Long weekend on the Bourbon Trail outside of Louisville, KY
May 10-12, 2024
Quick summary: We extended a work trip to Louisville and did some of the Bourbon Trail.
Where we stayed
In Louisville, we stayed at the Omni Louisville downtown. I was down for work so this is usually where I stay. I love this hotel for the amenities – awesome pool deck, fitness room, many bars/restaurants, and market place for coffee, breakfast, and shopping. It really is my favorite. Had I been there for fun, I’d probably stay in Airbnb in NuLu.
In Bardstown, we stayed in an Airbnb within walking distance of downtown. It’s called Stone Horse and it’s 100% adorable. They made excellent use of the small space. Perfect size for a couple, maybe 3 people. The hosts were lovely, communicative, and left us a gift. Highly recommend staying here if you’re in Bardstown.
What we ate
There are so many great options in Louisville!
- Guacamole: next level Mexican! The food and drinks were extraordinary! If you like Mexican food, this place is a must.
- Meesh Meesh: Mediterranean in NuLu. I’ve been here twice and I’m obsessed. Currently my favorite in town!
- Proof on Main: more upscale restaurant in the 21c Museum Hotel. After you eat, wander through the exhibit. Super cool place!
- O’Shea’s Irish Pub: chill Irish Pub in whiskey row area. Great for a large group of people.
We had lunch and dinner in Bardstown:
- The Bar at Willet: we stopped here for lunch in between distillery tours.
- Café Primo: a local recommended this little Italian place as her favorite in town. We shared salad and a pizza. She wasn’t wrong. We loved it!
- The Volstead Lounge: very cool speakeasy in Bardstown. We stopped here for an after dinner drink. Named after the Volstead act (prohibition) – we recommend adding this stop to your list.
What we did
We drank bourbon! This was my first time on the bourbon trail and we took full advantage of our time, visiting 6 distilleries in 2 days!
- Louisville: Stitzel-Weller – hidden gem! I know many who live in Louisville and have not been here. Cool backstory and we found a rare new favorite. I.W. Harper was new to us and we hope to be able to find more in WI some day soon! If you like Blade and Bow, it’s distilled here.
- Frankfort: Castle & Key – WOW! Best way to describe this gorgeous property. We found a new favorite gin as well. The grounds are gorgeous and after your tour, you can have lunch on the grounds. They have a local food truck – makes a crazy good sandwich!
- Frankfort: Buffalo Trace – we didn’t have tour reservation so we tried our luck. And lucky we were! We were able to get a tasting – no line! And we secured a bottle of Blanton’s. WINNING!
- Bardstown: Bardstown Bourbon Co – This was Sean’s favorite. Newer and super innovative. Super modern facility and cool thing going with California style cuisine. We didn’t eat there but if you can, we’d say try. Menu looks great. We loved the tour and it came with complimentary bourbon glasses – the only tour we did that did! They also do the “whiskey thief” during the tour and let you taste right out of the barrel. This was probably our favorite tour.
- Bardstown: Willet – we didn’t have a tour reservation so we made lunch reservations. There was a line when we got there and the doors were rushed when they opened! Ok, maybe not quite like that, but if felt like that. The chef is known for a burger special each weekend and they sell out. Creative menu and we recommend grabbing a bite in the beautifully decorated restaurant. Don’t forget to sit and sip bourbon on their lovely patio.
- Bardstown: Heaven Hill – this tour was what I called “the sleeper”. I didn’t know that Heaven Hill made Elijah Craig and this was the first I tasted Toasted. I now have a new favorite bourbon. It’s dessert in glass.
