THE BOURBON TRAIL
Alcotoursim: Traveling with the intent to drink. It is one of the main reasons people come to Kentucky, they come to try our fabulous drinks. The Bourbon Trail, wineries, and distilleries are a known favorite for bourbon and alcohol lovers alike.
Try a restaurant or two, or try one of everything. Whatever you choose, we are sure you will walk away with a deeper appreciation for the craft of alcohol and everything that goes into it.
Wineries
There are several wineries in Frankfort that are easily accessible from The Meeting House. Another great resource is the Kentucky Tourism building. They can give you great local recommendations.
It is important to reserve your tour or tasting before you go. This ensures that you get the time and date you want. Paying beforehand is easier for you so you can enjoy your vacation and tour.
The Bourbon Trail: What’s the Big Deal?
You may know that bourbon is a brown drink, which is a good place to start. Bourbon is considered a whiskey, but not all whiskeys are considered bourbon. So what makes bourbon so special?
To start off, there are 3 things that need to happen to for a whiskey to be classified as a bourbon: it needs to be 51% corn, stored in a new charred oak barrel, and hit a certain Alcohol by Volume (ABV).
There are officially 42 sites on the Bourbon Trail. You can find them all on the
bourbon trail map. With 42 choices to choose from, it can be hard to narrow them down. The trail stretches across the State of Kentucky, some stops are close together while others are 70 miles apart from each other.
How many stops you go to is totally up to you. If you are set on visiting the whole Kentucky Bourbon Trail, you may need 4 to 5 days to accomplish this. Maybe you just want to do several stops one day, in that case, you can choose a tour and spend an afternoon or evening tasting bourbon.
Craft Breweries
You may just want to find a good brewery. Luckily there are 3 nearby that are craft breweries. These are Goodwood Brewing Frankfort, Sig Luscher Brewery, and West Sixth Farm.
Goodwood Brewing Frankfurt
Hours:
Sun - Thurs: 11 am - 9 pm
Fri - Sat: 11 am - 10 pm
This is a great spot because it offers food and brews. Their taps are rotated weekly and are brewed in Frankfort. They have their core brews and special seasonal brews that change throughout the year.
Sig Luscher Brewery
Hours:
Sunday: 11 am - 6 pm
Mon - Wed: 11 am - 9 pm
Thurs - Sat: 11 am - 10 pm
This brewery was founded by Sigmund Luscher who was passionate about the simplicity of beers. Today the brewery focuses on specialty lagers. They also offer ales in their taproom as well. Grab a bite to eat in the taproom while tasting a variety of specialty brews.
West Sixth Farm
Hours:
Thurs: 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri: 4 pm - 10 pm
Sat: 12 pm - 10 pm
Sun: 12 pm - 8 pm
Opened in 2011, this brewery has spread to multiple locations, including Frankfort, KY. For the Frankfort farm, the public is finally allowed to take tours of the farms, go hiking, and visit the taproom.
Distilleries
There are over ten distilleries in the Frankfort area. If you want to be adventurous, you can find many other distilleries in the county. For local ones that are close, there is
Jim Beam,
Buffalo Trace,
Glenns Creek, and
Castle and Key Distilling.
