A Warm Kentucky Hug - Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Day 1

Day 1: Thursday, June 8, 2023
Join us this morning at the available departure location of your choice, meet your friendly onboard Trailways host and driver, then settle in and relax aboard one of our luxury motorcoaches as we make our way East this morning. Enjoy rest and refresh breaks along the way to Indianapolis today, as well as a stop for lunch, on your own, before we arrive at West Fork Whiskey Co. this afternoon for a tasting.
West Fork Whiskey Company, simply stated, is “hell-bent on creating great whiskey and paying homage to Indiana’s rich distilling history.” Started by three Indiana natives, they brought the distillery to life to share their interpretation of America’s native spirit to the world. They create sippable, smooth whiskeys THEIR way – always 100% Indiana from grain to glass. They toast to hard work and uncompromising dedication by paying respect to one of the best-grain producing states in America. Whether you try their wheat-centric bourbon or their earthy and spicy rye, they have a whiskey for every taste!
After our tasting, check in to Drury Inn & Suites Indianapolis Northeast and enjoy the kickdown reception, or choose to have dinner, on your own, at a nearby restaurant.

Day 2

Day 2: Friday, June 9, 2023
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before departing to continue East. We’ll stop and pick up a local guide this morning for a bourbon trail tour! The first stop on our tour today will be at Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. From their hand-selected ingredients to their meticulous process of bottling and selling their bourbon, Maker’s Mark has always gone against the grain. Take a trip back in time and learn a few of the secrets behind the making of Maker’s Mark.
Enjoy an included lunch this afternoon at a local favorite restaurant before our next stop along the trail at Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, Kentucky for Magic of the Mashbill Tasting. Heaven Hill is the only heritage distillery that features every major category of American Whiskey – and it all begins with the grain. Enjoy an educational tasting of up to four of their nationally acclaimed Whiskeys, each from a different mashbill. During the 45-minute experience, discover the differences between each style of American Whiskey and how corn, rye, wheat and barley imprint themselves into the taste profile of each.
The next stop on our bourbon trail tour is the Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont! Enjoy a distillery tour and tasting, and see how the world’s finest bourbon is produced, aged, and perfected.
Enjoy dinner this evening at Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen. Sit back and enjoy southern soul-food and bourbon in upbeat digs with an antique bar that offers live music!
Check in to Drury Inn & Suites Louisville North, and have the rest of the evening free to enjoy, on your own.

Day 3

Day 3: Saturday, June 10, 2023
After having breakfast at the hotel this morning, depart with a local guide to enjoy a tour and tasting at Four Roses Distillery, located on the historic Bourbon Trail in Lawrenceburg. You rarely see Spanish mission-style architecture in Kentucky like you can at their unique Distillery, which was built in 1910. Four Roses Distillery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Our next stop for a tour and tasting is at Woodford Reserve Distillery. Nestled amid the rolling hills of bluegrass and thoroughbred farms sits the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery. One of Kentucky’s oldest and smallest distilleries, the present-day Woodford Reserve Distiller is built on history, sitting on Kentucky’s oldest distilling site where Elijah Pepper began crafting whiskey in 1812. The distillery is home to a 500-foot-long gravity-fed barrel run, their iconic copper pot stills, and 100-year-old cypress wood fermenters. It also boasts one of the only heat cycled barrelhouses in the world, ensuring every drop seeps into the charred and toasted white oak, giving Woodford Reserve its color and signature flavor. Enjoy lunch at the café, on your own, while visiting today.
This afternoon, enjoy a tour and tasting at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort. The Trace tour begins with an engaging video of the history of Buffalo Trace Distillery. You will then walk amidst the path of rolling bourbon barrels. You will be captivated by the alluring smell and atmosphere of bourbon sleeping inside the aging warehouses. Then, you will go inside the renowned Blanton’s Bottling Hall, where you will see signature bourbons being filled, sealed, labeled and packaged – all by hand.
This evening, we arrive to the Belle of Louisville Riverboats downtown Louisville at the 4th Street Wharf to board the Mary Miller and embark on a wonderful dinner cruise. After a lovely evening out on the water and a wonderful meal, we return to the hotel for evening.

Day 4

Day 4: Sunday, June 11, 2023
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before departing for a tour at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The guided tour features an operating Artisanal Distillery where you will not only learn the process for making Bourbon, but you will see it being made right before your eyes. The tour also includes a premium Bourbon tasting, and a visit to the gift shop with a wide array of signature products.
Have some free time to enjoy downtown Louisville, as well as have lunch, on your own, while exploring. A few points of interest you may want to explore include:
• Experience the finishing round table at Angel’s Envy Distillery. In 2013, three generations of Hendersons came together to break ground on their distillery in Louisville’s Whiskey Row where they welcome you to visit and share their traditions and behind-the-scenes tours and unique distillery experiences.
• Muhammad Ali Museum – The Muhammad Ali Center is a multicultural center with an award-winning museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali. The Center’s museum captures the inspiration derived form the story of Muhammad Ali’s incredible life and the six core principles that have fueled his journey.
• Louisville Slugger Museum – Connect with a genuine global icon on its hometown turf. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory celebrates the extraordinary role Louisville slugger baseball bats have played in the sport’s past, present, and future. From the forest to the field, you’ll follow the timber that’s turned into hard hitting history.
• Roots 101 African American Museum – Step into the narrative and take a journey through the African American experience with exhibits curated to make visitors not just viewers of history, but a part of it. Roots 101 shares the history of black Americans before slavery through a collection of African art dating back centuries, demonstrating a vibrant culture and society.
This afternoon, visit Copper & Kings American Brandy Company for a guided tour. This is an American Brandy Company based in Butcherstown. They make a dynamic American style brandy and pride themselves on a differentiated, uncommon, unadulterated pure pot-distilled natural American Brandy.
Dinner this evening will be included at the Derby Dinner Playhouse where you’ll enjoy an amazing meal and a show.

Day 5

Day 5: Monday, June 12, 2023
Have one last breakfast included at the hotel this morning with your fellow Trailways Travelers before we depart for home today. Enjoy rest and refresh breaks along the way, as needed, as well as a stop for lunch, on your own. Arrive back home this evening with wonderful friendships and memories made along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail!