Robin Garr wrote:Interesting report! I had a Sunday job in Bardstown for several months a decade ago, and even then, I thought it was surprising how the stretch from Fern Creek to Mount Washington was building up more than I would have realized if I hadn't been there.
Robin,
A year in bourbontopia is like a dog year. My crystal ball shows a "Robin in Wonderland" image with you wandering about in late spring like a kid in an amusement park trying to figure out which of the big rides to do next!
Consider that Bardstown Bourbon and Lux Row didn't even exist. Bardstown Bourbon is the "Napa Valley" experience in bourbontopia where visitors can dine in a modern, atrium-like glassed restaurant with a well-conceived food selection. Also, don't forget that they can serve fancy drinks in those places now. Lux Row takes one down a long estatesque entrance with lined trees more like one would find in southern France.
Willet didn't even do tours back then. Now you'll find license plates from everywhere with small groups of gen-x buddies hanging around eating lunch outside with a drink at the antibellum style restaurant. Heaven Hill has expanded twice with the latest adding dining in a state of the art setting.
Look back at where Louisville was with bourbon a decade ago (nothing) and where its gone these days. Bardstown has a chicness to it now that reflects a new generation of savvy visitors popping from one bourbon experience to another. I saw this evolve from a time when I did some early articles for Insider Louisville.
Yep, my crystal ball sees a two-part bourbon season preview for foodies and bourbon aficionadas curious as to "whats this boubon fuss all about?" And to think, this is just about 25 minutes from my house straight down Bardstown Rd---you don't even need a GPS to find it.
James J. Natsis