Capital City Airport, Frankfort, Kentucky

For a safe and sober(ish) visit to the home of America’s “native spirit,” navigate to Capital City Airport (FFT) in Frankfort, Kentucky. With the runway just 1.25 miles from downtown, you’ll soon be sippin’ something special.

To get oriented, start at the Frankfort Visitor Center at 300 Saint Clair Street, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. The staff will get you started on Kentucky’s “Bourbon Trail,” which features more than 60 bourbon distilleries and tasting rooms across the state. They’ll also answer your questions about the historic sites to see, including the Kentucky State Capitol, Old State Capitol, and the Kentucky Military History Museum. There’s a selection of informational brochures outside the office if you arrive when they’re closed. Check what’s playing at the Grand Theatre, originally a 1911 vaudeville house, but now a venue for films and live events. Cruises on the Kentucky river are a popular activity, including some that combine cruising and bourbon tasting.

Bourbon

Declared by Congress in 1964 to be America’s “Native Spirit,” bourbon must be made in the United States with at least 51 percent corn, aged in charred new oak barrels, bottled at a minimum 40 percent alcohol by volume with no added flavorings or colorings. There is a Bourbon County in Kentucky, which may have lent its name to the drink, but bourbon doesn’t have to be made in Bourbon County, or even Kentucky, only in the United States.

Distilleries

The distillery that draws the most visitors is Buffalo Trace, which claims to be the oldest continuously operating distillery in the U.S. It combines a convenient location with historic buildings, a selection of quality products, free tours, and lots of stuff for shoppers. Join a tour to learn the history and science of bourbon, but plan ahead, these tours are very popular. You’ll see the fermenting vats and marvel at hundreds of barrels stacked in the aging warehouse. This distillery is best known for Buffalo Trace bourbon, which has a loyal following, but many other labels are produced here, including the highly prized Old Rip Van Winkle, considered to be one of the best. They also produce Sazerac rye and the famous Peychaud’s bitters, essential ingredients in New Orleans style cocktails such as the Vieux Carré and the Sazerac.

Just across the street from Buffalo Trace is another quality distiller, although this one is a modern facility and has all the charm of an industrial park. J. Mattingly 1845’s whiskeys are known for their “double-staving process,” which gives the whiskey more flavor and color than similarly aged ones. Mattingly’s products fetch higher prices, but their products get good reviews. Much of the production is limited or only available at the distillery. Unlike Buffalo Trace, the “experiences” are not free. The “Magnificent Seven Tasting” offers visitors seven different bourbons and ryes to sip for $20. You can also arrange private tours and tastings.

If you still need more bourbon, the Castle & Key Distillery is about four miles southeast of town housed in the historic Old Taylor Distillery. Woodford Reserve—known for its sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby—is another two miles farther. Many more are in the surrounding countryside.

For serious sipping, belly up to the bar at the House of Commons: A Bourbon Library. Located in historic downtown Frankfort, it’s a bourbon-only bar that offers guests a place to sample scarce and local brands.

Bourbon On Main, is a restaurant at 103 W. Main Street, that’s earned good reviews for tasty food and a menu of close to 200 bourbons. Try for a seat on the deck overlooking the river.

Daniel Boone

Buy a bottle to toast Daniel Boone (1734–1820), the early American frontiersman famous for exploring Kentucky, which at that time was the “frontier.” His exploits made him one of America’s first folk heroes. When Boone died in 1820 in the Missouri territory he was buried there, but in 1845 Boone was disinterred and reburied in Frankfort. You can visit his final resting place in Section G of the Frankfort Cemetery.