For a long time, I’ve wanted to take a trip to Kentucky to visit some distilleries and take in the atmosphere of the area that inspired and created my favorite whiskey. My brother and his wife have been up there a couple of times, and he and I talked about taking a trip for about a year before we finally booked the trip we took last week.
Over the next couple of days, I’m going to share some of the unforgettable experiences we had on this trip. I don’t think I’ve ever written a travelogue before, but I hope these columns give you a glimpse into the fun we had. Who knows? Maybe reading these will inspire you to explore this gorgeous area of the country.
Matt and I headed north on Thursday morning. We had hoped to avoid Atlanta rush hour traffic, which is impossible since Atlanta has 24 rush hours a day, but for the most part, our drive to Kentucky was smooth sailing. We did hit some rough construction traffic near the Tennessee-Kentucky line where we went 9 miles in about an hour, but the scenery was nice for that stretch.
Once we checked into the hotel and settled in, Matt and I decided to explore downtown Frankfort, which was just a few miles from the hotel. I didn’t know what to expect from Frankfort, but it’s a beautiful little town. A bartender told us at one point that Frankfort is the third smallest state capital in the country.
Frankfort’s size was almost jarring to me since I’m used to Atlanta and other larger state capitals like Austin, Texas, and Tallahassee, Fla. Frankfort reminds me of a college town in a lot of ways — specifically Athens, Ga., the college town I’m most familiar with. (The prevalence of pride flags in the windows of several local businesses contributed to that college-town vibe.) The only difference is that downtown Frankfort was oddly quiet every time we went.
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Nevertheless, Frankfort is the state capitol, and state pride is obviously on display throughout downtown. The area’s bourbon heritage was apparent all over town, right down to the whiskey barrel planters on street corners.
Flags throughout the downtown area heralded the upcoming Kentucky Derby as well.
We also got a chuckle at the fact that Highway 420 runs through downtown and at some point someone nicknamed it “High Street.” [Cue Beavis and Butthead laugh.]
We found a parking place in a nearly empty parking deck — again, it was weird how quiet downtown Frankfort was — we walked around and got a feel for the area. On our way downtown, Matt Googled some places he thought we might want to try, and at the top of the list was a restaurant called Bourbon on Main.
We walked to Bourbon on Main, and the host told us that it would be an hour wait for a table for two. It must have been the only busy place in town, but the host recommended that we check out another restaurant called the Brown Barrel. A young couple came in behind us, and we overheard her whiny reply to the host: “But someone told us to come here.”
The Brown Barrel
The host at the Brown Barrel told us that we wouldn’t have to wait if we were willing to eat at the bar, so we gladly made our way to the bar area of the historic building. The bartenders were working so hard and only stopped to take orders, so Matt and I both knew that good tips were in order.
Matt ordered a short rib sandwich and fries, and I ordered a burger and tater tots. We both ordered a cocktail called the Keeneland Breeze, with bourbon and citrus flavors, which was appropriate as live horse racing played on one of the TVs above the bar. We both enjoyed our meals and cocktails — and my tip was large enough that I got an email from my credit card company asking me if I meant to tip that much.
We walked around downtown a little more before settling on a small liquor store combined with a bar where Matt wanted to look for some bottles of whiskey to buy for his co-workers.
Capital Cellars
Nestled in another historical building — nearly every building is a beautiful old property in the downtown area — Capital Cellars had an impressive selection for a smaller store. We hadn’t planned on drinking there, but a sign on the bar advertised $6 single pours of certain whiskeys that Capital Cellars was almost out of.
Matt and I both enjoyed a drink, and we had a good conversation with the bartender and a local patron. He picked out several bottles of bourbon for his co-workers, and we headed back to the hotel to get some much-needed rest.
Stay tuned for more stories from the trip — and I promise you, the stories get more interesting. But before you go, I want to take a minute to let you know how much I appreciate your support as a PJ Media reader. Your loyalty allows me to write deeper dives and longer pieces like this.
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