Imagine sipping an Old Fashioned at sunset, enjoying delicious Bourbon-infused dishes while soaking up southern hospitality, welcome to Louisville, Kentucky, the birthplace of ‘The Greatest’ boxer Muhammad Ali, home of the Kentucky Derby horse race and, of course, America’s native spirit.
Affectionately known as Bourbon City, Louisville has no fewer than 12 whiskey distilleries, half of which are within walking distance of each other on Main Street, otherwise known as Whiskey Row or ‘The Wall Street of Whiskey’.
Walking and tasting tours are a popular activity, often starting at the Frazier History Museum and sometimes extending into a bar crawl of some of the city’s many unique venues. Kentucky produces 95% of the world’s Bourbon and in Louisville, on the banks of the Ohio River. the spirit isn’t just in the drink, it’s a way of life.
Creative chefs are constantly coming up with innovative ways to infuse their dishes with the flavour, especially in the new NuLu district where you’ll taste eclectic delights such as ‘Bourbon curry’, ‘Bourbon pizza’, ‘Bourbon oysters’ and ‘Bourbon ice cream’. However, one dish not to be missed is Louisville’s famous Hot Brown, an open-fried turkey, bacon tomato sandwich and topped with cheese, invented at the city’s century-old Brown Hotel.
Louisville Tourism recently brought the flavours of Bourbon City to the UK during London Cocktail Week, partnering with the award-winning Angel’s Envy, which opened its chic distillery on the city’s Whiskey Row in 2016.
During the week, Louisville Tourism hosted an intimate event at London’s iconic OXO Tower for members of the UK and German travel trade, during which 24 guests were treated to a three-course meal and an exclusive mixology demonstration by Angel Teta of Angel’s Envy.
Guests included representatives of Gold Medal, Hays Travel, Travelbag, Lotus and America As You Like It.
Visit www.bourboncity.co.uk to find out more about Louisville.