The Urban Bourbon Trail

Elle August 11, 2013

The clinking of glasses and sparkling laughter echoing off wood-paneled walls, caramel liquor in shining decanters, and wisps of smoke from a lit cigarette - these were the ghosts I imagined about The Old Seelbach Bar as we began on the Urban Bourbon Trail - similar in conception to the Bourbon Trail, but localized about Louisville.

The Seelbach Hotel has certainly seen its share of celebrities during its storied history and contributed in its own way to Americana - in fact, it served as the inspiration for the hotel where Tom and Daisy Buchanan got married in The Great Gatsby. I love the Rathskeller Room too - one of their banquet rooms that is modeled (and named) after basement restaurant/bar spaces found under German city halls where council members and other people would congregate to discuss business, politics, and the shenanigans of the day. For all the progress that has been made, I do love some of the old-world luxury feel from the Art Deco period.

Anyway, from The Seelbach, we wandered to the Maker's Mark Lounge at 4th Street Live and Asiatique. On Sunday we also made it to Corbett's and Limestone. I finished out my trip just one stamp shy of a free t-shirt for the Urban Bourbon Trail, a little bit intentionally so I'd have to go back!

Very Art Deco. Not surprise F. Scott Fitzgerald drew inspiration from this place.

Got some practice with portraiture! Ashley, rocking her model face, as usual.

Stamp in my passport!

An overhead light in the Rathskeller Room

<3 Maker's, did not <3 the bartender who stamped my passport upside down and made a crappy recommendation for my bourbon tasting flight.

Go big or go home: Pappy Van Winkle, aged 23 years, neat. Easily the most expensive 2oz I've ever had.

More of the Urban Bourbon Trail
Hours to Date: 60

So What is Bourbon Anyway? And There's a Trail?

Elle August 8, 2013

Bourbon is a type of whiskey, which is an umbrella term that generally refers to a distilled beverage made from a mash of cereal grain that has been fermented (read: sugars -> alcohol) generally aged for some time in some kind of wooden barrel.

Bourbon is an American whiskey (there are other varieties like Scotch, Irish, Canadian, etc.) specifically made from a mash that consists of at least 51% corn. In addition to that, there are a number of other technical requirements like being aged in new, charred oak barrels and how much alcohol can be present in the liquor in each stage of the process. Bourbon actually derives its distinct caramel color from the charred oak barrels - it's clear when it goes into the barrel (aka: moonshine).

The color comes from aging in charred oak barrels

The Bourbon Trail is essentially a tourism program (read: clever marketing strategy) by the Kentucky Distillers' Association to promote bourbon - as if it really needs any help, there's currently a bourbon shortage due to its increasing popularity as a beverage and time needed to increase supply (due to aging). In any case, the Bourbon Trail consists of 7 major distilleries in Kentucky and if you visit each and get a stamp in the passport, you can return to the visitor's center and get a free t-shirt.

I made it to 2 of the 7, but I made them count since I was most interested in these two - Maker's Mark (my favorite bourbon) in Loretto and Woodford Reserve in Versailles. Unlike Napa wineries, these distilleries aren't situated just one plot of land over... some of these distilleries are almost 2 hours from the next and on windy back country roads - largely because good bourbon hinges on clean and pure water, which is what really determined the location for these distilleries.

Photographing and adventuring on the Bourbon Trail was the entire impetus behind the trip to Louisville and besides the hours I already posted spent in Downtown Louisville, I managed to get in another 11 active shooting hours over 2 days and another 3 hours reviewing photos, bringing my grand total to 60 hours!!

The name Maker's Mark was inspired by the trademarks on Marjorie Samuels' pewter collection

I dipped a bottle of Maker's White, only available at their distillery, and it survived my checked luggage!

En route to Woodford Reserve in Versailles... pronounced by locals as "Ver-saylez," which made me cringe.

Sour mash... yeast + cereal grains + water = fermentation. Sugar being converted to alcohol!

Peering into one of the copper stills

Barrels of bourbon, aging quietly

Hours to Date: 60

More Bourbon

Lou-ee-ville or Lou-a-vulle or Lou-vulle?

Elle August 2, 2013

According to Wikipedia, the technically correct pronunciation is Lou-ee-ville, as in King Louis XVI. But all the locals I've talked to all pronounce it "Lou-a-vulle" or "Lou-vulle" when they're talking real fast. As they say, when in Rome... or in this case, when in Louisville...

I spent my morning exploring Museum Row, which is a fantastic segment of Downtown Louisville that has several museums and shops within a 3 block radius. Highlight of my morning was definitely checking out the Louisville Slugger Factory where I went on a factory tour (sadly, no photography allowed inside) and got a souvenir mini bat. Apparently, the mini bats are the single most confiscated item from carry-on luggage out of SDF. Fortunately, I always check luggage since I need all of my creature comfort make up, hair products, and shoes when traveling and have never mastered the art of packing light.

From there, I...
...ambled down to the Muhammad Ali Center and took in some culture and history
...waved across the Ohio River at Indiana
...met up with my sorority sister and hospitable hostess Ashley for lunch at Proof on Main
...took in all the modern art in the gallery at 21-C
...watched glass blowing and sculpting at the Mark Payton Glass Center

Thus far, I'm loving the home-town feel of this city and the absolutely amazing food and drink... and I've only really experienced one meal so far! For lunch, I had a grilled cheese with cheddar, green apple, and bacon jam with truffle fries paired with this tart grapefruit cocktail. Such a random combination of ingredients, but they just worked - the tang of the apple and sharp cheddar cut through the fatty savory bacon jam for a perfectly balanced bite. Good thing I don't live in the South or else I would definitely blow up.

It's going to be an awesome weekend of explorations and eats.

I had to crouch down awkwardly next to this trashcan for this shot, but it ended up being one of my favorites from today

Louisville Sluggers in various finishes. Official bats of the MLB - apparently it takes ~40,000 trees to supply ONE season's worth of bats!! Good thing they source the wood from managed forests.