Flashback to September 2023…The Kentucky Bourbon Trail was on our bucket list and served as the first stop on our travel adventure. The perfect location for a celebratory start to our new traveling lifestyle! On September 15, we closed on the sale of our house just before lunch and then drove off in our completely overpacked car watching our idyllic small town disappear in the rearview mirror. About 7 hours later we arrived at our Airbnb in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Kentucky Bourbon trail takes visitors through several distilleries in the Bluegrass State. This iconic trail encompasses both craft distilleries and larger establishments, offering a comprehensive experience for bourbon enthusiasts. Each day we planned to visit one or two distilleries. We were eager to experience as many as we could but didn’t want to be overzealous! We were lucky to be within walking distance of a handful of craft distilleries and enjoyed a relaxing stroll through our quiet Lexington neighborhood to James E. Pepper Distillery and Barrel House Distilling Co. It was just a short drive to two more craft distilleries–Town Branch (Lexington Brewing and Distillery) and Bluegrass Distillers. We really enjoyed the personal, private tours of the smaller distilleries as we had the pleasure of VIP service and one-on-one interaction with the tour guides and bourbon experts.

As a person who enjoys sipping bourbon, on this trip I was in Old-Fashioned heaven! A tasting and tour at a distillery was usually followed by a bourbon cocktail (usally an Old Fashioned or bourbon smash for me) and a delicious meal. If we couldn’t tour a distillery, we chose to order a bourbon flight so we could still sample a variety of their creations.  As a couple who enjoys eating (who doesn’t!), we were not short on amazing spots to dine close by our Airbnb. We feasted on a giant pizza from Goodfellas (“size does matter!”) and delicious meals at the Elkhorn Tavern, The Burl, District 7, and Halligans. We also took the opportunity to sample some craft beers and ciders at Wisebird Cider Co and West Sixth Brewing.

Side Note: I just had to step away and make myself a Bourbon Blueberry Smash in the middle of writing this! The bourbon craving crept up on me with all of the memories of this trip 🙂

At the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, visitors can explore famous distilleries like Buffalo Trace and Maker’s Mark, where they can witness the time-honored techniques of bourbon production and gain insight into the rich heritage of these esteemed brands. From the distinctive warehouses to the aroma-filled bottling lines, each distillery offers a unique perspective on the art of bourbon making. We have the “honor” of traveling with our Yorkie-Bichon Sunnie, so before we decided on the distilleries we would visit, we googled a listing of dog-friendly distilleries. We were happy to find Buffalo Trace and Maker’s Mark on that list! Those were two of the distilleries we both hoped to visit. Buffalo Trace is difficult to reserve tickets for, so we put ourselves on a waiting list for all of the days of our trip. Thankfully a spot became available one of the days, so we added Buffalo Trace to our itinerary. As it turns out, Buffalo Trace Distillery welcomes dogs with open arms! The staff was eager to make canine visitors feel welcome by delivering water bowls to the queue area and spending time petting all of the dogs. Very nice surprise! As it turns out, we were able to bring Sunnie on the distillery tours at Buffalo Trace and Maker’s Mark and each tour only had one stop on the tour where dogs had to stay outside. We took turns during those parts of the tour staying with Sunnie. When I was outside with Sunnie, I took the opportunity to take photos of her with bourbon barrels and other instagrammable backdrops.  Not sure Jim did the same lol!

In addition to the allure of bourbon, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail also showcases the picturesque horse farms that dot the rolling landscape of the region. Visitors can soak in the beauty of these renowned horse farms and relish the serene surroundings that add an extra layer of charm to the bourbon trail experience. One day we drove from Lexington to Louisville and took the scenic route to pass through several horse farms. We stopped for dinner at The Kentucky Castle and were treated to a delectable dining experience in the garden. Driving along the pristine fields on the backroads of Lexington and Louisville with well-kept painted fences was a highlight of the trip. We loved watching the graceful horses running through the rolling fields. Treating ourselves to a trip to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail allowed us to savor the small-batch craftsmanship of local distilleries and delve into the legacy of larger ones. We were provided with an immersive journey into the world of bourbon, which was complemented by the scenic beauty of horse country.

Well, now we can check Kentucky Bourbon Trail off our Bucket List. But we will be back to add more stamps to our KBT passport book and hopefully experience this next time with some of our friends.  We purchased a bottle or two from each distillery we toured or visited. This felt like the right decision at the time—until we tried to squeeze 8+ bottles into our already completely packed car before we left for our next destination!

NEXT STOP…Owings Mills, MD to visit our daughter Abby!!!