Where to Stay in Bourbon Country?

[daisy3d]

My wife and I are making our first trip to Bourbon Country in March, I was wondering if anyone could suggest good places to stay and any other recommendations, must do's?

Thanks in advance for you help!
Phil & Jen
Brooklyn, MI

[angelshare]

What distillery tours are you planning?

[daisy3d]

Planning on Buffalo Trace for sure, Makers maybe and Woodford.

Thanks, Phil & Jen

[bourbonv]

Phil and Jen,
I would recommend staying in Louisville. There are many hotel/motels/bed and breakfast businesses to fit any price range or comfort zone. Louisville is only about an hour's drive to any distillery.

For example staying in Louisville, a day's tour could include a drive east to Lawrenceburg, starting the day with a tour of Four Roses (1 hour from Louisville), then to Wild Turkey (about 20 minutes from Four Roses) and then to Woodford Reserve (Maybe 20 minutes from Wild Turkey) and then to Buffalo Trace (20 minutes from Woodford). You could also drive by the ruins of the Old Taylor Castle Distillery on your way from Woodford to Buffalo Trace. You could end the day with dinner at the Bourbon's Bistro (about an hour from Buffalo Trace) with a selection of over 130 bourbons.

The next day you could drive south and stop to see Beam Clermont (about 45 minutes from Downtown Louisville), which is the least impressive distillery tour but it is on the way to better places. The next stop could be the Four Roses warehousing facility (15 minutes from Beam), followed by the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History (30 minutes fron Four Roses warehouses) and then to Heaven Hill's new Heritage Center (15 minutes from the Getz Museum and on the way to Maker's Mark) with a final stop at Maker's Mark (about 45 minutes from Heaven Hill). You could end the day with a trip to the Maker's Mark Bar at Fourth Street Live in Louisville (about an hour and a half drive from Maker's Mark Distillery) if you are into the loud bars and dance scene that appeals to the twenty to thirty something crowd, otherwise there is a plethera of fine restaurants in Louisville and many have great bourbon selections.

Having done these two full (I repeat FULL) day tours, you will have seen most of what is to be seen by the tourist of the distillery industry.

Mike Veach

[daisy3d]

Thanks Mike!

What would you recommend for a Hotel, something in the $100-$150/night range? Would you recommend a night in Bardstown? I see one of the taverns there was rated top 100 by Whiskey Magazine in the latest issue.

Thanks again!
Phil & Jen

[bourbonv]

I don't normally stay in hotels in Louisville, but in my experience that price range will allow you to stay in most any hotel in Louisville. The Galt House Hotel does have a decent bourbon bar in it - Jockey Silks - and is right on the waterfront and a five minute walk from the Maker's Mark Bar and Fourth Street Live. The hotel decore has been described as "Galt House Tackey" but it is a nice place to stay for bourbon lovers.

You might want to visit the Louisville website and see about bed and breakfast rooms. I know there is a decent one down by work that the Filson usually put up visiting speakers. There is also one by Blackacre Foundation that brings great food to the fall bourbon tasting I do with Blackacre every year, but I have never stayed there.

Mike Veach

[cowdery]

It depends on what you want. In Bardstown, for a clean, comfortable place to sleep, the Talbot Tavern or General Nelson (Best Western) are good choices because they (especially the Talbot) are in the center of town so you can walk everywhere. If you want something a little more special, Bardstown has many extremely nice bed-and-breakfasts. Everything is listed on the Bardstown-Nelson County tourism web site.

In Louisville, unlike Mike I suggest staying as far away from the Galt House as possible. I find it irredeemably tacky. Louisville's gem is the Seelbach. The Brown also is very nice. For something more modern but also nice, the Hyatt. All of these are right in the center of town. For clean and comfortable but nothing special, there is a cluster of hotels just east of downtown. In the suburbs, I like Red Roof Inns.

I don't know the Frankfort/Lexington lodging scene as well as I do Bardstown/Louisville, but all of the usual suspects are there, either in town or on the fringes.

As you might guess, you're going to be driving regardless. You're not going to stay particularly close to any distillery. Barton is right on the edge of Bardstown, an easy walk from the aforementioned hotels, but Barton doesn't give tours. Buffalo Trace is pretty close to downtown Frankfort, but not walking distance.

Be sure to take a ride down Glenns Creek Road to see the ruins of Old Taylor and Old Crow. It's a little hard to find but essentially the same road as Woodford, only closer to Frankfort.

[kbuzbee]

We stayed at the Meeting House B&B in Frankfort, last fall. Wonderful place, great food and terrific people. Highly recommended.

The Meeting House

Ken

[BSS]

If you stay in Frankfort there are several hotels you can stay at. You have a Hampton Inn and soon to be Holiday Inn Express on the I-64/US-127 exit.(Westside) These are right beside the main chain restaurants.
20 Minutes to Wild Turkey
45 Minutes to Louisville
30 Minutes to 4 Roses
5 Minutes to Buffalo Trace
15 Minutes Woodford Reserve
15 Mintues Old Taylor/Crow

There is also a Best Western and 2 year old Fairfield Inn at the I-64/US-60 exit. Not much of anything to eat within walking distance. (East Side)
10 minutes to the Old Taylor/Crow sites
10 Minutes to Woodford Reserve.
50 Minutes to Louisville
5-10 Minutes to Buffalo Trace
25 Minutes to Wild Turkey
5 Minutes from some of the nicest horse farms in the world

Then you have the Downtown Holiday Inn and a couple of Bed and Breakfast establishments. I work across the street from The Meeting House B&B. It seems like they have a nice place, it's only been open since around last spring if I remember correctly. These two downtown locations aren't bad at all. The Holiday Inn is quite nice for a HI. There are a couple restaurants close to both of these. One called Sarafinis has a nice bourbon selection the last time I looked (Pappy 20, Rock Hill Farm, ect) and it's only about 2 blocks from both the Meeting House and HI. Jims Seafood, which I don't care for, but many people love is right beside Buffalo Trace. Depending on what you call walking distance, Buffalo Trace is one mile away from these two places, and there are side walks going the entire way.
1 minute from BT Driving
20 minutes WR
25 minutes WT
50 minutes Louisville
15 minutes Old Taylor/Crow

[BSS]

Ken

Did the lights from the Transportation Building across the street from the Meeting House bother you at night? That's where I work, and that was one of the biggest complaints when they decided to build it there about 5 years ago. I was wondering if the rather imposing building with all the lights detracted from your stay at all.

[kbuzbee]

Ken

Did the lights from the Transportation Building across the street from the Meeting House bother you at night? That's where I work, and that was one of the biggest complaints when they decided to build it there about 5 years ago. I was wondering if the rather imposing building with all the lights detracted from your stay at all.

Not at all. The room looked out onto the the street (Ann St?) so we couldn't see the Transportation Building (and ambient reflection wasn't an issue). But... we were on the go all day long and just exhausted in the evening. A couple pours of KS and I was asleep. We do B&Bs alot these days and were very pleased with everything at the Meeting House. (once I figured out the one way roads

I did feel kinda odd parking on the street there (we are suburbanites and don't ever park on the street!) but I could look out and see the car. Frankfort is a quiet little town and by 6 pm there was almost no traffic (or life in general) around this part of town.

We ate at a great Italian place on the loop (West of town?) I'd probably recognise it if you say it. The lasagna was delicious.

The place is nicely decorated and the owners are wonderful to talk to. She made such a delicious/huge breakfast I don't think we ate again until the evening.