IF YOU have a taste for adventure, you’ve come to the right place.
Louisville, Kentucky, is the home of Whiskey Row, a historic area once filled with so many distilleries that it was considered the “Wall Street of whiskey”.
Today, the heart of America’s world-famous bourbon whiskey is a hub of buzzing bars, restaurants and hotels that celebrate – and serve up – the good stuff.
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Take a tour of one of the city’s many distilleries, like the hip Angel’s Envy, to learn about how its whiskey is made and, of course, enjoy a tasting session.
An hour’s drive from the city, there’s the heritage Maker’s Mark distillery, where visitors can discover the family story behind the world’s first premium bourbon.
The Old Forester Distillery celebrates America’s first bottled Bourbon, and the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience gives you a look at how whiskey making got started in Louisville nearly 250 years ago.
If a bar hop is more your style, follow the Urban Bourbon Trail, bellying up to the bar at historic spots like The Brown Hotel or The Seelbach Hotel, which once played host to gangster Al Capone and writer F Scott Fitzgerald.
Some of the city’s best bourbon bars can be found in Louisville’s neighbourhoods. Both Watch Hill Proper and Neat offer the opportunity to sip on hard-to-find whiskeys.
Order the city’s official cocktail, the Old Fashioned, or a mint julep – a refreshing mix of bourbon, mint leaves, sugar syrup and crushed ice – now considered the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious American horse race.
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Got a taste for the Bourbon City? For a chance to win an incredible holiday for two people to experience the real Louisville and its bourbon-infused culture, answer a simple question
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Whiskey tours, world-class horse racing and the chance to walk in Muhammad Ali’s footsteps in the Bourbon City
How it’s made Hear about bourbon making on a distillery tour
Sip and see Witness the whiskey process from barrel to bottle and enjoy a taster
Happy hour A mint julep is a traditional Derby Day cocktail
Each year, on the first Saturday of May, more than 150,000 people flock to Churchill Downs racecourse, decked out in their best bib and tucker – think giant hats, pretty florals, bowties, smart suits, and stiletto heels.
Now over 150 years old, the race of thoroughbred horses is the oldest continuously held sporting event in the USA (even attended by racing devotee Queen Elizabeth II) and it might be the best day out you’ll have all year.
Beyond the Derby, sports fans can dive into the history of Louisville’s most celebrated son at the Muhammad Ali Center. The renowned boxer was born in the city, and the museum pays tribute to his vast sporting talent, as well as his legacy of creating change and inspiring greatness.
Award-winning exhibits, footage of Ali’s iconic fights, interactive boxing experiences and memorabilia give an insight into his extraordinary life.
If baseball is more your thing, a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory offers the chance to hold the very bats that baseball legends Babe Ruth, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter wielded during some of their most memorable games.
It is also home to the world’s largest baseball bat – aptly named The Big Bat – and standing at an impressive 120ft (36m) tall and weighing 68,000lb (31,000kg), this to-scale replica of Babe Ruth’s 34-inch Louisville Slugger is a sight to behold.
Race day
The Kentucky Derby is in
its 151st year
Another great reason to visit this year is Louisville’s connection to The Great Gatsby – often hailed as one of the greatest works of American literature.
In 2025 it will be 100 years since the novel was first published, and it’s rumoured it might never have been written if F Scott Fitzgerald hadn’t spent time in Louisville while stationed at Camp Taylor during the First World War.
Fitzgerald often frequented the opulent Seelbach Hotel for a drink, where he’s said to have mingled with mobsters and bootleggers – one of whom may have served as inspiration for the character of Jay Gatsby.
Expect a host of events to mark the novel’s anniversary this spring, including the unveiling of a new Gatsby Suite at the Seelbach.
When it comes to filling your tummy, find bourbon-infused local cuisine at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar (think oysters on the half shell with bourbon mignonette), or head to Wild Swann for hot honey bourbon sliders.
A take-home tip? Enjoy bourbon whiskey as a marinade slathered over barbecued ribs.
Finally, you can’t leave Louisville without immersing yourself in some of the city’s famous bluegrass music, generally played on stringed instruments like the banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin.
Seek it out at venues including Goodwood in Downtown, or look out for free, live LouGrass performances that run from April to October in bars, hotels and restaurants across the city.
Now all that’s left to do is book that flight.
Warm welcome The city is a hub of bars, restaurants and hotels
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For more inspiration on how to maximise your trip to Louisville, visit bourboncity.co.uk
