{"id":167471,"date":"2023-05-01T16:56:34","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T20:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?p=167471"},"modified":"2024-01-31T11:52:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T16:52:19","slug":"louisville-city-guide-a-bourbon-spiked-renaissance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/louisville-city-guide-a-bourbon-spiked-renaissance","title":{"rendered":"Louisville City Guide: A Bourbon-Spiked Renaissance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nearly 170,000 guests will fill Louisville\u2019s Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. Yes, it is America\u2019s oldest continuously held major sporting event, and a bucket-list experience for many. But before and after the stands brim with outrageous fascinators and fedoras, you\u2019re likely to spot hard hats as the facility undergoes an estimated $320 million upgrade through next year. The project is adding upscale seating and hospitality areas, including the Homestretch Club, which debuted last year, and covered grandstands at the first turn. The paddock\u2014where grooms saddle horses before each race\u2014will feature a green space for more spectators and a perfectly framed view of Churchill Downs\u2019 iconic twin spires.<\/p>\n\n\n<!-- Promo shortcode start --><div id=\"nlf-1c\" class=\"gg-promo topic-due-south\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/promos\/due-south-tall.jpg\" class=\"tall\" alt=\"Bermuda shoreline\"><\/div><div class=\"right\"><form id=\"nlf-1\" method=\"post\" class=\"form\" action=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/newsletters\/\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"gg_form_submit\" value=\"nlf-1\"><div class=\"hed\">Get Due South<\/div><div class=\"dek\">Our newsletter with Southern destinations and inspiration for your next trip<\/div><div class=\"action two-items\"><div class=\"input-left\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"you@example.com\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"group_id\" value=\"106195444\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"shortcode_form\" value=\"nlf-1\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"subscription_47929\" value=\"on\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"prev_page_id\" value=\"167471\"><\/div><div class=\"gform_footer\"><div style=\"display:none;\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-st\" id=\"nl-nov-st1\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-b\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-r\" id=\"nl-nov-r1\" value=\"2025-11-14\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-et\" id=\"nl-nov-et1\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/div><button data-sitekey=\"6Lc-hRkaAAAAAI84hbB81Jl48pGievR_C_UgHdnY\" data-callback=\"on_submit_nlf_1\" data-action=\"submit\" class=\"g-recaptcha button button-primary after-email\">Sign Up<\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"captcha-terms\"><p>This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p><\/div><\/form><script>document.getElementById('nl-nov-st1').value=Date.now();document.getElementById('nl-nov-r1').value='';function on_submit_nlf_1(token) {document.getElementById('nl-nov-et1').value = Date.now();document.getElementById('nlf-1').submit();}<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- Promo shortcode end -->\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the track, Kentucky\u2019s largest city is experiencing a similar rebirth, with pilgrimage-worthy cocktail lounges and distilleries opening at a steady clip. (More than a hundred new restaurants and bars launched in 2022, reports the <em>Louisville Courier Journal<\/em>, along with some twenty hotels in the past two years.) \u201cI credit bourbon,\u201d says chef Edward Lee, who moved to Louisville from New York City in the early 2000s to stake his culinary claim with the lauded fine-dining restaurant <a href=\"https:\/\/610magnolia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">610 Magnolia<\/a>. Lee is opening a new restaurant this spring that melds Southern sensibilities with his Korean roots. \u201cAs the bourbon explosion has happened,\u201d he says, \u201cthere has been an explosion of tourism in Louisville that\u2019s unlike anything I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1-1100x770.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-167477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1-1100x770.png 1100w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1-300x210.png 300w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1-768x538.png 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1-1600x1120.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: Kate Dearman<\/div><div class=\"caption\">The Barbaro memorial statue at the Kentucky Derby Museum; inside Angel\u2019s Envy.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kentucky has long enjoyed its tie to America\u2019s native spirit, but the concentration of bourbon-related attractions downtown is a modern phenomenon. The <a href=\"https:\/\/evanwilliams.com\/plan-your-trip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Evan Williams Bourbon Experience<\/a> opened in 2013, followed over the next two years by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copperandkings.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Copper &amp; Kings<\/a> brandy distillery and <a href=\"https:\/\/kentuckypeerless.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.<\/a> In 2016, Angel\u2019s Envy became the first full-production whiskey distillery downtown since Prohibition. And the hits keep coming, with tasting rooms set to open for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzardsroostwhiskey.com\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buzzard\u2019s Roost<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bardstownbourbon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bardstown Bourbon Company<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/broughbrothers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brough Brothers<\/a>, Kentucky\u2019s first licensed African American\u2013owned distillery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fresh spin on tradition carries over into modern hotels tucked into century-old buildings, shops that re-envision dusty spaces, and institutions like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.derbymuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kentucky Derby Museum<\/a> going high-tech to tell the story of America\u2019s favorite racehorse, Secretariat. Even the legendary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitzelwellerdistillery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stitzel-Weller Distillery<\/a>, a few miles west of Churchill Downs, has a renewed purpose as the brand home of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bladeandbowwhiskey.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blade and Bow<\/a> (and this publication\u2019s own <a href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgunclub.com\/at-stitzel-weller-distillery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Garden &amp; Gun Club<\/a>, which serves light bites like pimento cheese and spicy boiled peanuts alongside neat pours and old-fashioneds).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of excitement about the future of the bourbon industry and what that means as an economic driver and Louisville becoming a major tourist destination,\u201d says Mayor Craig Greenberg, who took office at the beginning of the year and is the former CEO of 21c Museum Hotels. But the city\u2019s history paved the way. \u201cWe\u2019re going to invest in things that are unique and authentic to Louisville.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re coming to town for horse racing, restaurant hopping, bourbon tasting, or all of the above, you can\u2019t go wrong by adding these newcomers to your itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>EAT &amp; DRINK<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>You might begin, as many visitors do, with a distillery tour. In addition to the aforementioned options, other standouts include <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oldforester.com\/distillery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Old Forester<\/a><\/strong> for a grain-to-glass look at the bourbon production process and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/michters.com\/fortnelson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michter\u2019s Fort Nelson<\/a><\/strong> for its cypress fermentation vats and top-notch cocktail lounge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.angelsenvy.com\/us\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Angel\u2019s Envy<\/a><\/strong>, headquartered in an artfully renovated and repurposed factory on East Main Street across from Louisville Slugger Field, completed an $8.2 million expansion last year. Those short on time for a full tour can opt for a bottle-your-own experience, or a guided tasting and visit to the Finishing Room bar for seasonal cocktails and a sweeping view of the Ohio River. The company recently hired a new master distiller, Owen Martin, who previously worked at Stranahan\u2019s Colorado Whiskey in Denver and moved to Louisville last fall. \u201cI\u2019m very impressed by the sense of history here,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are so many historic businesses and areas, and even the newer bars and restaurants have distinct personalities that you don\u2019t always get in other cities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among those new spots is the charming <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epiphany-ky.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Epiphany<\/a><\/strong>, a farm-to-table cocktail bar and brewery located in a former post office sorting facility in the Highlands neighborhood. Here mixologists work with an ever-changing array of local produce to craft drinks like the Farmer\u2019s Tan, a gin martini riff made with brined and pickled baby green tomato \u201colives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chef Lawrence Weeks brings the Cajun-Creole flavors he learned cooking with his grandmother to the kitchen of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NorthofBourbon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">North of Bourbon<\/a><\/strong>, a Germantown destination both classically minded and inventive (try the shrimp yakamein or a bourbon-based take on peanuts in Coke). For a deep bourbon dive, it\u2019s worth a trip a bit farther afield to the Norton Commons neighborhood for the compendious selection and clubby atmosphere at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.watchhillproper.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Watch Hill Proper<\/a><\/strong>. If possible, time your visit to correspond with one of chef Michael Crouch\u2019s themed pairing dinners, which have included a Seven Deadly Sins menu and an ongoing series with whiskey expert Fred Minnick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2-1100x545.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-167478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2-1100x545.png 1100w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2-1600x793.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: Kate Dearman<\/div><div class=\"caption\">From left: Capellini with duck rag\u00f9 at 610 Magnolia; chef Edward Lee; popcorn arrives in a julep cup at the Garden &#038; Gun Club.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Just east of downtown, a busy stretch of Market Street in the heart of the NuLu neighborhood offers a bevy of eclectic flavors. You can\u2019t miss the canary-yellow exterior of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.labodeguitademima.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">La Bodeguita de Mima<\/a><\/strong>, which serves some of the tastiest Cuban cuisine (and rum cocktails) in the city. At <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loulouonmarket.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lou Lou on Market<\/a><\/strong>, a vibrant New Orleans\u2013inspired restaurant one block over, you might hear live jazz seeping from the below-ground lounge over plates of shrimp and grits and Cajun-spiced rib eye. Cross the street to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gertieswhiskeybar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gertie\u2019s Whiskey Bar<\/a><\/strong>, in the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nulumarketplace\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NuLu Marketplace<\/a><\/strong>, for an after-dinner cocktail such as the Nouveau Carr\u00e9, made with rye, apple brandy, allspice dram, and house-made sweet vermouth. Visit on a weekend evening, and the host may buzz you into the subterranean speakeasy.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1599309\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-6941455\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2158780\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>On East Main Street, Edward Lee will soon open <strong>Nami<\/strong>, his contemporary Korean steak house, with traditional grill tables and a private karaoke room on the second floor. Lee says the timing felt right for a city that values authenticity <em>and<\/em> craves new experiences. \u201cLouisville is a growing city, but it has retained its identity,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd, to me, it still feels like a small town in all the best ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>STAY<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Opened in 2021, the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegradyhotel.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grady Hotel<\/a><\/strong> sits in an 1880s building on West Main Street that was once home to a medicinal bourbon apothecary and a milliner of fine Derby hats. Today the property sports a refined aesthetic with soaring ceilings paneled in reclaimed wood, and a speakeasy-style bar and restaurant in the catacombs beneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bunkhousehotels.com\/hotel-genevieve\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotel Genevieve<\/a><\/strong>, a six-story, 122-room property set to open in NuLu in time for the Derby, takes its inspiration from the city\u2019s namesake, King Louis XVI. A Parisian-style rooftop restaurant and bar offers river views, and the hotel partnered with nearby <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rabbitholedistillery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rabbit Hole<\/a><\/strong> distillery to create a signature single-barrel bourbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-1100x545.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-167479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-1100x545.png 1100w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-768x380.png 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-1600x792.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: Kate Dearman; Jessica Fey (3)<\/div><div class=\"caption\">From left: A Peerless rickhouse; fourth-generation Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. owner Corky Taylor (right) and his son Carson sit beneath a portrait of the Peerless founder, Henry Kraver; inside the Garden &#038; Gun Club.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A short drive away, the historic Highlands neighborhood is home to the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebellwetherhotel.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bellwether<\/a><\/strong>, located steps from the numerous shops, bars, and restaurants on Bardstown Road. In 2019, Ben Botkins and Sarah Mattingly, along with another couple, purchased neighboring early-twentieth-century buildings\u2014one formerly housed the Highlands police station and the other a BellSouth switching station\u2014and combined them into a twenty-room boutique hotel that showcases the latter\u2019s art deco design. \u201cWe don\u2019t think of ourselves as developers,\u201d Botkins says. \u201cWe love the neighborhood, love these buildings, and couldn\u2019t stand watching them continue to crumble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>SEE &amp; DO<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends11-733x1100.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-167481\" width=\"206\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends11-733x1100.jpg 733w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends11-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends11-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends11-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends11.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: Kate Dearman<\/div><div class=\"caption\">Mixing cocktails at Gertie\u2019s.<\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll find all kinds of Kentucky lore amid the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fraziermuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Frazier History Museum<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s permanent and rotating installations. One new exhibition digs into the Van Winkle family archives to share a selection of dusty bottles and rare photos. (You can also pop into the adjacent <strong>Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center<\/strong> for trip-planning help and guided bourbon tastings.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a building that dates to 1854, Bud Bruner opened a boxing gym where Louisville native Muhammad Ali trained in the 1960s. Today the leather goods company <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/claytonandcrume.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clayton &amp; Crume<\/a><\/strong> puts on workshops and events in the space, and sells a wide variety of handcrafted bags, belts, and wallets in its downstairs shop, alongside an intimate bourbon lounge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paristown.com\/paristownhall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Old Forester\u2019s Paristown Hall<\/a><\/strong>, the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts\u2019 new venue in the <strong>Paristown<\/strong> arts and entertainment district, hosts indoor and outdoor concerts and community events. It\u2019s the centerpiece of the rapidly developing neighborhood, which also includes the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.villagemarketfoodhall.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Village Market<\/a><\/strong>, Louisville\u2019s first collective food hall; the two-hundred-plus-year-old institution <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonewareandco.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stoneware &amp; Co.<\/a><\/strong>, with handcrafted ceramics; and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefleurdeflea.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> <strong>Fleur de Flea Vintage Market<\/strong><\/a>, where you can peruse more than a hundred vendors\u2019 antique and midcentury modern treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends10-1100x733.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-167480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends10-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends10-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends10-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/weekends10-1600x1066.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: Kate Dearman<\/div><div class=\"caption\">The Grady Hotel\u2019s lobby.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Both Kentucky\u2019s horses and its bourbon benefit from the state\u2019s abundance of limestone-filtered water and lush land, prime examples of which you can see throughout Louisville\u2019s distinctive park system, which was initially designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1890s. An upcoming project will expand the already popular <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ourwaterfront.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Waterfront Park<\/a><\/strong> and connect it with the Russell neighborhood, a historically Black community devastated by red-lining and urban \u201crenewal\u201d in the 1960s. Efforts are also underway to expand Louisville\u2019s trail system to more closely link the city\u2019s core with the Ohio River, including the new <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/waterfrontgardens.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Waterfront Botanical Gardens<\/a><\/strong>, which feature terraced plantings and views of downtown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if your only connection to Louisville has been the televised Kentucky Derby, you know the race reverberates far beyond its famed two minutes. Perhaps no memory in Derby history has captivated the world more than Secretariat\u2019s last-to-first performance in 1973. At the <strong>Kentucky Derby Museum<\/strong>, which sits alongside Churchill Downs, crews are installing a permanent, immersive exhibit titled <em>Secretariat: America\u2019s Horse<\/em> ahead of this year\u2019s fiftieth anniversary of the Thoroughbred\u2019s historic Triple Crown sweep. The museum, which is open year-round, will also introduce several new tours during Derby season that provide behind-the-scenes access to watch this year\u2019s contenders and future hopefuls during morning workouts. You\u2019ll see the backside, where more than 1,400 horses and their grooms live and work during the racing season, and stand shoulder to shoulder with trainers as Thoroughbreds thunder by at nearly forty miles per hour. It\u2019s hard to think of a more authentic Louisville experience.<\/p>\n<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-4799120\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-8592628\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2069140\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the bourbon boom surges on, Louisville buzzes with new energy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":167472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-05-01T20:56:44Z","apple_news_api_id":"8adb39f4-58a7-4628-a3ff-9c4111aab93e","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-05-01T20:56:52Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Aits59FinRiij_5xBEaq5Pg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2602,1785],"tags":[51,17636,351,183,970],"authors":[17974],"issue":[30149],"recipe-type":[],"class_list":["post-167471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-city-guides","category-travel","tag-bourbon","tag-city-guides","tag-kentucky","tag-louisville","tag-weekends","authors-tom-wilmes","issue-april-may-2023"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v26.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Louisville City Guide: A Bourbon-Spiked Renaissance &#8211; 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