We love apple pie and baseball as much as anyone, but for our money there’s no more satisfying slice of Americana than a glass of bourbon and a few plucks on the banjo.
And while bourbon sipping and finger picking aren’t normally considered part of the active lifestyle, we’ve found an adventure that pairs them with enough cardio to burn off some of those empty calories – a bicycle tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Stretching as far as 150 miles along the roads and highways of hilly central Kentucky, the trail connects six of the Bluegrass State’s finest bourbon distilleries (Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark, Four Roses, andWild Turkey), which offer public tours and free samples.
Riders tackle the trail in three variations – a 113-mile “short” tour, a 150-mile “long” tour (each of these are six-day tours), or a one-day, 50-mile loop that visits just three distilleries.
The trail is civilized – towns pop up every 20 miles or so with restaurants and hotels. For lovers of history, the longest tour also includes rides through Perryville Battlefield and Old Fort Harrod State Parks. Rock climbers can pair the trip a visit to the famous Red River Gorge climbing area.