The Small Kentucky City Dubbed The Bourbon Capital Of The World

If you're talking bourbon, the conversation can't even begin without Bardstown, Kentucky. The small city just south of Louisville is known as the "Bourbon Capital of the World," and it's an apt description. You don't even have to drive 20 miles from the town's Court Square to visit over 10 distilleries, all with their own distinct styles. One of the most well-known is the Barton 1792 Distillery. It's Bardstown's oldest and still fully operational, though the year "1792" reflects the year Kentucky became a U.S. state (the distillery didn't actually open until 1879). Barton 1792 also happens to be the name brand hiding behind Costco's Kirkland Signature bourbon. 

Each year, Bardstown hosts National Bourbon Week, a summertime event that floods Main Street with music, food, and a steady stream of classic bourbon cocktails to celebrate the drink that put the city on the map. There are almost 200 historic buildings with 18th-century architecture within walking distance of downtown. It's a fact that may have contributed to Rand McNally and USA Today naming Bardstown "The Most Beautiful Small Town In America." 

There are many events to enjoy in the area, including the Taste of Bardstown walking tour, with seasonal dates from June to October. The annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival in September features tastings from over 60 distilleries and 200 bourbon brands. There is so much happening in Bardstown that the city made an online calendar! But let's get back to the bourbon.

Many bourbon distillers built their brands in the Bardstown area, including names you probably know, such as Maker's Mark and Jim Beam. It is also interesting to note the difference between whiskey and bourbon and why Kentucky was perfect for the latter. While whiskey is made mostly of barley and rye, federal regulations require bourbon's mash bill to contain at least 51% corn. The law also specifies that any bottle labeled as bourbon must be distilled and aged in the United States. The soil in Kentucky, where Beam grew his business, was perfect for growing corn.

Beam's distillery in nearby Clermont is one of many where you can book a tour. Or, you may enjoy a visit to The Old Talbott Tavern, where famous guests such as Abraham Lincoln, Jesse James, Andrew Jackson, Daniel Boone, and General George Patton have dropped by since 1779. My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, based in Bardstown, offers countryside train rides where you can take in landscape views while enjoying a bourbon tasting and a gourmet meal.

For those who want to check out unique relics of Bardstown's signature drink, the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History boasts over 1,500 rare bottles of bourbon and whiskey. If you're interested in seeing Bardstown's bourbon trade close up, a guided tour of Heaven Hill Distillery gives visitors the chance to see how the spirit is made from start to finish. There's a gift shop, bar and kitchen, and even a distillery theater that shares the legacy of the business, which started in 1935. Plus, you get to take a bottle home!