Venture down the venerable American Whiskey Trail

This was a dream assignment, following the sweet, burnt-caramel aromas that waft through the hills and valleys of America’s Whiskey Trail.

Driving between Kentucky and Tennessee, heading deep into the hollows, we reached the gleaming copper kettles that produce America’s intoxicating “water of life” as we journeyed into American history and tradition.

I have always been a bourbon lover. It is my drink of choice. However, until I followed the American Whiskey Trail I didn’t understand how patriotic a decision it was.

Bourbon is the spirit of America.

The U.S. Congress declared it so in 1964. It is our contribution to the world of liquor. Unlike scotch, which is made mostly from malted barley, good Bourbon is generally between 70 percent and 80 percent corn, with some rye or wheat and barely. Bourbon is aged at least two years in charred, new American white oak barrels. It has a bold, smooth and distinctive flavor that is immediately recognizable.

I couldn’t wait to hit the trail.

Mount Vernon

My tour began at Mount Vernon, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C. George Washington slept here and so did I.

A must see is the Mount Vernon Museum and the star attraction, George’s dentures. They are made of animal and human teeth fashioned in a wire frame and held in place with lead, which is probably what killed him.

More importantly, Washington was one of the country’s first commercial whiskey distillers. A Scotsman who was managing the 300 employees and 35 separate crops that grew on the wide-ranging farm, told Washington that his fields had the grains — and he had the knowledge –to produce a nice whiskey. So they did.

In 1797, they opened the distillery and gristmill, which held five pot stills. When George died two years later, it was one of his biggest profit makers, earning The Father of Our Country 60 cents a gallon.

Kentucky bourbon

From Mount Vernon, I flew to Louisville, to begin a tour of central Kentucky, the Mecca of bourbon. Louisville is a beautiful city situated on the Ohio River, with the largest Victorian neighborhood of any city in America. The downtown historic center is second only to New York City’s Soho district in the number of iron-front buildings, and it is the only city in America that has a four-story Louisville slugger baseball bat pitched against the side of a factory.

I stayed at 21 C, a museum hotel that is full of whimsy and unusual contemporary art. The restaurant, Proof, pays homage to Kentucky’s favorite drink.

The next morning, I departed for Jim Beam, one of seven bourbon distilleries open to the public on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It is the world’s largest Bourbon distiller and the maker of Knob Creek.

About 25 miles south of Louisville, it stockpiles an impressive reservoir of spirits.  Visitors can see the Jacob Beam House and the Outpost, where a film details the Beam family’s growth into a distilling dynasty.

Almost all the distilleries I visited are located in isolated, rural areas, usually at the end of long, winding, single lane-roads through forests and hills, lying at the bottom of a hollow. Even with a map, I got lost.

I have a theory. Early distilling was probably best done away from the sight of tax collectors (revenuers) and the law, although most will insist that it is the pure limestone waters of the unspoiled rural hillsides that moonshiners sought.

Booz bottle

Bardstown is home to Barton Distillery and the Oscar Getz Whiskey Museum. It was there that I learned the origin of the term booze. In 1840, Philadelphia shopkeeper E. G. Booz started putting his own label on whiskey. Soon after, folks started asking for a bottle of “Booz.”

The Maker’s Mark distillery dates to 1805 and has been named a Historic National Monument. The wood-framed buildings lie along Hardin’s Creek near the town of Loretto, Ky. Visitors get to dip their own bottle in the signature red wax when they make a purchase.

Woodford Reserve Distillery is located in spectacular bluegrass and thoroughbred horse country near Versailles, Ky., Its label still bears its earlier name, Labrot & Graham. The distillery has been fully restored to its 1800s splendor and is a National Landmark. Unlike most distilleries, it triple distills its whiskey for extra smoothness. It’s also the only distillery that charges for a tour ($5).

I took in the horse races at nearby Keeneland, a great place to see the 2-year-olds make their first appearances. You can also bet on their talents if you like their appearance.

In Lawrenceburg, Ky., on a crest overlooking the Kentucky River, I visited Hunter S. Thompson’s favorite distillery, Wild Turkey. Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, the man responsible for the Wild Turkey 101 brand, took me on a tour of the facility.

Later that day I dined at the beautiful Holly Hill Inn in the Victorian town of Midway. Before dinner, I sipped a Manhattan, the traditional Bourbon cocktail. Then, after a superb meal, I treated myself to a snifter of Wild Turkey’s American Honey liquor –a sweet ending to my last day in Kentucky.

Tennessee tippling

Next, I was off to Tennessee and the sipping whiskeys of George Dickel and Jack Daniels.

Much like the Hatfields and McCoys, there’s a bit of rivalry between Kentucky and Tennessee. The actual difference between the two is that in Tennessee distillers gently filter theie whiskey through 10-foot-tall vats of freshly burned sugar maple charcoal chips, before aging in the barrel.

I have to admit a preference for Tennessee whiskey, especially the single barrel Jack Daniels, my favorite on the American Whiskey Trail.

Situated outside of Nashville, these are the only Tennessee distilleries on the American Whiskey Trail open to the public. And they are both in the middle of nowhere. Keep a map handy.

Dickel is in Cascade Hollow, Tenn. (I saw wild turkeys in the field above the distillery.) Jack Daniels is in Lynchburg, Tenn., which has no apparent population, although it claims 361 residents. It’s the oldest registered distillery in the United States.

IF YOU GO:

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has detailed information on the American Whiskey Trail. It offers maps and brochures, with contact information for historic sights, distilleries and guided tours running April through October. Check it out at www.distilledspirits.org, (202) 682-8840.

Learn more about Mount Vernon at www.mountvernon.org.

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