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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeCommentaryRoad Trip: No plans, no destination part 2

Road Trip: No plans, no destination part 2

This is part two of a series of articles on a recent road trip my wife and I recently made, you can read the first part here or the final part here.  We had no particular destination in mind, and no timetable.  We were sure of one thing.  We would stay off the interstate and travel the back roads, looking for anything interesting we thought we wanted to see.

After we spent some time in Elizabethtown Kentucky, we got back into the car and continued north.  We passed some signs to the Shaker Museum, and Fort Knox, but then we saw, “Jim Beam Distillery.”

“Park the car” said the boss.

The Jim Beam Distillery
The Jim Beam Distillery

I had been to the Jack Daniels Distillery when I was in high school, but I don’t think I ever knew that the Jim Beam Distillery was in “these here parts.”  It’s located in Clermont Kentucky.   We pulled into a sprawling, beautifully landscaped property, and the first thing you notice is these huge warehouses, where I can only imagine is where the “product” is stored.

They were everywhere, and I was right.

According to their website,

“When Jacob Beam made the bold move of cooking up his first batch of bourbon back in 1795, debts were settled with duels. The American Dream was still taking shape. And you added more horsepower by, well, adding another horse.

A lot has changed over the past 215 years. But here at Jim Beam, we’re proud to say that things have remained more or less the same. We’ve spent all that time painstakingly and passionately perfecting Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. We’re proud that the world’s finest bourbon is still made by the same family, pretty much the same way. That’s how it’s been for seven generations.”

We pulled into the parking lot and went into the visitor center.  They recommended we go to the “tasting” room first, since it was about to close for the day.  When you go in, it’s a rather small facility, with three dispensers that you can sample some of their fine Kentucky Bourbon.   There’s also a bar, where a very knowledgeable employee takes you through the various products that are made there.  You were only allowed “two” tastes, and you could drink it straight, or they provided ice and water.  I mixed mine with water and found it rather tasty.

The original buildings are still standing, including the Stillmaster’s Quarters, and some of the original “brewing” stations.  They have a new visitor center, stocked with souvenirs and t-shirts.  They even have their own barbeque sauce and various items that you would typically find in a souvenir shop.  All with the Jim Beam logo.

They describe Bourbon as Whiskey’s “sweet spot” because corn is a sweet grain.   Bourbon is distilled grain and water.  It has to be aged for two years before it can be sold.  Most of all, it has to be made in the USA.

We only stayed about about forty five minutes, but it looks like it would be well worth the time to take the guided tour, and see how this Bourbon is made.

So it was getting late in the day, and we needed to find a hotel room.  We decided to spend the night in Louisville.

Tomorrow, a visit to the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum, then a trip down Bardstown Road.  An amazing stretch of shops, restaurants, and eateries.

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Hank Bonecutter
Hank Bonecutterhttp://www.clarksvillesmotorcycle.com/
Hank Bonecutter is a retired broadcaster and media consultant based in Clarksville, Tennessee. His career includes stints at WKDA/WKDF and WKQB Rock 106FM, WLAC-AM in Nashville. He concluded his career as owner/talk show host at WJZM-AM in Clarksville. Currently the President of Bonehead Promotions, he's an advertising consultant and media strategist. An avid motorcyclist, Hank blogs about his travels exclusively at www.clarksvillemotorcycle.com and www.clarksvilleonline.com You can follow Hank on on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dodgintheroadkill/, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/?lang=en, and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dodgetheroadkill/?hl=en  
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