Housed in a reimagined historic property, the 95-room hotel invites guests to experience the Bourbon Trail with interactive experiences. The property has eight signature suites, five bars and an host of wellness amenities. The property was previously the Holiday Inn Bardstown and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In close proximity to 11 distilleries, Trail’s flagship offering is its Bourbon Butler. Think of them as a concierge to whiskey as they can connect you with local distilleries, farms, restaurants, and other local businesses for a curated experience.

While on property, guests can enjoy a food and beverage program courtesy of Executive Chef Marvin Woods who brings Kentucky’s culinary story to life. Oak & Ember, the property’s signature restaurant, offers a take on Southern hospitality with a menu rooted in Kentucky tradition and an impressive bourbon list. Embers, the lobby bar, greets guests with seating for more than 60, while The Bourbon Lounge serves as a semi-private whiskey library for small gatherings and curated flights. The Bourbon Vault is an exclusive speakeasy experience hidden behind a discreet, art-adorned entrance. Finally, Bourbon Alley provides fireside lounges and casual bites.

“We set out to create a place where the essence of Kentucky bourbon is not just tasted, but lived,” said Dan Sirrine, General Manager for The Trail Hotel. “Every detail, from our curated bourbon experiences to the warm tones and textures of the design, was made to immerse guests in Bardstown’s history. The Trail Hotel is excited to welcome the world to Kentucky Bourbon Country in a bold new way.”

If you need a break from bourbon, Trail also offers other amenities like The Rejuvenation Room, a wellness retreat featuring an oxygen bar, hot sauna, cryotherapy, and IV hydration; Par and Pour, a golf simulator with a private bar; and The Reserve Room, private dining space accommodating up to 60 guests.

The Trail Hotel will soon debut its own private-label bourbon and rye, available only to property guests. Hand-selected in collaboration with a local distillery, this bourbon will be available for purchase and direct shipment to guests’ homes and featured in special tasting experiences throughout the hotel.

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Indigo’s Hour symbolizes the delicate balance between transformation and tradition. Much like the lifecycle of a butterfly, which we’ve chosen to represent our whiskey through the bottle’s label design, the bourbon undergoes a metamorphosis of its own, evolving as it journey’s from barrel to bottle with meticulous care and attention to detail. Distilled in Indiana, aged in Kentucky and bottled in Tennessee, each stage of this liquid’s journey contributed to its character and complexity. Crafted from a mashbill of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malt, Indigo’s Hour was aged over 18 years in charred white oak barrels.

“Indigo’s Hour is perfect for those who appreciate the complex flavors and craft behind American-bourbon making,” said Diageo Master Blender Andrew Mackay. “Its liquid and bottle label symbolizes how the Orphan Barrel collection continues to evolve from its predecessors, making it a true collectible for those who appreciate fine spirits and rare whiskies.”

The bottle design pays homage to the spirit’s origin story – drawing inspiration from the crops, flora and fauna native to the heartlands of America’s whiskey regions. The spirit animal is the Pipevine Swallowtail, the most colorful butterfly to call Indiana home, where this rare whiskey is distilled. Part of the label was inspired by The Witches Tree, a legendary maple tree found in Louisville, KY just a few minutes away from where Indigo’s Hour was aged. The landscapes depicted in the background were inspired by the creek that sits amongst the rivers and marshlands in Cascade Hollow, Tullahoma, Tennessee, where Indigo’s Hour was bottled.

Indigo’s Hour, like other Orphan Barrel Whiskeys, embodies the fleeting nature of exceptional liquid craftsmanship. Inspired by the time of day, which we call Indigo’s Hour, between dusk and dark when the sky is at its most beautiful and a bourbon beckons to be sipped, this whiskey is made in only one highly-limited batch, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co.’s Indigo’s Hour is available at select spirits retailers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $225.

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A fully customizable itinerary awaits, as guests arrive in Kentucky for a three-day bourbon-making adventure under the guidance and curation of an esteemed bourbon distiller. During the trip, attendees receive a tutorial in distillation and barreling – which starts with selecting a mashbill to create a taste profile suited to your palate, tasting the new mash and the distillate, and making the correct cut between heads, hearts and tails before proofing the liquid. Then, guests return to the distillery on their final day in Kentucky to fill their own barrels with distillate, seal them, check for leaks, and finally roll them into the rickhouse.

Once the barrels are proofed, the distillery partner stores them for the required aging in their on-site warehouses until they are at the desired maturation and ready for bottling. The owners of these newly-minted barrels may determine their future use – from personal consumption and corporate gifting to launching their own mini bourbon brand or reselling the barrels on the open market.

“Our Kentucky Bourbon Retreat democratizes barrel ownership by allowing individuals to create their very own batch of barrels with a truly bespoke mashbill,” said Barrel Global Founder George Koutsakis. “Distilleries typically require a minimum order of more than 100 barrels for such a service, but given our distillery relationships, we’re able to bring that minimum number down to a more palatable 10 barrels.”

“Bourbon distilling has captivated a global audience, and this experience allows retreat attendees to step into the highly coveted role of ‘distiller’ for a day under the careful tutelage of a highly trained distilling expert while respecting the traditions, legacies, and expertise that these notable craftspeople bring to the industry,” he added.

In partnership with Casey Jones Distillery, the inaugural Kentucky Bourbon Retreat launched last month and is aimed at corporate clients, the hospitality industry, families, and friends. Barrel Global will expand with additional experiences and distillery partners in the months ahead.

Pricing for Kentucky Bourbon Retreat is $35,000 dependent on group size and barrel yield, which includes 10 newly-distilled bourbon barrels with a completely bespoke mashbill, full participation in the distilling process. Additional guests may be added for an incremental cost.

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If you want to contribute to the making of the doc, check out the Donations tab on their website.

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Designed by international architect firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 35,000-square-foot distillery and a 20,000-square-foot rickhouse will break ground this year at the Lanes Run Business Park. Projected to open in 2025, distillery operations are anticipated to bring at least 45 full-time jobs to the local economy, which was heralded in a statement by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshears last fall.

“We are thrilled to be able to reveal an early look of Bjarke Ingels Group’s design for the new Blue Run Spirits distillery in Georgetown, giving everyone a glimpse at where we are heading in developing a welcoming, unexpected and modern facility with a true focus on sustainability,” said Blue Run Spirits CEO and Co-Founder Mike Montgomery. “This will be a game-changing addition to Blue Run’s long-range business plans, allowing us to meet forecasted and unforeseen demand, while also giving our Whiskey Director Shaylyn Gammon and Liquid Advisor Jim Rutledge a home base of operations.”

The design, called “Meander,” is meant to evoke the journey of the limestone-rich water of the Royal Spring in Georgetown as it winds its way through the distilling, aging and blending process to becoming fine Blue Run bourbons and rye whiskeys. The Royal Spring, dubbed the Blue Run by one of the founders, serves as the company’s namesake.

Founded in 2005, Bjarke Ingels Group is based in Copenhagen and New York City and has offices in London, Barcelona and Shenzhen. BIG’s practice includes architecture, planning, landscape, urbanism, interior design, product design, research and development. Notable projects include Google Headquarters, Lego Brand Museum, Audemars Piguet Museum and Hotel, the San Pellegrino Flagship Factory, and world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma.

“For Blue Run, we have boiled the entire process of whiskey-making down to a single linear sequence – from distilling to maturing to bottling. The half-mile long process meanders through the gentle hillsides creating bends and banks, inlets, and outlooks. A single shingled roof of photovoltaic tiles twists and turns to maintain optimal orientation even as the activities underneath require grandeur or intimacy. In the same way the Royal Spring is shaped by how the water flows through it, Blue Run Distillery is shaped by the flow of the whiskey and the processes and people who make it,” said Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Creative Director of Bjarke Ingels Group.

“Design is at the center of everything we do at Blue Run – from our liquid to our bottle to our new distillery,” added Montgomery. “The design BIG has developed is in dialogue with the landscape, the meandering path to making whiskey and a manifestation of the bold, distinct and inviting ethos that signifies Blue Run Spirits.”

Blue Run Spirits has introduced 13 bourbon and rye whiskey releases since the company launched in October 2020, selling 21,000 9-liter cases in 2022 – a 300% year-over-year increase. The company recently announced expanded distribution in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington, Minnesota and Ontario.

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Aged in Bulleit Bourbon barrels, cacao nibs were added to round out this Imperial Brown Ale. Bourbon Barrel Brownie is reminiscent of brownies with notes of that bold signature Bulleit Bourbon flavor. This silky and chocolatey treat is available for a limited time only, so act fast because this offering won’t be around for long.

“Bulleit is proud to be a part of the local Kentucky community, and we’re thrilled to partner with our neighbors at West Sixth Brewing, as they offer a new and innovative brew to share with the community,” said Ricky Collett, Global Brand Director, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey. “For Bulleit, being a part of the local community is extremely important, and we do that by partnering with those who are pushing the boundaries of their craft within their communities, like West Sixth Brewing.”

“We were inspired to push ourselves in creating a brew that speaks to the local Kentucky community ahead of the holiday season, while staying true to the innovative spirit of both Bulleit and West Sixth,” said Kelly Hieronymus, West Sixth Brewing’s creative and marketing director. “This release with Bulleit is extra special as we were able to collaborate with creative minds from within our local community. We couldn’t be happier for people to try this new barrel-aged beer in time for the holidays.”

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and West Sixth Brewing’s Bourbon Barrel Brownie (10.5% ABV) are available in in 12-ounce packs of four and cases of 24 in limited quantities in the Northern Kentucky area for $11.99 for a 4-pack.

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The limited release Red Turkey Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon will be available in limited quantities throughout Kentucky this November.

“Just like heirloom tomatoes, heirloom grains offer flavors and aromas that are distinct from — and often simply better than — modern hybridized grain varieties,” said New Riff Distilling Co-Founder Jay Erisman. “We enjoy helping to preserve these old grains, but the real reason we do it is for the flavor in the glass. We wondered what wheated bourbon would’ve tasted like 100 years ago, before modern agriculture bred so much flavor out of wheat in exchange for ever-increasing yields and ease of transport and storage.”

Erisman said Red Turkey has more protein and less starch than modern wheats, decreasing yield but offering a far wider and richer depth of flavors. “To our knowledge, this is the only Kentucky sour mash wheated bourbon produced in modern times from Red Turkey Wheat,” he said. “Wheated bourbon is very popular these days, but with few exceptions it all uses modern hybrid wheat varieties.”

New Riff’s whiskey makers have hunted for heirloom grains since the early years of the distillery, Erisman said, including Balboa Rye and heirloom corn varieties like Yellow Leaming and Blue Clarage.

In 2016, New Riff reached out to local artisan bread-makers Blue Oven Bakery and asked if they were using any heirloom grains. A partnership formed, with New Riff purchasing Red Turkey Wheat from the bakery. For this first batch of Red Turkey Wheated Bourbon, the wheat was grown in Ohio and sourced from Blue Oven Bakery and mashed with New Riff’s standard, non-GMO supply of corn and malted barley.

“Every alcoholic beverage ever made begins with a plant,” Erisman said. “We choose to celebrate and save these heirloom grains and the flavors they make — lest they disappear forever.”

New Riff Red Turkey Wheat is made with 70% corn, 25% Red Turkey Wheat, 5% malted barley. It is aged at least 5 years and bottled-in-bond at 100 proof and will retail for $49.99.

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Comprised of a moving bed biofilm reactor, the new treatment facility will allow wastewater to be treated efficiently and maintain water quality standards. The facility is expected to be completed in June of 2022 and is estimated to cost $43 million.

The new reclamation facility will treat and disinfect process waste clean enough to release into the Penitentiary Branch, which leads to the Kentucky River —ensuring both remain high-quality waters. Not only will this be beneficial for community downstream of the facility, but this unique wastewater reclamation facility will relieve the city of Frankfort’s Sewer Department of any additional burden and keep treatment operations independent.

Buffalo Trace has worked with the city of Frankfort for many years on the treatment of its wastewater, but the needs of the Distillery have increased. This expansion is just one part of its $1.2 billion expansion project, which started in 2016.

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