“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good Bourbon whiskey is barely enough.” ― Mark Twain
It has been said Kentucky is the true gateway to America’s iconic deep south. If it truly is (and many people all over the south attest to this), then it is quite possibly where southern hospitality was born.
Your Taste Vacations Kentucky Bourbon Tour emphasizes enjoyment of elite Bourbons, private visits to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail’s most distinguished distilleries, dining at fantastic local restaurants, education about Bourbon from barrel making to the creation of alembic-style stills, and many one-of-a-kind experiences you’ll only find on this vacation. We know you will savor many lasting memories during your time in Kentucky. However, we think your most lasting memory will be the warm and friendly hospitality you will experience from the gracious people of Kentucky.
After breakfast, you’ll begin your day with a tour of the Brown Forman Cooperage to see how Bourbon barrels are crafted from scratch. This massive cooperage is a must see to fully understand the complexities that go into the making of a bourbon barrel.
We begin our day with a ride to the Southern region of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and a visit to Chef Josh Moore and his wife Lindsay’s idyllic country home. The Moore’s 2.5 acre garden supplies almost all the fruits and vegetables for his Italian Restaurant, Volare. During your garden tour you will pick the fruit and vegetables to be used in a cooking demonstration in Josh’s professional kitchen. After the demonstration, we’ll take a short break and have some bourbon cocktails before sitting down to dine. Certainly Taste Vacations would be remiss if we didn’t include a visit to the consummate Jim Beam Distillery! Founded in 1795 and family operated for over seven generations, the company has been making the highest quality Bourbons (all while battling the wilds of Kentucky, the Great Depression, two wars, and a pesky little thing called Prohibition) and we are thrilled to take you on a tour and tasting here today after lunch. We then visit the Heaven Hill Distillery, American’s largest independent, family-owned distillery. With 900,000 barrels of Kentucky whiskey in their aging room, they account for 17% of the world’s supply of what will be Bourbon. Last but certainly not least, we get the world famous Makers Mark Distillery to open up after hours and hold a private tour and tasting just for us. We’ll tour the facility and then try Maker’s Mark-inspired cocktails paired with a sampling of southern style-appetizers. In addition, you will have the opportunity to hand-dip your very own bottle of Maker’s Mark in their signature red wax to take home as a souvenir. Tonight’s dinner is on your own, given the late lunch and Bourbon tastings. We are happy to make restaurant suggestions at the best Louisville dining establishments if you wish.
Before we go to Churchill Downs, we thought you might like to see exactly how the magnificent copper stills are made. These splendid stills are made at Vendome Copper & Brass Works. This iconic company, in business for over 100 years, has been continually owned and operated by the Sherman family for four generations. You’ll observe as you enter the factory that it is a blur of determined men and women who are absolutely hell bent upon making the finest copper stills in the world. It is quite an interesting and amazing process!
