Things to do in Bourbon Country, Kentucky
Burgoo Festival in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
By: Bob White
Welcome to Bourbon Country, where the amber nectar flows, and the rich history of Kentucky's distilling legacy unfolds at every turn. If you're wondering what more you can do in this haven for bourbon enthusiasts, Colonel Bob’s Bourbon Country Bucket List is your ultimate guide.
From sipping, savoring, and sharing with friends, to unique experiences like dipping a bottle in "wax" and thieving a sample from a barrel, we've curated a comprehensive list to elevate your bourbon adventure.
Whether you're comparing large distilleries to craft operators, popping a bung in summer, or exploring the ruins of old distilleries scattered across the state, the journey is bound to be extraordinary.
Join us as we uncover hidden gems, visit top bourbon bars, and indulge in delicious meals at renowned Kentucky restaurants. Venture off the beaten path, witness the Bourbon Pompeii, photograph barrel aging warehouses, and learn the art of clocking the barrel. With each distillery visit, historic landmark discovery, and unique experience, you'll find the heart and soul of Bourbon Country.
Let Colonel Bob's Bucket List be your passport to an unforgettable bourbon odyssey. Cheers to the spirit of Kentucky!
Colonel Bob’s Bourbon Country Bucket List:
Sip, Savor and Share with friends, family and even strangers.
Dip a bottle in “wax” at one of a few places where that’s possible. Color doesn’t matter
Thief a sample from a barrel
Fill your own bottle
Meet the distiller, or blender, not necessarily the “master”
Two syllable learning – Fo-ur, Beth-Lem, LouVull, Leb-Nun
Have a Ball! – a Bourbon Ball, from Muth’s, Rebecca Ruth or Ruth Hunt
Compare a large distillery to the smaller, craft operator
Pop a bung in summer, then compare that in winter, and smack the bung back into the bunghole.
Visit the actual, natural source of water from where Kentucky Bourbon Distillers draw water.
Sample the mash after it’s been cooked, then after a few days… Sweet to Sour
Watch a cooper raise a barrel and repair a barrel at a cooperage.
Visit the ruins of an old distillery no longer in use – Ky is full of them
Visit top Bourbon bars such as Neat, Watch Hill Proper, Talbott Tavern, The Volstead, Proof, Justin’s, Beaumount Inn (Owl’s Nest), The Commons in Frankfort, or elsewhere.
Visit the heart of the Bourbon Capital of the World to see the Bourbon Compass
Enjoy a great meal at one or more of Kentucky’s great restaurants by Ouita Michel, Jeff Ruby’s, John Varanese, or Josh Moore at Volare.
Visit the Rathskeller and feel what its like to be a gangster or novelist
Enjoy a breakfast at Cedarwood in Lebanon, Wagner’s in Louisville, or Josie’s in Lexington
Walk through a field of corn, tobacco, soy or other “Kentucky crop.”
Car Show at Ham Days in Lebanon, Kentucky
20. Visit one or all of the following: Burgoo Festival in Lawrenceburg, Ham Days in Lebanon, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Thunder of Louisville or Derby Day
21. Learn all about yeast at Wilderness Trail Distillery
22. Visit Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, or Frazier History Museum in Louisville
23. Photo the Old Forester water tower above Brown-Forman Headquarters
24. Visit local Liquor Stores
25. Take and backroad, follow the railroad tracks or take a hike to get off the beaten path and see the non-touristy side of Kentucky’s Bourbon Country
26. See the “Bourbon Pompeii”
27. Photograph at least 4 types of barrel-aging warehouses, or rickhouses
Burgoo Festival in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
28. Find 4 distilling sites along the Glenn’s Creek Corridor
29. Find 6 Bourbon production sites along the Ky 245 Corridor
30. See the sites along the Dixie Highway whiskey corridor
31. Visit a distillery that’s NOT OPEN TO VISITORS, such as Bernheim Plant, or Barton 1792.
32. Visit Lexington’s Distillery District
33. Find a distiller in Bourbon County, Kentucky
34. Find the 16,000 acre forest that whiskey built and learn about the philanthropist who gave it to the people of Kentucky to enjoy no matter their wealth or race or anything else.
35. Take a sidewalk tour of Vendome Copper and Brass Works
36. Join in on a blind tasting
37. Learn about “clocking the barrel”
38. Taste something yummy along Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail
39. Pet a distillery cat (or dog)
40. Read something from one of several great whiskey writers such as Michael Veach, Chuck Cowdery, Susan Reigler, Carla Carlton, Maggie Kimberl, Fred Minnick and others.
41. See the Old Fitzgerald smokestack – This used to add “Meet Perry” but he’s been retired by Proof Media at Stitzel-Weller.
42. Visit Keeneland during the annual horse sales
43. Visit Churchill Downs
44. Cross the Kentucky River on the only S-Shaped bridge in the region
45. Find the holes that were allegedly made by Jesse James
46. Travel the scenic byways of Horse Country, such as Old Frankfort Pike, Steele Road, 460, 421 or Paris Pike
47. Visit one of several filming sites from the movie “Stripes” in Bourbon Country
48. See barrels being filled with “white dog”
49. Stay at an historic hotel, AirB&B, Bed & Breakfast or state park campground
50. Get some Catholicism in your day at the Basil Hayden historic marker, Gethsemane, Nerinx Mother’s House, Cathedral of the Assumption, St. Michaels in Fairfield, or wherever else
51. Find a distiller’s grave or the bigger monuments of Bourbon Barons.
52. Learn about Lincoln’s numerous connections to whiskey
53. Meet a genuine Kentucky Colonel, or better yet, do something good and become one yourself.
54. Find a virgin in a tub, or Mary on the half-shell or Bath Tub Mary.
55. Ride a train through Bourbon Country
56. Take a boat ride in Bourbon Country
57. Find a place where whispers can be heard from a distance
58. Explore Whiskey Row’s Main Street in Louisville.
59. Remember – it’s just whiskey…
60. Drink Wisely – hire a driver, guide and planner.
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