we will have had a busy morning and early afternoon, we’ll make our way back to the hotel after the brewery stop to freshen up for dinner.
For dinner tonight we transport ourselves to a dining experience which is totally driven by a country we love so much. We are very excited for dinner, the tastes and smells remind us…of a time long ago.
DAY #3
Breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast is served every morning from 7 am, enjoy it at your own pace before we begin our activities for the day.
After our continental breakfast today we board our minibus as we go deeper into the world of Bourbon, meeting the minds behind the formulas that create such special flavors and the passion that makes Kentucky the world capital of Bourbon.
Bill Samuels, Sr.'s quest began with his only copy of the family's trusted, 170-year-old recipe. It didn’t take long for the sixth-generation distiller to see his bourbon become wildly popular. There's an old joke at the distillery that goes, "If we could make it any faster, we wouldn't." Because at this special place it's one bottle at a time. Every time. That's as true today as it was when their founders filled their first bottle.This will be an awesome guided tour of the immaculate distillery which is proud to be the largest in the world.
In 1936 a younig man named Thompson founded his distillery. During the tour the focus will be on the family history and their particular whiskey making process. A hefty sample of their whiskies and a tasting glass will be a fun souvenir to take back home.
Lunch today will be enjoyed at aspecial restaurant at one of the distilleries. Meant to evoke the original family table the distillers family shared their meals around, this innovative bourbon lunch will be served family style for us all to share.
All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. A strict set of standards from the government regulates what's what. Learn more about what defines "America's native spirit" and these differences during this very special tour of the distillery of the world’s top selling bourbon.
Tonight's dinner is prepared using only locally grown products with an eclectic twist. The chef and owner of the restaurant is known for his culinary creativity as well as his dedication to local farmers who provide the freshest local products as showcased in many of his signature dishes. He is star and co-producer of his own television show, “Big World of Food,” which educates viewers on the importance of local farms’ to the food on their tables.
DAY #4
Breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast is served every morning from 7 am, enjoy it at your own pace before we begin our activities for the day.
Today we will be exploring the east side of the bourbon trail in the area between Louisville and Lexington with our minibus.
In 1884, Paul Jones Jr, moved his thriving business to Louisville, Kentucky, where he opened an office in a section of historic Main Street called, “Whiskey Row”. Four years later, he trademarked the name of his offering, claiming production and sales back to the 1860s. With this distilleries particular name, a romantic story is of course behind the label. It began when Paul Jones, Jr., became smitten by the beauty of a Southern belle. It is said that he sent a proposal to her, and she replied that if her answer were “Yes,” she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball. Paul Jones waited for her answer excitedly that night and when she arrived in her beautiful gown… she wore a corsage of four red roses. He thus named his Bourbon “Four Roses” as a symbol of his devout passion for the lovely belle, a passion he thereafter transferred to making his beloved Bourbon.
You can’t spend time in Kentucky and not enjoy at least one stop of BBQ delicacies. Lunch today will be at a family-owned, counter-serve joint with nostalgic BBQ dinners, sandwiches, and of course a little beer!
The art of making fine bourbon first took place on the site of this distillery, a National Historic Landmark, in 1812. When you arrive you immediately get that sense of history. The history of bourbon is the history of Kentucky, and, in a way, the history of the United States. The Reserve is crafted from a unique grain recipe of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. This recipe balances the sweetness of the corn with the spice of the rye and the nuttiness of malt to build the base for what some would argue is the world’s most flavorful bourbon.
Inspired by majestic European castles and set on a location purchased by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr, the birth of this Distillery, one of the most unique in all of Kentucky, came to be in 1887. From the sunken gardens to the classical springhouse, this visit proceeds to woo you in many different ways.
For over 200 years, this brand has been defined by a dedication to one craft: making fine bourbon whiskey. By honoring tradition and embracing change, this distillery has earned its place of leadership among the legendary spirits makers of the world and continues to expand its offerings into new areas.
This will be a special dining and final celebration for our group. Located in the heart of Old Louisville, Chef Edward Lee’s menu is a modern approach to the Southern Table. Louisville is at the intersection of many different traditions and cultures that make up this historic city. The most highly regarded restaurant in the city has been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, The New York Times Magazine, Saveur, Southern Living, Esquire, and Wine Enthusiast. This will be a dinner we will not soon forget and an excellent cap to our bourbon adventure!
Day #5
Breakfast and preparations for departure.
Possibly one final distillery tour in town depending on your departure time.
*We are happy to make additional recommendations on things to do in this area.
Please contact us for pricing for this itinerary. Or to create a unique custom itinerary for you!