What to see, eat, and do in LOUISVILLE, kentucky

In less than 2 hours you can fly from Bourbon Street in New Orleans to the actual Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. I spent three nights sipping Seelbach’s and even though a national emergency was declared in the midst of the trip I was still able to experience both the Urban Bourbon Trail and Bourbon Country.

Stay: My stay at The Seelbach Hotel gave me lots of Great Gatsby vibes and in fact was the inspiration for some of the scenery in the novel. The hotel is centrally located, historically preserved and is home to the Old Seelbach Bar where the synonymous Seelbach cocktail was created. The hotel has also played host to numerous presidents, gangsters and celebrities and the staff is happy to give you a tour and share the property’s history.

Do: I started my day at the Muhammad Ali Center where I learned more about the life of Muhammad Ali, the boxer, father and humanitarian. The center incorporates interactive options (you can shadow box with the champ!) photos, recordings and the ability to watch all of Ali’s matches. For baseball fans there’s also a Louisville Slugger Museum that features the world’s largest baseball bat.

See: I didn’t go to Louisville as a Bourbon drinker but it’s safe to say I’m one now! I learned all about the ABC’s of Bourbon, how it’s made and of course how to sample it. All bourbon’s must be made in America (although not in Kentucky), must be aged in new charred oak barrels and they must be made of at least 51% corn. I chose to hire a private driver so that we could truly enjoy the experience without having to worry about directions or drinking and driving. The tours were all a bit abbreviated because many of the distilleries were closing down the next day but we made it to Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve for tours and tastings.

Eat: Explore the historic Brown Hotel and try the famous Hot Brown. The Hot Brown originated when the hotel’s chef wanted to serve partygoers another late night dining option besides breakfast. The open face turkey sandwich consists of crunchy toast points, oven roasted turkey, bacon, tomato, cheese, and monay sauce. It’s served pipping hot in a cast iron skillet and was the perfect accompaniment to the bar’s wide selection of Bourbons.

I really enjoyed my time in Louisville and hope to return again soon. The hospitality reminded me of New Orleans and of course the cocktail culture did too! It’s an easy trip to make for a long weekend and with so many more distilleries to explore going back is a must!