Bourbon Makes Me Feel Like Home

Over the holiday season, I was lucky enough to reconnect with several of my friends that currently live all over the World. Home for the holidays, and often away from the warmth and comfort of the things that remind them of home, most of my friends were eager to jump back into their old habits and looked to me to show them the way. Not surprisingly, bourbon was at the top of many of their lists. Bourbon is relatively easy to find in most places, but good bourbon and several varieties of bourbon are only found here at home. Of course, being a bourbon lover myself, I was happy to lead my friends around to some of my favorite new spots.

  

One of my favorite nights consisted of drinks and dinner at St. Charles Exchange followed by more drinks at the bar Meat. St. Charles Exchange has a lengthy bourbon menu, but the reason I took my friends there was for the Old Fashioned. The St. Charles Exchange Old Fashioned is hands down the best Old Fashioned I have had in the city to date. The St. Charles Exchange bartenders know what they are doing; the bourbon is the star of the cocktail and every sip is heavenly. There are several other cocktails at St. Charles Exchange that feature bourbon in ways that are unique and exciting. Every time I try a new cocktail at this restaurant I am surprised by the depth of flavors. The food at St. Charles Exchange is always delicious too. The same care that goes in to each cocktail goes in to each dish. You can always count on St.Charles Exchange to put forward creative, forward-thinking, good-feeling food, and no matter what, you are always guaranteed to have a great time.  

After dinner, full with amazing food and slightly tipsy from our heavenly cocktails, I decided to keep with the prohibition-style theme as we headed to Meat on Story Avenue. Meat has recently been named one of the 50 best bars in the World. It is located on the second floor of the Blind Pig Restaurant in Butchertown and has a very unique vibe. Modeled after a 1920s speakeasy, Meat combines a laid back scene with a butcher’s torture chamber vibe. Meat and butcher tools hang from the ceilings adding to a playful but dark atmosphere. Meat doesn't have the best bourbon list, but it does have excellent cocktails. At this point in the night, my friends didn't care what they were drinking to be honest.

 

The next night everyone was ready to do some real bourbon tasting. They all headed to Bourbons Bistro on Frankfort Avenue to enjoy a bourbon-inspired dinner menu and all the bourbon they could get their lips on. Bourbon’s Bistro is the place to go in Louisville for anyone trying to learn about bourbon or try new bourbons. With the longest bourbon list in town and a professional staff that knows their stuff, you wont leave disappointed.

Most restaurants and bars in Louisville have a decent bourbon list, but if you want to find which restaurants have lengthier menus, a good way is to follow the Urban Bourbon Trail. You can visit louisville.com to find all the restaurants participating. If you want to take it a step further, you can grab an Urban Bourbon Trail “passport” and collect stamps at each restaurant you visit. After you collect six stamps you can receive a free gift.

Bourbon makes my friends feel at home and I couldn't have been happier to celebrate it with them. There are so many other wonderful places I could have taken them if only we had more time. We are so lucky to have a city filled with excellent restaurants and delicious bourbon cocktails, so get out there and enjoy them!