When you hear names like Pappy Van Winkle [4], William LaRue Weller [5], and George Garvin Brown, you may think they're just made-up monikers from bourbon bottles. In fact, these were all real people who lived real lives and made their fortunes in the bourbon business. And they are all buried in Cave Hill Cemetery [6], a National Historic Landmark.
Twice a year, Filson [7] Bourbon Historian Michael Veach [8] leads a tour of bourbon families at Cave Hill [9]. It’s a wonderful way to brush up on bourbon history, and it’s amazing to hear all the bourbon knowledge contained within Veach’s brain. Seriously, there are just so many Browns it’s a wonderful thing there’s someone who can keep them all straight!
Fall is the perfect time to take the tour, which involves a tractor-drawn trailer taking you through the beautiful arboretum and cemetery grounds. The event is a fundraiser for the Cave Hill Heritage Foundation, so you will also learn about the restoration work they do to ensure the grounds are well cared for. Some of the monuments have been saved from becoming crumbling ruins through the efforts of the Cave Hill Heritage Foundation [10].
On the tour, you’ll get to learn about the life and times of bourbon greats such as Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, George Garvin Brown, William LaRue Weller, JTS Brown and JTS Brown, Jr., Paul Jones (Four Roses), T. Jeremiah Beam, Phil Hollenbach, and many others.
It’s always helpful to look at history from a different angle when you’re trying to make sense of it all, and this tour will help you do that. This tour takes place September 20th at 1 p.m. The cost is $35 per person and reservations can be made by calling Cave Hill [11] at (502) 451-5630.
Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl