Day 2 on the Bourbon Trail
We made it to day 2! And with no hangover, starting the day off well. The cherry on top was when I woke up and saw Rachel scrolling on her phone in her bed a few feet away.
“Brandi, are you awake?” she cautiously asked as she saw me stir. It was about 7:30 a.m.
“Yeah.” I answered.
“I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep. There are two tour tickets open at Old Forrester tomorrow at 11 a.m. Should I grab them?”
“YES!” This was such a great surprise!
Unlike our first day, today was significantly slower. We planned our day around the visit to Churchill Downs and gave ourselves more than enough time to explore the grounds.
Breakfast at Toast on Market
Our breakfast spot today was a 15-minute walk from the hotel. The weather was chilly and crisp but after a few minutes of walking, it was pleasant. Although I did like starting the day with these walks, I’m going to stick with my coffee ritual. Toast on Market is in the NuLu neighborhood we walked through yesterday. The restaurant is very local. I felt Rachel and I stood out as tourists with our ample warm layers, whereas other patrons were in jeans, long sleeves, and one jacket. We were wearing long underwear, jeans, a tank top, a long sleeve shirt, a coat, I had a headband, and we each had scarves and gloves. Layers!!
At just before 10 a.m., the manager announced twice to the restaurant “IF YOU PARKED ON THE SIDE STREET THE PARKING METERS START NOW. MAKE SURE YOU PAID FOR PARKING.” It took us by surprise but was such a kind announcement! When we told him this, he explained how many people he’s seen get ticketed for not knowing and wanted to help out. How nice!
Breakfast was good and I would go back. We arrived at the restaurant earlier than we originally anticipated and took our time eating. Our afternoon was completely open starting at about 2:30 p.m. and we looked for another tour to fill the time. Luckily, one spot opened up for an afternoon tour at Stitzel-Weller. They graciously accommodated us both in going on the tour! While we were waiting for the Uber to take us to Churchill Downs, we walked down the street to the shop Jones & Daughters. Rachel ordered the bourbon print she fell in love with and the owner would ship it to her.
Barn and Backside Tour at Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs
As we planned the trip, a visit to the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs was a must for Rachel. I was happy to go, too, and we decided on the Barn and Backside Tour. The museum is a separate entrance and building on the property.
I didn’t know much about the Kentucky Derby. I could tell you it was a place for hats, mint juleps, bourbon, and horses. The tour was enlightening. As a whole, this trip really added a new layer of knowledge to my American history.
Our guide was Stan and he was very enthusiastic for the Derby. On a basic level, the Kentucky Derby is a thoroughbred horse race. Thoroughbred is a horse breed, although it can be used to refer to any purebred horse breed. The race trace is a mile and a quarter long and the Derby is the 12th of 14 races that day. Twenty horses race at a time. Only three year old horses, male or female, can participate in the race. The Kentucky Derby is the longest running continuous sporting event in America, starting in 1875. The race is also known as the run for the roses as the winner is adorned with a blanket of roses. You can also call the race the most exciting two minutes in sports!
Churchill Downs has a history outside of horse racing. During World War I, potatoes were planted in the infield and in World War II, there were temporary barracks placed there to support war efforts. The property overall is 26 acres, ample space to do this!
Behind on the scenes on the property, you will find (in no particular order):
4 Derby jails for unruly guests
48 barns with about 40 horses max per barn (around race time)
dorms on site for trainers, teams and race staff. These are free, first come first serve, separated by gender even if you’re married, and are not open to children.
A non-denominational church with Monday night services as Sunday is race day
Most known though, are the twin spires. The twin spires, built in 1895, are the oldest part of the race track. The grand stands fit 60,000 people while general admission can fit about 100,000 attendees. With all the commotion during race day, pedestrian tunnels were eventually built to keep everyone safe and make race day smoother.
While I found all this fascinating, what I really wanted to walk about knowing was what the deal is with all the hats. Horse racing is a betting sport, historically associated with white, wealthy men. While the men were out gambling on the race, it was advertised as a place to be for the women to show off the latest spring fashions, including fancy hats. Today, it’s more for tradition and any adult who wants to can place a bet on the race. The minimum wager is only $2.
After our tour, we at lunch at the cafe in the museum. There isn’t much else nearby and we took our time before making our way to Stitzel-Weller.
Tour at Stitzel-Weller
We took an Uber to the distillery, about 10 minutes away and our arrival was something. The weather grew grayer and as we neared Stitzel-Weller, a rain fell with a sharp drop. I thought it was just the speed at which the rain fell. Turns out it was hail the size of skittles! We threw on our hoods and ran as fast as we could from the car to the safety of the gift shop awning. We couldn’t believe it! Everyone in the store and the bar upstairs kept asking, “Did you see the hail earlier?!” and we’d reply, “Yes, that’s when we got here!” It made for quite the story.
We walked further back into the building and up the staircase to the Garden & Gun Club bar on the second floor. Taxidermy decorated the walls and shelves, and it felt like a tasteful cabin. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or uneasy surrounded by preserved dead animals.
Grabbing seats at the bar, we were greeted by Greg. He was the most skilled bartender we encountered during the trip! With a tour and tasting ahead of us, I didn’t want to drink anything too strong or heavy. He created a pink cocktail for me with a low ABV and it was delicious. Light, summery (despite the weather outside) and my favorite cocktail of the trip. Rachel and I were talking to him, explaining why we’re in Kentucky and asking about the distillery. I noticed him opening a new bottle of Blade and Bow bourbon and take a key off the bottle’s neck. I asked about the key, he responded asking if we’ve taken the tour yet. When I said we’re on a tour later that afternoon, he handed me the key to keep. Rachel asks, “Is it a curse?” Greg busts out laughing, confirms its not a curse and says it’s the funniest thing he’s heard all day. We’re relieved and keep laughing as he shares this comment with the other bartenders.
Our tour began at 4 p.m. and walked us around the production area, the rack houses (aka warehouses aka rick houses) and the cooperage. Honestly, our guide Alison seemed quick to move through the tour and tasting. However, this tour helped fill in a lot of holes I didn’t know I had in my bourbon knowledge and for that reason I really enjoyed it.
The distillery formed from two families, the Stitzels and the Wellers. During Prohibition, six companies received a medicinal license to sell alcohol. Stitzel got the license and Weller distributed it. The tours we went on yesterday were at newer distilleries established well after Prohibition. The catch is that the business could only sell what was made, and not make more. Nowadays, the company is owned by Diageo and the Stitzel-Weller property is used mostly for aging and the barrels are passed forward to other Diageo brands. From here, the used barrels are sent to Johnny Walker, then to Don Julio, then to Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.
We walked into what was the cooper shop. Barrels are assembled in the cooper shop or the cooperage. If you know someone with the last name of Cooper, they may have barrel builders in their family history! I really enjoyed seeing this history of the trail.
The tour and tasting wrapped up and we went back to the hotel for more layers of clothing before dinner. The tasting felt rushed but I did enjoy the I.W. Harper bourbon we tried.
Dinner at La Bodeguita de Mima
Rachel and I have pleasantly been eating and drinking our way around Louisville. Dinner at La Bodeguita de Mima was nothing short of delicious. We walked the 15 minutes to the restaurant in NuLu and thankfully Rachel made a reservation. Shortly after we arrived at 7 p.m., it grew louder and busier. This was definitely a place to be! I ordered a vegetable empanada, yuca con mojo, plantains and black beans. I would definitely go back here.
Drinks at Galaxie
After dinner, I was absolutely stuffed. It was still early, about 8:15 p.m., and we wanted to stay out. The weather dropped maybe ten degrees from the day making finding somewhere inside key. We walked to Galaxie first and then walked a block or two to check out Garage Bar. It was packed so we walked back to Galaxie. The movement helped me but I remained too full to keep drinking. I kept Rachel company while she had a drink. The bar was still a bit slow at this point, with easy to find bar seating and ample space to move around. I took out my phone and we played Heads Up! for about an hour. We had a lot of fun! They stayed separated, but I could sense the bar staff watching us and having a laugh both at and with us from behind the counter. As the bar picked up speed, we decided to call it a night. We were cold and tired, with a travel day ahead of us tomorrow!
Thank you for making it to the end of this post. Day 3 is our tour at Old Forester. If you want to support my travel blog or you can’t wait for all the posts, you can buy a digital download of our itinerary here. This 3-night Louisville itinerary includes the hotel, distillery tours, Churchill Downs, and restaurant recommendations.