1. “Soon after, I returned home to my family, with a determination to bring them as soon as possible to live in Kentucky, which I esteemed a second paradise, at the risk of my life and fortune.” – Daniel Boone
Many who live here count Kentucky as a second heaven. The land is beautiful, the city is blossoming, and the people are warm and hospitable.
2. "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.” – Abraham Lincoln
That being said, it’s best not to end up on a Kentuckian’s bad side.
3. “I have never in my life seen a Kentuckian who didn't have a gun, a pack of cards, and a jug of whiskey.” – Andrew Jackson
See the point above. Bad side+ whiskey+ gun = recipe for disaster.
4. “I was brought up to believe that Scotch whisky would need a tax preference to survive in competition with Kentucky bourbon.” -- Hugo Black
We take our bourbon seriously. Kentucky dominates bourbon production with 95 percent of the world’s supply. While no one knows who exactly invented bourbon, what we do know is that barrels marked “bourbon” were sent from Limestone in Kentucky (then located in Bourbon County) to New Orleans. Soon people began requesting “the whiskey from bourbon.”
5. “My friend, you’re in trouble. This town is flat full. Always is, for the Derby.”—Hunter S. Thompson, The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.
We also take The Kentucky Derby seriously. The first weekend in May is basically a holiday—stores close early, the streets surrounding Churchill Downs are closed off, and it turns into a massive mint-julep-fueled block party. And, as Hunter S. Thompson pointed out, good luck trying to find room at the inn unless you’ve booked at least two months in advance.
6. “I am more than just a serious basketball fan. I am a life-long addict. I was addicted from birth, in fact, because I was born in Kentucky and I learned, early on, that Habitual Domination was a natural way of life.” – Hunter S. Thompson
Another from Louisville’s Gonzo reporter. Anyone who has been to a sports bar during basketball season can attest to the reality of this “habitual domination.” The establishment is filled with patrons in jerseys, typically varying between red and blue.
The fans cluster by color.
They scream, cry, cheer and jeer—and leave the game feeling either extreme jubilation akin to a high or desperate sorrow, a crash.
Basketball here really is an addiction.
7. “Tough girls come from New York. Sweet girls, they're from Georgia. But us Kentucky girls, we have fire and ice in our blood. We can ride horses, be a debutante, throw left hooks, and drink with the boys, all the while making sweet tea, darlin'. And if we have an opinion, you know you're gonna hear it.” – Ashley Judd
And finally (though I may be a bit biased), Kentucky women are pretty special—a perfect mix of Southern charm and Northern grit and sass.
Did I forget a favorite Kentucky quote of yours? If so, share in the comments or tweet us @louisvillecom.
Cover photo courtesy of Shutterstock. Copyright: shuttersolutions
