Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

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Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby johnnyboots » Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:35 am

My brother and two of our old room mates from college are planning a trip through Tenn and Ky in the spring, likely late April. We're all in our late 20's-early 30's and while we can be exceptionally sophisticated, we also have slightly rowdy tendencies when we're together. That being said, does anyone have recommendations on bars, restaurants or even distilleries that aren't as easily found in searches? Craft distilleries are a plus as are places with personality, and not "fake" personality like Hard Rock Cafe (apologies to any fans).

We aren't TGIF/Ruby tuesday fans and love to eat "locally" especially hole in the walls and dive spots where food and drink is king.

Thanks
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby bourbonv » Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:12 pm

Stay in Louisville - the Gateway to bourbon country, and visit some of the bars on the Urban Bourbon Trail. The Bourbon's Bistro is a must stop as well as the the bar at the Brown Hotel and the Seelbach Hotel. You will be glad you went to these places.
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby johnnyboots » Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:49 am

Great, those were all on the list of to-do's.

We'll be driving from Altanta, through Tennessee and the few distilleries there and then into Ky for a few days. We'd def. be staying in Louisville as well.

Thanks, John
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby GrandePdre » Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:16 am

I'd take a good, hard look at Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, too.
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby Skyhawk64413 » Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:10 pm

While (living in Lexington) I would argue the importance of a stay in Lou, ABOVE ALL ELSE - plan a day at the races at Keeneland (www.keeneland.com) in Lexington. Spring meet is last three weeks in April, and you'll never go to a thoroughbred track with more class and atmosphere (and PLENTY of Bourbon!)

Also - plenty of great tours available, Makers Mark (Loretto KY - about 40 minutes from Lex), Woodford Reserve (5 miles from Keeneland in Versailles)..there's a decent map and suggestions on www.kybourbontrail.com

Cheers!
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby boiler bourbon » Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:08 pm

bourbons bistro should be high on your list. it's a little quite early in the evening but gets a bit louder as the night goes on.

downtown has some great places to eat and drink. a few recommendations below:

jeff ruby's
proof on main
makers mark restaurant
brown hotel
seelbach
blu inside the marriott

3rd st dive if you want a place that is really a dive.
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby beaglegun » Fri Nov 25, 2011 4:51 pm

Travel the entire" Bourbon Trail". Stop at BuffaloTrace and Bartons also. Spend some time in Bardstown, the best town in Ky. Talbert Tavern, My old Ky Home, Civil War Museum, Getz, Keenes Depot etc. Also stop by Natural Bridge state park on your way in from Tn and take the sky lift up to the bridge. I personally wouldn't care much for visiting Louisville but if you like the city I guess you may want to. Visit Keenland
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby fricky » Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:39 am

Bourbon Joe and I travel to Kentucky twice a year. We drive there in April for The Bourbon Sampler and in September for The Bourbon Festival. Although our final destination is Bardstown, we always spend 3 nights in Louisville. Louisville is a great city that offers excellent restaurants, bars with extensive bourbon selections, outstanding hotels, considerable night life, and a wealth of bourbon-related history including the Stitzel-Weller distillery. Our visit is never complete without a visit to Bourbons Bistro. The food is excellent, the bourbon selection is second to none, and there is an outside patio where cigar smoking is permitted.
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby vince » Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:58 am

I am going to jump on Fricky's bandwagon here! I don't know how you could visit KY and the bourbon trail and not spend time in Louisville. It is a great city for all of the reasons Fricky mentioned. I live in KY , have been to every distillery numerous times (and I love Bardstown as well) but Louisville is a must see!!
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby Bourbon HQ » Mon Nov 28, 2011 11:42 am


I agree Vince and Fricky. Louisville also has the site of the old Whiskey Row, Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby), Bernheim Distillery, Early Times Distillery, Old Forester. (Brown-Forman).
It's also home of the Urban Bourbon Trail. You get a passport, visit the bars on the trail and get your passport stamped for later prizes. And, if you happen to be here on the 3rd Tuesday
of any given month you can come as a guest to The Bourbon Society meeting for meeting and tastings.


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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby johnnyboots » Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:00 am

It's been a few months but I wanted to say thanks for all the recommendations. Our trip was awesome! We left Atl thursday morning and stopped at prichards in Kelso. Really great people and an interesting place to tour. A stop in Nashville brought us to Corsair-Artisan for a disappointing tour, the guide didn't even seem to want to be there and was complaining most of the time about the heat (it was early June) and the barking dog he had tied up. We got into Louisville on Thursday night and saw the red hot chili peppers, afterwards beers at 3rd st. dive followed. Friday we did cave hill cemetery, churchill downs, crossed the river into indiana and ate at New Albanian Brewery (great food, elector was a killer red ale). The following day we did 4 roses, wild turkey, woodford and walked around BT. We stopped in the Corvette museum on the way out of town. It would have been nice to hit a few more distilleries and some of the nicer hotels and such but we'll save that for next trip. Maybe with my wife since she was jealous.
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Re: Doing a Boys trip through Tenn and Ky, recommendations?

Unread postby EllenJ » Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:41 pm

Well, she SHOULD have been. That sounds like a FABULOUS trip. RHCP??? Cool!!

Sorry you didn't get a good guide at Corsair. Did you notice the OTHER distillery located there? No one's ever heard of it, because they don't make enough to market outside the Nashville area, but they're one of the only three Tennessee distilleries who uses the (so-called) definitive Lincoln Process (the only distillery actually located in Lincoln County, Phil Prichard's in Kelso, DOESN'T use that process). They call their whiskey Collier & McKeel. We tasted some of their new-make when we were there and, well folks... Johnnyboots can probably tell ya, that's some REALLY good Tennessee whiskey!
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