Where bourbon was bred

06-15-2003

The name might be French, but bourbon is distinctly a spirit of America. More than 90 percent of it is produced in four counties in central Kentucky, but not the one named Bourbon.

	If you go ... Bourbon County BARDSTOWN VISITOR INFORMATION: 1-800-638-4877 or www.visitbardstown.com/tourism. OSCAR GETZ MUSEUM OF WHISKEY HISTORY: 1-502-348-2999. KENTUCKY BOURBON FESTIVAL: 1-800-638-4877 or www.kybourbonfestival.com. HEAVEN HILL: 1-502-348-3921 or www.heaven-hill.com. MAKER'S MARK: 1-270-865-2099 or www.makersmark.com. JIM BEAM: 1-502-543-9877 or www.jimbeam.com. WILD TURKEY: 1-502-839-4544 or www.wildturkey.com. FOUR ROSES: 1-502-839-3436. LABROT & GRAHAM: 1-859-879-1812 or www.woodfordreserve.com. BUFFALO TRACE: 1-502-696-5926 or www.buffalotrace.com.

Popular legend credits the Rev. Elijah Craig, a Baptist preacher, with inventing Kentucky bourbon around 1790. Mixing grains of corn and rye with yeast and limestone spring water, he supposedly cooked the resulting mash and distilled it into a liquor he labeled "white dog."

Other people had concocted their own versions of corn liquor, but Craig got the idea of aging his in charred, white oak barrels, which imparts a distinctive flavor and color. The liquor was shipped in these barrels with the Bourbon County tax stamps branded on the side. That's how the liquor eventually got its name. Back then, Bourbon County covered much of Kentucky, before being divided into smaller counties.

These days, anything labeled whiskey must be at least 51 percent corn grain. Along with yeast, other grains such as barley and rye are added in varying amounts according to family recipes, but no additives can be used to enhance flavor, add sweetness or alter the color. Bourbon must also be aged for a minimum of two years in new, white oak barrels.

Making bourbon quickly became a cottage industry in the early 19th century, with tiny distilleries popping up behind hundreds of old Kentucky homes. Prohibition and other economic forces dramatically reduced the number of distilleries over the years, but at least seven still offer free tours that blend equal parts education and sales pitch.

If you appreciate this American elixir and find yourself in north-central Kentucky, consider stopping in Bardstown, the self-proclaimed "bourbon capital of the world."

Incidentally, Bardstown is also the site of the Federal Hill Mansion, which inspired Pittsburgh native Stephen Foster to write "My Old Kentucky Home," Kentucky's state song. It's played every year at the Kentucky Derby, where considerable amounts of bourbon are consumed.

A good place to start your bourbon education is the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Located in Spalding Hall, a stately edifice built in 1826, this museum's collection includes rare documents, advertisement posters and other memorabilia from pre-Colonial days through the 1960s. There's a copper still that belonged to George Washington as well as a wide selection of pre-Prohibition whiskey bottles and containers, including an 1854 E.C. Booz bottle, the brand from which the word "booze" originated.

In addition to hosting an annual Bourbon Festival (this year Sept. 17-21), Bardstown is home to Heaven Hill, America's largest family-owned distillery.

Though founded only in 1935, the distillery traces its roots to earlier antecedents, including William Heavenhill, the company's namesake, along with bourbon pioneers Elijah Craig and Evan Williams. Free tours are offered at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Situated 17 miles south in Loretto is Maker's Mark, housed in an old mill that has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is the oldest working distillery still on its original site. Its two-hour tours are offered daily throughout the year and provide a complete education into the distilling process. Equally fascinating are the Maker's Mark grounds, with beautifully manicured lawns and an arboretum with more than 275 species of trees and shrubs.

A few miles northwest of Bardstown in Clermont is the Jim Beam distillery. It has a nifty visitor center but offers no tours of the plant. Still, you can learn about six generations of Beam distillers. The home of T. Jeremiah Beam, son of Jim Beam, was built in 1911 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. An authentic still is believed to be the oldest in America, and the art of barrel making is on display at the Hartmann Cooperage Museum, located on the grounds.

Kentucky's bourbon trail also includes the Wild Turkey distillery, just east of Lawrenceburg. Wild Turkey offers the most comprehensive tour, four times a day, Mondays through Fridays. Native wild turkeys frequent its beautiful hilltop location. The Four Roses Distillery, with its unique "Hacienda-style construction, is in Lawrenceburg. It offers tours, but by appointment only.

Not far away, in the village of Versailles, is the Labrot and Graham distillery. This historic facility has been fully restored to its 1800s condition, complete with the old-fashioned pot stills where Woodford Reserve is produced in the traditional, small batch way. In addition to being the official bourbon provider of the Kentucky Derby, it boasts of being Kentucky's oldest, smallest and slowest-working distillery. Tours are offered daily, except Mondays.

Finally, there's the Buffalo Trace distilleries in Frankfort, which produce Blanton, Eagle Rare, Rock Hill Farms, Ancient Age, W.L. Weller and Old Charter bourbons. Hourly, one-hour tours operate daily, except Sundays.

Spending a few days in the Bardstown area can provide an intoxicating opportunity to get up close and personal with bourbon, but be cautious and never drink and drive.

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