Louisville
We’d never visited Kentucky before, so when our friends Hope and Dave offered to meet us in Louisville, we jumped at the chance. It wasn’t exactly on the direct route between Chicago and Newport, but it would be well worth a bit of extra driving.
First, it’s pronounced loo-uh-vuhl. Just slur all the syllables together. I think it’s fun to say. Try it!
Now, what is Louisville famous for? The first things that came to mind for us were the Kentucky Derby and bourbon. So in addition to meeting up with friends, we decided to learn more about both.
The Derby
The Kentucky Derby Museum was just five miles from downtown Louisville. We were surprised by the breadth of well-curated exhibits covering everything we wanted to know about the Derby - the history, the winners, the horses, the jockeys, and of course, the outfits and hats. There was a wonderful 360° film projected onto a screen shaped like a racetrack oval. It was almost like being there. We took a brief (and rainy) guided tour of Churchill Downs and saw the betting windows and racetrack. And of course, we had to have Mint Juleps! (To see the photo captions, view this on a computer instead of a mobile device.)
Bourbon
Naturally, the key ingredient in a Mint Julep is bourbon. Bourbon is a BIG deal in Louisville. Everyone seems to assume that you are there to drink bourbon. For example, when we sat down for breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant at around 9:30am, the very first thing our server said was, “I’m sorry, the bar won’t be open for another ten minutes.” Kentucky invented bourbon, and Louisville is at the center of it all. So after the Derby Museum, we returned to downtown Louisville for a distillery tour and bourbon tasting.
Evan Williams Bourbon was an urban distillery right on Main Street. They had an entertaining multimedia tour and a stylish tasting room. We learned about the history of bourbon, the evolution of Louisville, and the bourbon distilling process. One fun fact we learned is that federal standards for distilled spirits were established in 1897, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was created nearly a decade later, in 1906. It’s interesting to see our country’s priorities for protecting public health!
After the tour, we tasted four bourbons, including a single-barrel 1783 small-batch, and the 12-year Red Label that sells for only $40 in Japan but more than $150 in the U.S. It was fun to learn that we all had different favorites. I enjoyed learning more about what I like (and dislike) in a bourbon, but it doesn’t really matter what my favorite was, since I prefer to have my bourbon in a cocktail. Pass me another mint julep, please.
We were delighted to meet Mary Ellen and Joe, who were Hope and Dave’s neighbors many years ago in Charlotte, NC. On our first night, they met us downtown for dinner at Swizzle, a swanky revolving restaurant with panoramic views of the Ohio River and downtown Louisville. On the second night, they graciously hosted us for a delicious dinner at their home, where they have a truly impressive bourbon collection in the basement. We talked and laughed for hours. Now, more than ever, we treasure these opportunities to spend time with friends.
