Photo courtesy Greater Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Visitors can tour six signature distilleries on the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.

Photo courtesy www.kentuckytourism.com

Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Bardstown/Lawrenceburg/Versailles, KY

Beautiful scenic byways lead visitors through Kentucky’s proud tradition

by Carrie Daut | September 29, 2011

I’ve mentioned before that Kentuckians love their bourbon. Since the 1700s we have crafted the world’s finest barrels of it (a natural mix of our weather and pure limestone water), so we’re pretty much famous.

Today, visitors to the area can explore our beloved tradition on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®– over 70 miles of winding country roads that lead guests to six signature Kentucky distilleries.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® spans the area between Louisville and Lexington, inside Interstates 65 and 75. Four Roses Distillery (Lawrenceburg), Heaven Hill Distilleries (Bardstown), Jim Beam (Clermont), Maker’s Mark (Loretto), Wild Turkey (Lawrenceburg) and Woodford Reserve (Versailles) are the six distilleries featured along the tour.

Insider Tip: The byways connecting the distilleries pass rolling green hills, sprawling horse farms and historic towns. The drive itself provides some of the most beautiful scenery the Bluegrass State has to offer.

All Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries offer tours and bourbon tastings. With the exception of Woodford Reserve, all general tours are completely free!

Insider Note: The tours at Woodford Reserve cost $5 for adults 18 and over, but you get to keep the souvenir shot glass.

Each distillery experience is different. At Heaven Hill, you’ll learn how the crafting process is passed down through generations at America’s largest independent family-owned bourbon producer. Maker’s Mark is a little out of the way, but the scenery is unparalleled. And a tour of Woodford Reserve will explain how this National Landmark produces the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.

Insider Tip: At your first distillery stop, ask for your free Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Passport. Collect stamps from each distillery, then submit your completed passport for an exclusive t-shirt!

There are no rules to the Bourbon Trail; distilleries can be visited in any order and at any pace. There is no best geographic route, although the distilleries can roughly be divided into west (Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark) and east (Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve).

Allow at least two days to visit all six distilleries (many visitors stay the night in historic Bardstown). Most distilleries are open from approximately 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but hours and tour times vary. Check individual websites for more details, and allow a minimum of 1.5 hours at each distillery.

For turn-by-turn directions (highly recommended since GPS’s often don’t work on Kentucky backroads) and more information on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, visit kybourbontrail.com.