{"id":189211,"date":"2024-01-30T10:35:05","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T15:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?p=189211"},"modified":"2024-01-30T15:32:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T20:32:36","slug":"a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country","title":{"rendered":"A Trip Through Kentucky&#8217;s Bourbon Country"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The parking lot of the Party Source, a massive liquor store in Newport, Kentucky, might seem an unlikely location for an award-winning craft distillery. But as my friend Will Hinkle and I pull into the lot, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newriffdistilling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>New Riff Distilling<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s gleaming copper still, ensconced in a sleek glass tower, commands attention. We learn during our early afternoon tour that a hundred-foot-deep well taps into a limestone-filtered aquifer beneath the distillery, which helps explain why Party Source\u2019s former owner Ken Lewis decided to build it right here in a corner of the lot. Naturally stripped of iron and sulfides, the mineral-rich well water is ideal for cooking ground grains to ferment and distill into bourbon. Flowing from the earth at a constant fifty-eight degrees, it\u2019s also circulated throughout the distillery as an energy-efficient means of cooling hot liquids.<\/p>\n\n\n<!-- Promo shortcode start --><div id=\"nlf-1c\" class=\"gg-promo topic-skillet\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/promos\/skillet-tall.jpg\" class=\"tall\" alt=\"biscuits\"><\/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 the Skillet<\/div><div class=\"dek\">Our newsletter with the best of Southern food and drink<\/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=\"95855092\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"shortcode_form\" value=\"nlf-1\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"subscription_385\" value=\"on\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"prev_page_id\" value=\"189211\"><\/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>Founded in 2014 as the ongoing bourbon boom was still gaining traction, New Riff takes an innovation-within-tradition approach to its whiskey. We taste that in a pour of Bohemian Wheat, an eight-year-old bourbon made with malted, unmalted, and dark wheat in addition to the requisite corn. It\u2019s an anomaly, yet its honeyed sweetness and bready undertones captivate with nuanced simplicity. It\u2019s also indicative of the diversity of modern approaches Will and I aim to uncover over the next three days as we explore bourbon country from Northern Kentucky through the heart of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDistilleries today are primarily concerned with consistency, but it\u2019s the inconsistencies of the past that make these bourbons so interesting\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy-734x1100.jpg\" alt=\"Looking up at a soaring copper still in an industrial building.\" class=\"wp-image-189230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy-734x1100.jpg 734w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_22-copy.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: EMILY DORIO<\/div><div class=\"caption\">New Riff\u2019s soaring copper still.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Driving up Monmouth Street to <a href=\"https:\/\/pensivedistilling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Pensive Distilling Co. + Kitchen<\/strong><\/a>, opened in 2021, we notice blocks of new-looking restaurants, bars, and boutiques interspersed with empty storefronts that stand out like missing teeth. After lunch at the microdistillery and restaurant (try the Strike the Gold burger, dressed with house-made bourbon barbecue sauce), we visit its second-floor speakeasy, where we learn that during Prohibition, Newport was a haven for bootleggers, gangsters, and general lawlessness. More recently, it stood as a largely blighted suburb of Cincinnati. But these days, Newport and neighboring Covington are undergoing their own bourbon-fueled booms. Will and I check in at <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelcovington.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotel Covington<\/a>, which completed a $26 million expansion last spring, transforming a former YMCA building next door into luxe all-suite accommodations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a quick refresh, we walk a block to <a href=\"https:\/\/revivalky.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Revival Vintage Bottle Shop<\/strong><\/a>. Kentucky\u2019s legislature passed a law that went into effect in 2018 allowing licensed retailers to buy and sell vintage spirits\u2014anything that\u2019s no longer in production today. Co-owned by Shannon Smith and Brad \u201cDusty\u201d Bonds, Revival keeps at least a hundred bottles available for tasting behind the shop\u2019s copper-topped bar, and its single-room retail space is stocked floor to ceiling. Will and I select half-ounce tasters of an I.W. Harper distilled in the 1970s ($15) and a private-label bourbon made for the Watergate Hotel in 1968 ($10), and we splurge on a 1977 Rebel Yell and a 1941 Old Timbrook (both $40). Each pour drips with personality, the flavors ranging from rich butterscotch to the woody musk of an old rickhouse. \u201cDistilleries today are primarily concerned with consistency,\u201d Bonds says, \u201cbut it\u2019s the inconsistencies of the past that make these so interesting.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-4401813\" 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-3915219\" 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-8171799\" 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>Our table at the recently opened <a href=\"https:\/\/opalrooftop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Opal Rooftop Restaurant &amp; Bar<\/strong><\/a> overlooks the Ohio River and Cincinnati skyline. Over Redux cocktails (a Manhattan riff made with rye, sweet vermouth, pistachio liqueur, and a barspoon of torched maple syrup) and a dinner of wood-fired steak and dry-aged duck breast, Will and I talk about how early Kentucky distillers like Jacob Spears, an ancestor of Will\u2019s, relied on the river to float flatboats laden with barrels downstream to drinkers in New Orleans and ports beyond. We\u2019re both relatively sober, so with the car already parked for the evening, we enjoy a Sazerac made with a New Riff barrel pick at Hotel Covington\u2019s hip cocktail bar before turning in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If New Riff represents a modernist approach to bourbon, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neeleyfamilydistillery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Neeley Family Distillery<\/strong><\/a>, forty-five miles south in Sparta, is a proud continuation of its (often illicit) past. As we wait in the rustic visitor center for a late-morning tour, Will and I examine a detailed family tree, newspaper clippings, and a display of rifles and homemade stills that trace the family\u2019s eleven generations of moonshiners and bootleggers, and at least one fatal family feud. Royce Neeley and his father, Roy, took the family business legit in 2015, and today the distillery uses traditional pot stills to make a variety of bourbons, rye whiskey, and \u2019shine from old family recipes, producing around two barrels a day. I particularly enjoy a single-barrel bourbon accurately dubbed \u201ccaramel apple\u201d during a post-tour tasting, so I fill and label a bottle to take home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CzM5jWUOkEp\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CzM5jWUOkEp\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CzM5jWUOkEp\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Neeley Family Distillery (@neeleyfamilydistillery)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Roughly following the Kentucky River south, we meander through small towns and stretches of rolling countryside on our drive to Millville for lunch at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStaveKentucky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>the Stave<\/strong><\/a>. Over old-fashioneds and smoked bologna sandwiches topped with chowchow, we reminisce that not long ago, a traditional tour at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodfordreserve.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Woodford Reserve<\/strong><\/a> (just down the road), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fourrosesbourbon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Four Roses<\/strong><\/a>, or a handful of other distilleries was pretty much the extent of the official <a href=\"https:\/\/kybourbontrail.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kentucky Bourbon Trail<\/a> when it was founded in 1999. Today it includes forty-six distilleries across the state and various ways to experience them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.castleandkey.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Castle &amp; Key<\/strong>,<\/a> our next stop, is a prime example. E. H. Taylor Jr. built the original facility in 1887 as the Old Taylor Distillery, envisioning a destination known as much for the beauty of its grounds as its bourbon. It shut down during Prohibition, like dozens of others in the state, and lay in ruins when Castle &amp; Key\u2019s founders bought the property in 2014. The full tour begins by the keyhole-shaped peristyle and spring Taylor built, takes you through the clang and hiss of the stillhouse, past the crumbling foundation of Warehouse A (now planted with seasonal herbs and botanicals), and into the world\u2019s longest rickhouse. But even visitors who haven\u2019t booked a tour can walk the botanical trails, laid out by the Kentucky landscape designer Jon Carloftis, or sip a cocktail at the renovated Taylorton Station, where guests arriving by train once disembarked.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-6175956\" 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-2847589\" 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-9716914\" 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>It\u2019s just a short drive to Lexington\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/themanchesterky.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester<\/a> hotel, which opened last summer in the city\u2019s burgeoning Distillery District. A quick Uber ride takes us to <a href=\"https:\/\/freshbourbon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Fresh Bourbon<\/strong><\/a>. One of Kentucky\u2019s first Black-owned distilleries, it opened its downtown tasting room in 2022. Heavy velvet curtains draw back to reveal a brightly lit room with leather stools and a long cream-colored bar top with marbled accents and pops of gold. \u201cWe wanted to create a space inviting not only to men but also to women,\u201d says Tia Edwards, Fresh Bourbon\u2019s co-owner with her husband, Sean. The bourbon features a hefty addition of honey malt in its four-grain recipe, and the tasting explores its sweet and savory interplay by pairing sips with pecans, cinnamon cereal, and other nibbles before we choose from a variety of bitters to make a customized old-fashioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy-734x1100.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a blue jacket and a woman wearing a white and blue stripped dress smile in a bar against a dark green wall\" class=\"wp-image-189233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy-734x1100.jpg 734w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_26-copy.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: EMILY DORIO<\/div><div class=\"caption\">Fresh Bourbon owners Sean and Tia Edwards.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constitutionbookstore.com\/knock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Constitution Rare &amp; Antique Books<\/strong><\/a>\u2014a dark, club-by speakeasy\u2014makes for a stark but no less inviting contrast. Will and I enter through a door secreted in a bookcase and sit at a small bar tucked at the front of the cozy lounge. We chat with beverage director Rusty Wright as he methodically mixes a Smoking Gun, made with a split base of Rittenhouse rye and Mellow Corn whiskey with espresso liqueur and orange and cardamom bitters, and finished with a flaming spritz of expressed orange oil. Stirring another cocktail, Wright explains that he\u2019s feeling for a chill on the side of the Yarai mixing glass and watching for the ice to drop slightly. \u201cCocktails are romantic, but making them can be intimidating,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re here to bring an educational component to the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy-734x1100.jpg\" alt=\"Inside a bar with a long marble bartop and skinny bar chairs with leather seats\" class=\"wp-image-189235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy-734x1100.jpg 734w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_27-copy.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: EMILY DORIO<\/div><div class=\"caption\">The Fresh Bourbon tasting room.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can\u2019t resist a stop at Lexington\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jeffruby.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Jeff Ruby\u2019s Steakhouse<\/strong><\/a>, with its red-velvet chairs, colossal chandeliers, and a Wildcat-blue piano perched in the middle of a massive U-shaped bar. As we sip barrel-aged Manhattans and devour large cuts of seared meat, it feels like a throwback to the bourbon-and-cigar lifestyle. But bourbon lovers today encompass a wide range of people and tastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>I notice this the following day on a tour of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kentuckycooperagetours.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Kentucky Cooperage<\/strong><\/a> in Lebanon, one of three such factories owned by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independentstavecompany.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Independent Stave Company<\/a>, founded in 1912. Our group includes men and women of varying ages and backgrounds. We watch as workers shape seasoned staves of white oak into the new, charred barrels required for aging bourbon. As barrels emerge from the char tunnel, a cloud of smoke reminiscent of toasted marshmallows wafts over the group. \u201cWe don\u2019t make the whiskey,\u201d says tour guide Pat Daugherty, \u201cbut we do make the flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than eleven million barrels of bourbon are currently resting in Kentucky alone, up some three million from a few years prior. As the bourbon industry continues to expand, ensuring a sustainable supply of white oak trees\u2014which can take eighty years to reach maturity\u2014is becoming ever more critical. We get a glimpse at efforts toward a more sustainable bourbon future at our last stop, nearby Maker\u2019s Mark, on a new tour of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.makersmark.com\/en-us\/distillery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Star Hill Farm<\/strong><\/a>, which the distillery introduced last summer.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2866524\" 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-2835634\" 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-6048384\" 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>Founders Bill and Margie Samuels purchased the farm\u2019s original acreage when they started the distillery in 1953, primarily to protect the water source used to make its bourbon and to stay close to the grains. Today the farm supports an interrelated ecosystem. Advocacy and experience manager Amanda Humphrey leads us through a garden with varietals like purple peas and alpine strawberries used in cocktails and dishes at the distillery\u2019s restaurant. We pass a rock quarry where they\u2019re growing mushrooms, and she points out clusters of bee boxes, explaining how pollinators and rotational grazing among the farm\u2019s Wagyu cattle and sheep help to replenish the land. \u201cYou\u2019re probably thinking to yourself, \u2018What have mushroom quarries and bee boxes got to do with bourbon?\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cI think the best way to describe it is that bourbon is an agricultural product. If we\u2019re not good stewards of our land, we\u2019re not going to be down here in two hundred years\u2019 time making whiskey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We look toward a distant hillside planted with neat rows of white oak seedlings. Working with the University of Kentucky\u2019s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, the distillery collected more than four hundred varieties from across the tree\u2019s range to plant the world\u2019s largest white oak research forest. The goal is to study the trees\u2019 growth, longevity, and resistance to drought and disease to improve the genetics of the species. We head down a short path to a majestic white oak known as the \u201cmother tree,\u201d estimated to be at least three hundred years old. Scientists used samples from this tree to map the white oak genome for the first time in 2021, and saplings from it are also now growing in the research forest. \u201cWe\u2019ll all be long gone by the time this comes to fruition,\u201d Humphrey says of the project. \u201cIt\u2019s an investment in future generations, which I think is a beautiful thing.\u201d<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"910\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-910x1100.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-188529\" style=\"width:197px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-910x1100.jpg 910w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-248x300.jpg 248w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-768x928.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-270x326.jpg 270w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-370x447.jpg 370w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-460x555.jpg 460w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-710x857.jpg 710w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-993x1200.jpg 993w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Cover-150x181.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-thirsty-for-more\"><strong>Thirsty for More?<\/strong><br><br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/feature\/nine-of-the-souths-best-whiskey-bars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nine of the South\u2019s Best Whiskey Bars<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/feature\/seven-women-bringing-bourbon-into-the-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Seven Women Brining Bourbon into the Future<\/a>, and more&nbsp;at <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/collection\/ggs-guide-to-the-bourbon-boom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">G&amp;G\u2019s Guide to the Bourbon Boom<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3036682\" 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-4204739\" 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-8677659\" 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>A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":189225,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-01-30T15:35:13Z","apple_news_api_id":"de27ffc2-d0b3-4f52-bd6e-2082acfe43a6","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-01-30T20:32:43Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A3if_wtCzT1K9biCCrP5Dpg","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":[2392,1780,1785],"tags":[51,351,619,30280],"authors":[17974],"issue":[30386],"recipe-type":[],"class_list":["post-189211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drinks","category-food-and-drink","category-travel","tag-bourbon","tag-kentucky","tag-travel","tag-whats-new","authors-tom-wilmes","issue-february-march-2024"],"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>A Trip Through Kentucky&#039;s Bourbon Country &#8211; Garden &amp; Gun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Trip Through Kentucky&#039;s Bourbon Country\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Garden &amp; Gun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gardenandgun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-30T15:35:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-30T20:32:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy-800x1200.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gardenandgun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gardenandgun\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e6cca540eec31439cf98cf9427370a13\"},\"headline\":\"A Trip Through Kentucky&#8217;s Bourbon Country\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-30T15:35:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-30T20:32:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\"},\"wordCount\":1944,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Bourbon\",\"Kentucky\",\"Travel\",\"What&#039;s New\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Drinks\",\"Food &amp; Drink\",\"Travel\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\",\"name\":\"A Trip Through Kentucky's Bourbon Country &#8211; Garden &amp; Gun\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-30T15:35:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-30T20:32:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":2999,\"caption\":\"Serving up a whiskey sour at Opal Rooftop.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Trip Through Kentucky&#8217;s Bourbon Country\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/\",\"name\":\"Garden &amp; Gun\",\"description\":\"Garden and Gun magazine celebrates the modern South and features the best in Southern food, style, travel, music, art, literature, and sporting culture.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Garden & Gun\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/19_08_GG_Email_Popup_logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/19_08_GG_Email_Popup_logo.jpg\",\"width\":166,\"height\":26,\"caption\":\"Garden & Gun\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gardenandgun\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/gardenandgun\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gardenandgun\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/gardenandgun\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/Gardenandgun\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e6cca540eec31439cf98cf9427370a13\",\"name\":\"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df72c7dd1ad3bc62869a7fe0556dd0dbca001f49491ac08383a404b3aa30ab9a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df72c7dd1ad3bc62869a7fe0556dd0dbca001f49491ac08383a404b3aa30ab9a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Trip Through Kentucky's Bourbon Country &#8211; Garden &amp; Gun","description":"A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Trip Through Kentucky's Bourbon Country","og_description":"A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape","og_url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/","og_site_name":"Garden &amp; Gun","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gardenandgun","article_published_time":"2024-01-30T15:35:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-30T20:32:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy-800x1200.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gardenandgun","twitter_site":"@gardenandgun","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/"},"author":{"name":"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e6cca540eec31439cf98cf9427370a13"},"headline":"A Trip Through Kentucky&#8217;s Bourbon Country","datePublished":"2024-01-30T15:35:05+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-30T20:32:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/"},"wordCount":1944,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg","keywords":["Bourbon","Kentucky","Travel","What&#039;s New"],"articleSection":["Drinks","Food &amp; Drink","Travel"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/","url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/","name":"A Trip Through Kentucky's Bourbon Country &#8211; Garden &amp; Gun","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg","datePublished":"2024-01-30T15:35:05+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-30T20:32:36+00:00","description":"A spirited jaunt through the heart of Bluegrass State reveals its growing whiskey landscape","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GG0124_Bourbon_20-copy.jpg","width":2000,"height":2999,"caption":"Serving up a whiskey sour at Opal Rooftop."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/a-trip-through-kentuckys-bourbon-country\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Trip Through Kentucky&#8217;s Bourbon Country"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/","name":"Garden &amp; Gun","description":"Garden and Gun magazine celebrates the modern South and features the best in Southern food, style, travel, music, art, literature, and sporting culture.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#organization","name":"Garden & Gun","url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/19_08_GG_Email_Popup_logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/19_08_GG_Email_Popup_logo.jpg","width":166,"height":26,"caption":"Garden & Gun"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gardenandgun","https:\/\/x.com\/gardenandgun","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gardenandgun\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/gardenandgun\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/Gardenandgun"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e6cca540eec31439cf98cf9427370a13","name":"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df72c7dd1ad3bc62869a7fe0556dd0dbca001f49491ac08383a404b3aa30ab9a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df72c7dd1ad3bc62869a7fe0556dd0dbca001f49491ac08383a404b3aa30ab9a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Gabriela Gomez-Misserian"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189211"},{"taxonomy":"authors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/authors?post=189211"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=189211"},{"taxonomy":"recipe-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/recipe-type?post=189211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}