Best place for Bourbon Cocktails & Food? Where do the Locals

I will be traveling to Louisville tomorrow and will be there a few days along with some other parts of KY.

Im looking to do a writeup on Bourbon, its history and some special, fancy cocktails KY is known for making with Bourbon. I will be doing a bourbon experience already. But would love some suggestions on a bar, restaurant to go to alone, have great cocktails, and talk to people. Food suggestions are welcomed as well. Im up for anything.

Ill also take any suggestions for food (I like everything, (not to high priced)), best place locals go, and what other fun non touristy things to go to.

I hope i've given enough info on what im looking for.

Thanks in advance!

Silver Dollar
Bistro 1860
Bourbon's Bistro
St. Charles Exchange

Food and drink at all

[Robin Garr]

I really like the quartet that Justin has given you. You might also consider checking out the NuLu neighborhood in general, since it seems to incorporate a lot of the newer energy around town; perhaps Decca or Rye, where you'll find bourbon and Kentucky traditions incorporated into a wider sensibility.

Please don't buy too carelessly into the notion that we're "Southern." Visiting writers tend to go there, perhaps in part because some of our industry thinks it might be beneficial to latch on to that trend rather than celebrate who we are, a distinctly urban place with an industrial edge, fed by a combination of migrant streams down the Ohio from the Northeast, up the Mississippi and Ohio from New Orleans, and across the Appalachians and up from the farm. It's a creative blend, but not entirely Southern; Kentucky did not secede from the Union during the Civil War and Louisville in particular, with its large German, Irish and Italian Catholic population, had little interest in all that.

So far the only places mentioned have been new places that is only open to fairly recently in Louisville. Another place to deftly consider is the Old Seelbach Bar in the Seelbach Hotel. It certainly has the elegance of old time class and has many cocktails to match.

Very nicely said, Robin! You should consider taking up writing Louisville is definitely one-of-a-kind!

Erin, who do you write for, or is it for your own blog? Just curious!

Thanks so much everyone! I really appreciate the tips. Ill be looking into these spots. They all seem like great suggestions.

I'm actually going with an completely open mind and no pre conceived notions. I have no clue what Kentucky has to offer but excited to explore. If anyone is up for having a drink please do let me know

I'll be photographing and doing a few short write-ups for a travel blog called Travel Noire. I'm also a freelance photographer.

You should hit Equus/Jack's (restaurant and attached bar). Joy Perrine, in the bar, and one of the few people who truly deserves the name "mixologist", has written two books on drink recipes (focusing on bourbon), and knows all there is to know about bourbon, while Equus has had some of the best food in the region forever now!

Thanks Andrew