Happy Valentine's Day

Normally we don't do much for Valentine's Day. Last year my sister and I surprised the boys with a day of skiing at Perfect North Slopes. I wanted to do something fun for Dylan this year. If you didn't already know, Dylan loves bourbon! So when a friend at work told me about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, I could not wait to start planning.

Here's a little bit about the trail.

For more than 200 years, Kentucky’s legendary distilleries have crafted the world’s finest Bourbons, using secret recipes and a time-honored process passed down from generation to generation.

Now you can explore the rich tradition and proud history of “America’s Official Native Spirit” on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, featuring six signature distilleries nestled among the most beautiful scenery the Bluegrass has to offer.

Discover the art and science of the Master Distiller…savor the distinct, mellow flavor…and see how Kentucky’s perfect natural mix of weather and pure limestone water produces the classic taste and deep amber color.

There are six different distilleries on the trail; Four Roses Bourbon, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark and Wild Turkey. The website suggests allowing at least two days to complete the trail. I decided to pick two to visit on Saturday afternoon and then stay in Louisville for the night. We hit the road at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and made our way to the Marker's Mark distillery first.

Maker's Mark was great tour. It takes you through the entire process. At the end we headed to the bar to try the "White Dog" (bourbon before it is barreled) and bottled Maker's Mark bourbon. I watched as almost every woman tried the "White Dog" and cringed. I did the same. I was taking pretty small sips, so I let Dylan have the rest. As always, they have a wide variety of fun items to purchase in the gift shop. You can even dip your own bottle of Maker's Mark. Dylan is a bigger fan of Jim Beam so we decided to wait and buy at our next stop.

The Jim Beam distillery is much bigger than Maker's Mark. Unfortunately they don't provide a tour of the facility. (Kind of a disappointment.) Instead they take you into the Beam Home to watch a short video. Then they take you back to the gift shop to try two of their famous bourbons. Saturday we got to try Booker's and Red Stag. Again, I struggled with both of these bourbons. I struggled with Booker's! Listed on the Jim Beam website as "a man's bourbon," this bourbon is 120-127 proof! My chest was hot for a good 5-10 minutes after taking a small sip of this stuff. Of course the ladies working in the store said it was their favorite. I am sure they have been drinking it since birth. Crazy Kentuckians. The Red Stag has a black cherry taste to it. Turns out I am just not a big fan of bourbon, but Dylan still loves it. I got him a bottle of Knob Creek as a souvenir.

After finishing the second tour we made our way north to Louisville. We stayed at the Galt House Hotel and Suites. Our room had a great view over the river which was pretty sweet. A close friend of mine's sister is chef at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel. She invited us to dine at the Old Seelbach Bar for dinner, which is a stop on the Urban Bourbon Trail. We had an amazing meal thanks to Molly.

So that was our Valentine's Day weekend. Maybe we will get around the finishing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, but I would rather hit up a local winery instead. We will see. :) I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too.

xoxo,
T