ROAD TRIP FROM ATLANTA: Bourbon Trail in Louisville, Kentucky Weekend (#2)
Another trip to Kentucky for more whiskey. Only one repeat distillery on this trip.
When we discussed what trips we wanted to take in 2026, my husband said he’d like to go to Kentucky again. Then, when we looked at all of the other trips we’d like to take, we determined that February was pretty much the only opportunity we would have. Let me tell you…this was a lovely trip. If you don’t know, EVs don’t get as much range in the winter as they do in the summer, so we made a few more charging stops than we did on the last trip. The snow being on the ground and the crispy air was exactly how I want to be touring distilleries, though. Yes, it’s cold. Just wear a jacket and boots, okay?!
This time we stayed in the NuLu part of Louisville because I liked the food options I saw there better than what I saw on Whiskey Row. So…Hotel Genevieve is where we stayed — again, using Hyatt points. It’s walkable to plenty of food and nightlife. It’s also SUPER CUTE — ahh! Like, so Shelby-coded. All of the staff we encountered were lovely and the little coffee shop/market is very convenient in the morning. We would HAPPILY stay here again. Also, definitely walk across the street to La Bodeguita De Mima for the food and the vibes. It was a perfect first meal for this trip to Louisville.
DAY 1:
Buffalo Trace: Had to stop by Buffalo Trace again because you always have a chance of getting one of those more rare bottles. We got Blanton’s and E.H. Taylor this time. There was still a line in early February, but it was not near as long as it was in July.
Rebecca Ruth Candy: We didn’t have time for a proper tour, but we still stop in to buy some bourbon balls and try some of their other candy. The staff working were all super nice and friendly. Wish we could’ve done the tour, but we didn’t want to be late for our pre-planned tours.
Woodford Reserve - Innovation Inspired: Tour & Premium Tasting - 11:45a: This was one of our highlights of this visit because not only did it snow on us as we were visiting (yes, that’s a positive experience for me), but we also got to try multiple whiskeys we would normally not have access to. Baccarat Edition and Double Double Oaked were in the line-up. We actually both hated the Baccarat (sorry) even though it’s like $2,000 for a bottle. We got to buy the Double Double Oaked, which can be hard to find, and Ben was certainly happy to add that to our home selection. Also, just a nice distillery to tour overall.
Castle & Key - The Winter Distillery Experience - 1:30p: These grounds are cool to see, even in the winter. Though I can absolutely understand why they would be even prettier in the spring and summer with all the gardens. Did I like their whiskey? Not really. Would I go back to see the gardens? Probably.
Bluegrass Distillers at Elkwood Farm - Grain to Bluegrass - 3:00p: I’m torn about this one. Would I say it’s worth a stop? I think so. But I also think it’s not currently a priority over some of the others. That said — I did like multiple of their whiskeys and our tour guide was a passionate man who genuinely cares about bourbons and their production. So, it’s more a in-depth tour versus the kinda salesy experience you can get from other types of guides. I’m excited to see what they develop over the years as they are still a pretty young.
Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. - Uncut & Unfiltered Experience - 4:30p: THIS IS THE EXPERIENCE YOU CANNOT MISS. When I tell you we had the best time here, I’m being so real with you. And this wasn’t even one of the nights where they have the live music/yard hangout things going on like in the summer. This was just a bunch of people in the barn with some barrels open for thieving and we’re tasting whiskey, petting the distillery dog and cat, and chatting with a bunch of strangers. The vibes were so good. From the minute we walked in, you could tell this was going to be fun. I really like the rye we tried, but I’m usually a rye girl, so take that as you will. I think you have to be willing to talk to strangers to really enjoy this experience since it’s so informal compared to most other tasting experiences. So, if that’s not something you’re willing to do, then you may not like it as much as I did.
After a day this long a heavy pasta meal was exactly what we needed to wind down. The Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe and the Parmesan Herb Fries (basic, I know, but potatoes always hit the spot) from bar Vetti was perfect. Also walking distance from the hotel. Like, 2 minutes, truly.
Day 2:
Breakfast at Breakfast AF was solid. Good options. Pretty fast. Heavy food or light fare…whatever you want. We opted for a big breakfast because we love a hot breakfast that keeps you satiated until early afternoon.
Jeptha Creed - Distillery Tour & Tasting - 11:00a: We learned about this distillery while were were in Louisville last July. It’s woman-owned and run, and they are making fun stuff like Pawpaw Brandy along with using bloody butcher corn that they grow for their whiskeys. You know I love a seed-to-still product, and especially a regenerative ag product. Again, they are not doing their live music again until the spring/summer, but you can tell from the facilities that they are set up for it to be a really nice time. Beautiful green space between the distillery and the stage with doors that open up the bar areas to the outside. I can absolutely see that being a go-to hang spot for the locals when the weather is nice. Because they are smaller, they also experiment a lot with different infusions, which they hit those flavors they aimed for perfectly. We ordered some food from their menu too and you get a lot more than we were expecting, which would have been great if we hadn’t eaten a big breakfast the same day! Haha! Would definitely visit again.
Stitzel-Weller - Progressive Walking Tour & Taste - 2:00p: Okay, listen, if you don’t care about the history of bourbon and the way all the families are connected and the DRAMA, then don’t take this tour. For me, after having toured so many distilleries and hearing the same 5 names (or whatever) over and over again, I just KNEW there had to be some tea to spill. Let me tell you, this was it. Also, the whiskeys we tried were good. Really liked the orphan barrels we got to sample. This is my favorite guided tour of this trip. You get to walk all over the property, see all the signatures from when it was shut down, visit the old cooperage, and see what they’re doing now. This is a good tasting, but go for the drama, okay?
After the planned tours, we drove over to Whiskey Row and visit Michter’s, which was nice, but not to-die-for. Most of the Whiskey Row distilleries shut down around 4:30 or 5, but I think Evan Williams and one other stay open later. We took a suggestion from our Stitzel-Weller guide to go eat at Patrick O’Shea’s because we wanted a casual dinner. Again, good vibes, fun staff, and the food was perfectly good. I’m not saying this is must-have, but it fit exactly what we wanted that night.
Day 3:
We didn’t have any Sunday tours this time, so here’s where I’ll give you all the EV charging stops we made.
1: This time our Chattanooga stop was by the river. It’s a good stop. Grab some food from Agave & Rye if you’re there at a meal time. River City Company Riverfront
2: Cookeville Sam’s Club. Quick, easy.
3: Flying J in Waddy. We actually made this stop a couple of times on this trip. I really liked the covered, pull-through setup. It looks just like the gas pump section except it’s for EVs. Well-lit, covered, easy access to trash cans and bathrooms.
4: A Subway next to a RaceTrac. It’s a Tesla stop, so I used my adapter. I always verify in PlugShare or in the Ford app that the Tesla stations will work for my car before choosing them as the stopping point. It charged perfectly fine, but I think I would choose another place if I needed breakfast again (like I did this time).
5: A shopping center in Nashville. This one has multiple restaurants and a Kroger. It also is apparently the spot that Waymo staff bring the cars for charging. I didn’t have to wait for a charge even though it was consistently busy there. Not my favorite stop, but we were intentionally choosing ones we hadn’t stopped at before when we could.
6: Ford dealership in Dalton. This is not a bathroom stop unless you’re here when the dealership is open, which is not uncommon. Just know that for reference when you choose a dealership as a stop. We usually will stop by a gas station nearby to use the bathroom and grab a snack before we go sit at the charging stop for 20-30 minutes. It’s just part of the planning.
