Trip Notes
Buffalo Trace, 1001 Wilkinson Blvd., Franklin County, Ky., 502-223-7641 or 800-654-8471, www.buffalotrace.com. Guided tours are offered on the hour Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Hard-hat tours showcasing the distillery process and other areas are available by appointment only Monday-Friday from Oct. 1 to mid-April.
Claim to fame: Blanton’s, the first single-barrel bourbon, is made here, and the retired master distiller who developed it, Elmer T. Lee, still makes the rounds frequently and occasionally meets with visitors.
Recommended lunch in Frankfort: Serafini (243 W. Broadway, 502-875-5599) ? Offering an upscale-but-casual, mainly Italian menu, it’s located near the old capitol building; brunch-only on Sundays.
Woodford Reserve, 7855 McCracken Pike, Versailles, Ky., 859-879-1812, www.woodfordreserve.com. Tours for $5 run year-round on the hour Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (except noon) and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. (April-October only).
Claim to fame: The grounds are surrounded by Fairview Farm, which specializes in raising foals to yearlings, so you can see two of the state’s finest products in one location.
Recommended lunch in the area: Wallace Station (3854 Old Frankfort Pike, Versailles, 859-846-5161) ? It has great sandwiches with homemade breads and spreads, plus Lexington’s most “lickable,” Valentine’s Ice Cream.
Wild Turkey, U.S. Hwy. 62, Lawrenceburg, Ky., 502-839-4544, www.wildturkeybourbon.com. Tours are conducted Monday-Saturday at 9 a.m, 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Claim to fame: Master distiller Jimmy Russell, at age 71 the granddaddy of active bourbon makers, is on-site daily and often interacts with tour groups.
Recommended for lunch: Outskirts Restaurant (101 Hilltop Drive, Lawrenceburg, 502-859-9977) ? Homemade and down-home, it’s where the locals get good country cooking; breakfast-only on Saturday, closed Sunday.
Four Roses, 1224 Bonds Mill Road, Lawrenceburg, Ky., 502-839-3436, www.fourroses.us. Tours are given on the hour 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Claim to fame: Perhaps the best place to see all aspects of a large-scale distilling process.
Jim Beam, 149 Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, Ky., 502-543-9877, www.jimbeam.com. The American Outpost and gift shop are open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday 1-4 p.m.
Claim to fame: A timeline depicts highlights through the seven Beam generations, starting with Old Jake Beam Sour Mash, first sold in 1795.
Heaven Hill, 1311 Gilkey Run Road, Bardstown, Ky., 502-337-1000, www.bourbonheritagecenter.com. Tours run Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Claim to fame: The “tasting barrel,” with its bar-in-the-round, where free tastings of Evan Williams Single Barrel and an 18-year-old Elijah Craig are presented with notes on their flavor profiles.
Recommended lunch in Bardstown: Kurtz Restaurant (418 E. Stephen Foster Ave., 502-348-8964) ? Across from My Old Kentucky Home, this vintage-1937 home-style spot offers a lunch special of soup (bean is the best), a sandwich and a piece of to-die-for cream pie.
Maker’s Mark, 3350 Burks Springs Road, Loretto, Ky., 270-865-2099, www.makersmark.com. Tours are offered Monday-Saturday hourly from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Claim to fame: No tastings are offered, but visitors purchasing a $13 375 ml. bottle of Maker’s Mark are allowed to seal it themselves by dipping it in a small vat of hot red wax.
