KENTUCKY BOURBON COUNTRY: THE ESSENTIAL TRAVEL GUIDE is Released

Lexington, KY-Kentucky may be horse-racing and basketball country, but when it comes to your taste buds, the Bluegrass State is a bourbon-lover's paradise. From mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby to a classic old-fashioned at Louisville's famed Pendennis Club, no spirit is more associated with a state than bourbon with the Commonwealth. Since the founding of the Bourbon Trail in 1999, bourbon has become more than just a production industry; it has become a tourism industry for Kentucky, bringing in over half a million visitors last year alone.

In Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, veteran travel writer and bourbon author Susan Reigler has compiled the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the tours, distilleries, restaurants, bars, and attractions of the Bluegrass State. From Whiskey Row in Louisville to the annual Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Reigler covers where to stay, where to eat, what to see, and how to get there. Accompanying her text are 148 color photos by Pam Spaulding which highlight the history of Kentucky's major distilleries and the beauty of the surrounding countryside.

Reigler begins by covering the bourbon basics. She describes what makes bourbon bourbon, details its long history, and explains how it is made. In addition, she includes a guide to tasting bourbon which covers all the major factors affecting the flavor profile, from grain recipes to the aging process, as well as the major descriptors for bourbon, from vanilla and caramel to allspice and wood smoke. A glossary accompanies additional resources for bourbon lovers, including a list of specialty retailers.

Kentucky Bourbon County organizes tour of the state's historic distilleries around five major locations-Louisville, Frankfort and Midway, Lexington, Lawrenceburg, and Bardstown. In each section, Reigler highlights the best local restaurants for bourbon lovers and the most interesting places to stay, including historic inns and bed & breakfasts. She also gives travel advice specific to each locale and details additional attractions in each area, from tours of scenic horse farms to the best museums in the region.

Despite from the wealth of additional material, the distilleries are the focal point. Reigler presents all the information visitors would need to plan their trip. She includes hours of operations, tours available, and the costs. In addition, she presents the history of each distillery and detailed descriptions of the bourbons they produce and the tours they offer. Additional information, such as a list of what makes each distillery unique, heightens the experience for travelers, ensuring they know what to look for when they arrive.

From Louisville's Urban Bourbon Trail to the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown and beyond, Kentucky Bourbon Country covers it all. It is the ultimate guide not only for bourbon lovers who want to plan their pilgrimage to visit their favorite distillery, but also for anyone who wants to know more about bourbon and the companies which make them.

Susan Reigler, award-winning former restaurant critic and travel writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal, is the author of The Complete Guide to Kentucky State Parks and coauthor of The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book.

Pam Spaulding, a veteran photographer and photojournalist, is the photographer of The Complete Guide to Kentucky State Parksand The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book.

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