11/3/21

First, let me put a huge disclaimer on this trip, as it was not even close to a complete exploration of the bourbon trail and all of the different distilleries in Kentucky. Not even close! If you are really hoping to do the bourbon trail justice, you should know up front that this is not like deciding to go on an impromptu trip to Napa for a weekend with hundreds of wineries all within spitting distance of one-another and all being welcoming to whoever shows up at the door. No, the bourbon trail covers some serious distance throughout the State of Kentucky with each distillery being completely unique and having its own feel. Some, like Woodford Reserve above, are located out in the country, some are located in small towns, and some right in the heart of urban downtowns such as Louisville. Likewise, some distilleries are small, family-owned operations whereas others, like Jim Bean and Wild Turkey, look more like industrial-era factories. Each distillery has its own schedule and is opened and closed on different days and at different hours. Many are fully booked with guests three-to-six months out and will only let you visit if you are a booked guest, whereas others will allow walk-ins whether or not they have reserved a spot to tour the location. Some charge as much as $100 just to let you visit, others let you in for free. Each distillery also has a different culture. Some are artisanal and more-focused on the culture surrounding Kentucky-whiskey, whereas others are more-focused on the science and process of making whiskey. Many of these distilleries also have tons of history going back to the early 1800s, as well as customers entirely loyal to their brands. If you say you’re heading to Maker’s Mark, someone in your friend circle will be asking why not Buffalo Trace? If you head to Four Roses, someone will ask why not Bulleit? What I’m getting at is that if you really want to see and do the bourbon trail right, then you are going to need to fully plan your trip about 3-6 months in advance, make sure to give yourself 1-2 weeks to do it, and only visit 1-2 distilleries a day. Trust me, you will need the time to truly understand the history, processes, and cultures of these amazing places.

I am hoping to plan a trip like I’m describing sometime next year. I definitely want to come back here! The purpose of this trip though was not to take a tourist approach to the bourbon trail, but to just see where some of these distilleries are located and to see whether-or-not I would have any interest living in the places where they are located. So, while it was a fantastic day of seeing some of these places and having some fun with my family here, the question on my mind throughout the day was whether I could see myself working at any of these places.

Ironically, when looking at it from that perspective, the place where we spent the most time (Maker’s Mark) was also likely the least livable of the distilleries, being located fairly remotely in the small town of Loretto (seriously small – the population according to Wikipedia is about 770 people) about a 20-30 minute drive from actual towns with amenities. However, Maker’s Mark is also one of the prettier distilleries to visit, its campus being unique, historic, and greatly focused on its culture that extends back to 1805. It also happens to make some pretty good bourbon. It was a blast exploring the place!

And yes, my uncle and I even got to dip our own bottles in the famous red wax:

After visiting several distilleries, we saw My Old Kentucky Home (an old mansion that inspired the song called…My Old Kentucky Home, which you may have heard in connection with the Kentucky Derby), and then visited my recent-college-grad cousin in Louisville where we had dinner at a great Cuban restaurant.

Honestly, my past few days in Kentucky have been a real hoot and I do not know why it has taken me so long to get out here! Like I said above, I hope to be back soon on a much more thorough trip that explores the bourbon trail in depth (maybe even go to the Kentucky Derby???). And yes, I will be looking at distillery apprenticeships out here, but after this trip I think I will be limiting my search to Woodford Reserve, Bulleit, and Buffalo Trace. I want to give a big, heartfelt thank you to my aunt, uncle, and cousins who have been excellent hosts these past few days! But now it’s time to get back on the road. I will be site-seeing in St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri today and then heading back to Omaha tomorrow. After all, my dad and I gotta go pheasant hunting this weekend!

Cheers,

Rob