Southern Belle Shirts

Barreling Down the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

No doubt about it—central Kentucky is Bourbon Country. Steeped in over 200 years of history, the essence of Bourbon flows from the area’s limestone-rich water, which is essential to its production. It springs from the ground, in the corn required to constitute at least 51% of the spirit.

The spirit of Bourbon, however, is most deeply rooted in people—the distillers who make the stuff, the bartenders who mix it and, of course, the visitors who drink it.

For travelers to Bourbon Country, finding the best place to taste is the real adventure.

Perhaps choose a quaff straight up while winding down a distillery tour, the caramel fragrance of the rickhouse still lingering in the air. Maybe Bourbon is best enjoyed on the rocks at one of the historic hotel bars. Or perhaps it’s shaken into a cocktail, flanked by a plate of locally made duck prosciutto.

Here’s a potential itinerary for a Kentucky Bourbon Trail journey, with a singular goal: capturing the history, character and diversity of what makes Bourbon and the place in which it’s made so special.

Starting from downtown Louisville (recommended as the home base for this outing), head to Bardstown and make your first distillery stop Heaven Hill . It offers a large Bourbon Heritage Center, a comprehensive exhibition on the history of the spirit and a tasting room that’s shaped like a Bourbon barrel. This is a great place for an orientation, either with a complimentary 30-minute Mini Tour, or if you can spare the time, the (also complimentary) 90-minute Deluxe Tour of the indoor and outdoor facilities. Both conclude with a tasting session, as most of the distillery tours do. Even if you skip the tour, the gift shop is one of the best you’ll find, with a wide array of rare and unusual bottlings.

Next stop: Head to nearby Loretto to visit Maker’s Mark . The distillery is certainly scenic on its own, with shiny copper stills and an opportunity to dip your own souvenir bottle in Maker’s signature red wax. But, if you’re lucky, you may also share a tipple with Chairman Emeritus Bill Samuels Jr., who reversed his retirement in June expressly to hang out at the distillery, drink Bourbon and share tales with visitors. At the bar, keep an eye out for Maker’s Mark Mint Julep, a liqueur sealed with vibrant green wax. It’s rolled out annually for the Kentucky Derby, and it has limited distribution in just a handful of states.

Southern Belle T-Shirts | From Mascara To Meatloaf

To check out this site: Southern Belle Store !  The shirts are just too cute with the various sayings and quotes.  Aside from t-shirts, there’s also hoodies, lounge pants, shorts, towels, flip-flips (aka thongs) and totes bags.  The cute whimsical designs are very eye catching, and even makes some of the dullest colors look lively!  And the best part – There’s free shipping on all orders too!  Hello!  You cannot beat free shipping! 

Long ago I saw a shirt that said, “Southern girls don’t drink, they sip.”  I’ve yet to see the shirt again, and I have no idea if the few girls wearing it had them custom made.  Unfortunately, this site doesn’t have it either, but that doesn’t mean my e-mail might not prompt a new shirt from them (Hey, I can dream!).  I’m super excited about this awesome find and I’m definitely going to be placing an order soon!

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