Bourbon capital, USA! If you’re going to Bardstown, chances are it’s all about the bourbon – and for good reason. Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, and many other historic distilleries call this region home. Make Bardstown your home base as you drink your way through this part of the Bourbon Trail.
Tasting at Heaven HillDistillery
Distilleries to Visit
When we passed through Bardstown, most of the distilleries were closed (thanks, COVID). Nevertheless, we were still able to visit two great distilleries right within the city limits! If you plan to visit Bardstown during the pandemic, make sure to check the distilleries’ individual websites, make reservations, and – most importantly – follow health and safety precautions. Wear a mask!
Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center: While maybe not recognizable by name, Heaven Hill distills Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Larceny, and many other renowned bourbon brands. This family-owned business has been making these fine spirits since 1935, and that legacy comes through at the distillery. During our visit, we opted to do the Whiskey Connoisseur Experience. This tasting included four premium whiskeys, a brief history of the distillery, and not enough water for our taste. That bourbon is strong! Don’t get us wrong – we enjoy our bourbon straight, but a pallet cleanser between tasters would be nice. Regardless, we definitely recommend this experience, and you might even find a bourbon you like enough to purchase in the gift shop. We chose to get the Henry McKenna Single Barrel.
Bardstown Bourbon Company
Bardstown Bourbon Company: This distillery is unlike any other we’ve visited. Whereas most distilleries flaunt their age, history, and tradition, Bardstown Bourbon Company is just a few years old. Rather than shy away from this fact, though, they’ve leaned into it. Their grounds and facility are pristine, modern, and chic. Bardstown Bourbon Company even advertises their distillery as a “Napa Valley style destination” that includes high-end dining and a bar along with the distillery. The drawback, though, is that the distillery is too young to sell any of their own pure bourbon, as the spirit needs to age a certain number of years. Instead, Bardstown Bourbon Company sells blends that mix their own, younger bourbons with more aged spirits from other distillers. The end products are great, and we definitely recommend you take their From Distillate to Barrel tour. In addition to a sample of their distillates and end products, you’ll get to sample some bourbon straight from a barrel in their rickhouse! It was a super cool experience.
Mammy’s Kitchen
Where to Eat
Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar: Mammy’s was our favorite restaurant during our short stay in Bardstown. The extensive menu features all kinds of southern comfort food (loved the chicken-fried steak), but the real highlight is the pie. Each slice comes topped with toasted meringue that is just perfect. Do yourself a favor and get the chocolate pie.
Down Home Bar B Q: If you’re in the mood for some great BBQ food, look no further than Down Home. The ribs at this affordable, no-frills spot are delicious, and the cornbread pancake makes for a great side item.
Other Tips & Tricks
Where to Stay: Bardstown has a very small downtown (if you can even call it that), but the main streets are cute and lined with restaurants and shops. If you want to be walking distance from your food, look into the hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in that area. If you want to be closer to distilleries, though, you’ll need to do your research ahead of time. They are pretty spread out, so chances are you’ll have to do a bit of driving. We personally chose to stay at the Hampton Inn north of the town. While we couldn’t walk anywhere from the hotel, it was clean, affordable, and kept us within 15 minutes of everywhere we wanted to visit.
Liquor Stores: If you want to bring some harder-to-find bourbons home with you, be sure to check out the local liquor stores. Depending on where you live, they are likely to have a wider selection of bourbons than you can find at home.