By Chuck Martin
Start your trek in Louisville
Spring in Kentucky means horse races, mint juleps and a trip down the whiskey-paved road.
Rumor has it the same limestone-laden springwater that helps racehorses run faster keeps Kentucky bourbon sweet and mellow. No one can prove this, but you can test the waters by roaming the backcountry to see how Kentucky turns out its legendary spirit. Driving around this time of year, you can almost feel the rush. The thoroughbreds are taking their positions at the starting gates. Tulip poplar trees are blooming roadside. And best of all, the bourbon trail is springing to life.
Start your trek in Louisville—home of the Kentucky Derby and,
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THE BROWN
(335 W. Broadway, brownhotel.com, 502-583-1234; doubles from $149)
21 C MUSEUM HOTEL
(710 W Main St, 21cmuseumhotel.com, 502-589-4690; doubles from $159)
THE SEELBACH HILTON LOUISVILLE
(500 Fourth Ave.,
seelbachhilton.com, 502-585-3200; doubles from $119 )
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1823 HISTORIC ROSE HILL INN
(233 Rose Hill, rosehillinn.com,
800-307-0460; doubles from $109)
HISTORIC SCOTTWOOD BED & BREAKFAST
(2004 Leestown Rd, scottwoodbb.com,
859-846-5037; doubles from $110)
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maybe of equal importance to bourbon lovers, the restaurant Lilly's (1147
Bardstown Rd., 502-451-0447; $25 for an average entrée).
Chef Kathy Cary, whose father was in the whiskey business, uses regional bourbon
and other homegrown products on her menu.
She swears by Shuckman's Fish Co. & Smokery smoked
trout ($10 for 8 ounces; kysmokedfish.com,
888-990-8990) and spoonfi sh caviar ($35 for 2 ounces), and goat cheeses
made by Judy Schad, just across the Ohio River at Capriole
Farms (capriolegoatcheese.com, 812-923-9408).
"I think we all grew up here with an appreciation for the land," says Cary.
Near Derby time, jockeys and breeders flock to sample dishes that are rich in
local ingredients, such as barbecued pulled pork on corn cakes. On every menu
Cary gives a shout-out to the source: "God Bless Our Local Farmers."
When night falls, you can taste bourbon in its natural environment: the Louisville bars. John E.'s Restaurant & Lounge (3708
Bardstown Rd.,502-456-1111; $25 for an average entrée) is at its prime around Derby days. In the dark, rough-hewn bar, fragrant with the smell of cigar smoke and fried frog's legs, you just might spot famed horsemen such as Bob Baffert. "It's a festive week," owner John Shanchuk says. "We start celebrating before the Derby and don't stop until it's over." Nearby Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge (446 S. Fourth St., 502-568-9009) pours 70 bourbons for sampling, and Bourbons Bistro (2255 Frankfort Ave., 502-894-8838; $18 for an average entrée) serves 130 premium whiskeys, along with hearty grub like Kentucky Burgoo, a thick meat-and-vegetable stew topped with crisp onions. "Bourbon is kind of like our Champagne," says co-owner Jason Brauner. Regulars here toast the racing season with mint juleps. |
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