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    Kentucky Bourbon Trail Survival Guide
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    The weather outside is frightful, but it will be warm again soon enough.  It’s time to start planning for your visit to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  New distilleries have been added over the last year, so even if you’ve completed your passport already there’s plenty of new stuff to see.  So grab a passport and start planning.  Here are a few tips for the newbies as well as the seasoned pros.

    • Throw out your GPS.  OK, don’t actually throw it out, but don’t plan on it getting you where you need to go.  And don’t count on having cell service at some of these remote distilleries, either.  Check the website for directions and write them down.
    • Call ahead.  Sometimes distilleries close for weather or private events, so it’s best to call ahead and make sure they will be conducting tours when you get there.
    • Don’t over schedule yourself.  Bourbon takes time, and so do distillery tours.  There’s also a fair amount of driving time between each one, so the most you should try to visit in a day is three.  Consider booking a tour with Mint Julep Tours so they can do the driving for you.
    • Take your friends.  I’ve been to many a distillery tour by myself because of my job and I tend to make friends out of strangers anyway.  But it’s a lot more fun and memorable when you take your friends along for the ride.
    • Fill up your gas tank and stock up on supplies before you hit the road.  I swear I drove for an hour without seeing any signs of civilization the last time I went to Maker’s Mark.  It’s beautiful but you don’t want to run out of gas somewhere that you don’t have cell service.

    Do you have other Kentucky Bourbon Trail survival tips?  Tweet them to me @LouGirl502!

    Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl

    Maggie Kimberl's picture

    About Maggie Kimberl

    I'm a Louisville native with a passion for traveling and homegrown tomatoes. I write the bourbon news, which keeps me plenty busy since Louisville is the center of the bourbon universe. See bourbon news happening? Contact me on Twitter @LouGirl502!

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