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Subscribe Home DISCOVER USA Real Deals Editor’s Picks Vacations Air Cruises Hotels Entertainment Shop Explore Budget Travel Lists Adventure Cruises Family Inspiration National Parks News Road Trips Theme Parks Travel Tips BOOK TRAVEL Follow us © 2021 Budget Travel LLC Get our Newsletters and Exclusive Discounts Email Email Or subscribe with: Google Facebook All Articles Places Deals Sweepstakes Explore Editor’s Picks Vacations Air Cruises Hotels Entertainment BT Lists Adventure Cruises Family Inspiration National Parks News Road Trips Theme Parks Travel Tips Trending Explore Editor’s Picks Vacations Air Cruises Hotels Entertainment BT Lists Adventure Cruises Family Inspiration National Parks News Road Trips Theme Parks Travel Tips Featured Real Deals - Sleep in a 16th-century English castle, reg. $1600 - $999 Thornbury Castle - Gloucestershire, United Kingdom Get Deal EXPLORE - This Florida Destination has Wildlife Encounters, Family Fun, Art Shows, and More Discover The Palm Beaches Read More Real Deals - Wyoming dude ranch: 3 nights incl. meals, reg. $236 - $1650 Blackwater Creek Ranch - Cody, Wyoming Get Deal EXPLORE - Get Ready for Summer with These Fun Family Vacation Ideas BT Editor Read More Real Deals - Charming Bucks County suite w/breakfast - $119 Golden Plough Inn at Peddler’s Village - New Hope, Pennsylvania Get Deal EXPLORE - Vibrant Art Exhibits and Attractions to Visit This Year BT Editor Read More Discover USA Find great places near you Open Map Presents Whisk Away with Flavor Inspiration Take a Tour Through American History Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail August 2, 2007 was a historic day in America. On that day, the bitter partisanship that pretty much defines American politics was cast aside to pass a bill that declared bourbon to be our National Spirit” and established September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. And here’s the best part: They passed the bill unanimously. Yes, unanimously. As further evidence of bourbon’s importance to American heritage as well as the nation’s economy, this isn’t the first time Congress passed a law involving the industry. In 1967, it passed a bill to define bourbon as a whiskey that must be distilled from at least 51% corn and aged in a new charred American white oak barrel and just as Champagne can only be made in the region of the same name in France and Iberico ham can only come from Spain and Portugal, bourbon must be made in the USA. Photo by Daniel Norris on Unsplash Which brings us to today. The bourbon industry is exploding—there were over 11.4 million barrels aging in Kentucky in 2021, which works out to 2.4 barrels for every citizen of the state. So-called whiskey pilgrims,” from millennial enthusiasts to seasoned aficionados, have been flocking to Kentucky to visit bourbon distilleries and see how the spirit is made. But even before bourbon growth took off, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association established in 1880, a trade organization, founded the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 1999. (Bourbon production increased 571% since then, from 455,078 barrels in 1999 to 2.6 million in 2021). The KBT is an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to head to the source and see craftsmanship in action. And the best part: the guidance the KBT provides is completely free. Each distillery offers tours that show the many steps of whiskey-making, from fermenting to distilling to barreling to bottling and, of course, what would a tour be without a lesson in tasting. The distilleries charge a minimal admission fee. It’s worth it. Just go to the site and download the map. It shows the number of miles between distilleries, which ranges between eight and 70, and lot of other helpful logistical details. There are 46 distilleries on the trail. The KDAhas created The Bourbon Trail™ Passport & Field Guide for you to take from stop to stop. Get it stamped at each distillery and you can earn rewards. Among the stops is the iconic Maker’s Mark Distillery, a National Historic Landmark. It’s set up with the house of its founders replicated to period detail. You can watch workers dip the bottles in the red wax Maker’s is known for and even try it for yourself in the gift shop. Courtesy of Jim Beam The massive Jim Beam Distillery is a mighty sight to behold, what with 10.7 million (9 liter) cases sold in 2020 . This is indeed the slickest stop on the tour. The company is in its seventh generation of Beams and old-school heritage looms large in its mythology, yet it’s all presented with all kinds of digital bells and whistles. The visitor center is a veritable multi-story museum, with interactive educational elements. They also offer an interactive multi-sensory tour and a decanter museum that would make an antiques collector swoon. Prepare to spend a lot of time here. Heaven Hill, the oldest family-run distillery, offers the Bourbon Heritage Center, a museum of bourbon, past to present. You are welcomed onto the Heaven Hill campus by several rickhouses, filled with up to 52,000 barrels each. The newest rickhouse on site features a bird’s eye view into the resting barrels with a glass window corner spanning the seven floors. The exterior of the updated visitor center showcases a replica of how the distillery looked in 1935, an authentic, vintage barrel truck representative of what the Shapira brothers may have driven in the 1940s and an updated sign celebrating the new name. Wild Turkey and Four Roses have both invested vast sums in the last few years to open stunning visitor centers at their historic distilleries, each one a shrine to American heritage. With all the tourist pouring into (sorry, no pun intended) the state, they need someplace to eat and drink after a day of touring. Louisville has become quite an urban destination. Inventive restaurants are opening at a rapid clip, and meantime, some of the longstanding institutions banded together to form the Urban Bourbon Trail, a guide to some of the most incredible bourbon bars in Louisville, which basically means the most incredible bourbon bars in the world. Presented by Bird Dog WhiskeyBird Dog Whiskey is proud and honored to be the most-awarded flavored whiskey on the market, earning top honors in both industry and consumer competitions. Each of its flavored whiskeys is meticulously crafted to deliver a smooth, complex, and unique drinking experience that balances a delicious flavor with real Kentucky bourbon whiskey. For more information, please visit https://birddogwhiskey.com/ Destinations Bardstown, Kentucky - Bourbon Capital of the World® The smell is the first thing you’ll notice: vanilla, some caramel. That’s the scent of bourbon in the air. Workers at nearby distilleries call the fumes "the angel’s share"a fitting term, considering that this town about 40 miles south of Louisville is home to both whiskey people and monks. The area once claimed more than 20 distilleries. Only two (Barton and Heaven Hill) remained in 2006 but Bardstown has rebounded and now boasts over 11 distilleries, the most (bourbon) in any city! Their title as the Bourbon Capital of the World makes Bardstown a must-visit for bourbon enthusiasts. With friendly locals and a relaxed, small-town atmosphere, Bardstown warmly welcomes tourists, offering an authentic experience where you can savor the town’s beauty, explore its rich history, and, of course, indulge in the finest bourbon-making heritage the region has to offer. Things to Do: Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History -The museum displays a 50 year collection of rare artifacts and documents concerning the American whiskey industry dating from pre-Colonial days to post-Prohibition years. The museum includes exhibits on President Washington, Abraham Lincoln, authentic moonshine stills, antique bottles and...