How We Are Addressing Covid-19

Hate for this to be our very first blog, but as we know COVID-19 has affected everyone in different ways. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Central Kentucky Tours are no different. We have officially been shut down since March 12th.

With reopening hopefully soon, we need to address several items to make our guest and guides safer and more comfortable when touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Horse Country Guest safety has always been our #1 goal.

The following are a few changes and additions –

  1. Plenty of hand sanitizer on our buses from Wilderness Trail Distillery-we literally have gallons of it to clean hard surfaces and share with our guest.
  2. After each tour, we always disinfect every bus-always have and always will.
  3. We will have face coverings for our guides and if you forget yours, we will have some extras on the bus. Unsure at this time if the distilleries will require them while on tour.
  4. We are reducing the maximum size of our public tours to 6 for the time being (it was 14) Private tours will still remain 14, since you all know one another and contact tracing will be easier.
  5. At least three times a day the distilleries will offer bourbon to sanitize your mouth, throat and stomach. This usually cures everything.
  6. We only use familiar restaurants during your tour. They all have plenty of seating and we will make certain they are safe.
  7. Cancellation policy has been relaxed-Full refunds if we are still under CDC Social Distancing guidelines and distilleries and farms are not open. If you are sick the morning of the tour with flu like symptoms, full refund minus distillery admissions for the sick guest.

We certainly hope to be back up and touring by mid-June and we are very ready to greet our guest and show them the best of Central Kentucky and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Please check back here often, in the coming weeks and months we will be posting current Central Kentucky Tours happenings, Interviews with Bourbon Insiders, Distillery of the Month, Horse Farm of the Month, Cocktail Recipes, Bourbon related book recommendations and what is hot/funny in Bourbon Social Media.

Bruce

Happy Group at Buffalo Trace
Could this be a Kentucky Derby Winner?

Bus #3

This our our 8/10 passenger Ford Transit. We use this bus mostly for our public tours or small groups. Lots of space, umbrellas for our guest and bottled water. We also have a sound system so you can hear your guide thru out the day. Join us on your Kentucky Bourbon Trail adventure and experience Central Kentucky in comfort. All our buses are disinfected before each tour and regularly sprayed during the day. Hand Sanitizer and Mask are available if you forgot yours.

Bus #2

Bus #2 is our newest bus. 12/13 guest capacity with plenty of rear storage space for luggage and coolers. We also have a rear speaker system so you are able to each all the great info your guide will share with you along the way. You can also connect your own smartphone and listen to your own music during the day. Umbrellas and bottled water are available on board.

As always safety is our #1 goal, so there will be plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfecting sprays on board.

Event Updates

Central Kentucky Tours

  1. Summer and Fall are just around the corner and now is a great time to plan your visit to Kentucky and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We offer public and private tours as well as transportation only if needed. Visit www.centralkentuckytours.com and email me at bruce@centralkentuckytours.com to set up your tour.
  2. During the Covid-19 Pandemic we will continue to offer super clean buses as well as reducing the size of our public tours  to 6 maximum guest. We also have face mask if you forgot yours, plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfectant to clean during your tour. The distilleries are also making every effort to make your trip a fun and safe time. We are also offering full refund for your tour, if the Covid-19 issues continue and distilleries have to close again.
  3.  Distilleries “can” start offering tours starting 6-8-20 (per our Governor), but only Wilderness Trail has announced that they will be starting then. Buffalo Trace has announced they will begin tours on 7-1-20 and I expect others to announce very soon their opening plans.
  4. Restaurants started offering dine in service 5-23-20 at 33% capacity and that will increase gradually over the next few weeks until everyone is back to full strength.  
  5. Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for 9-4-20 and 9-5-20. We still have openings for tours all that week. 
  6. Keeneland’s Fall Meet starts 10-2-20 thru 10-24-20 with racing Wednesday to Sunday. The Fall meet is a great time to visit due to weather, distilleries are going at full blast, SEC Football and the leaves are starting to turn. This is usually one of our busiest times of the year, so advance reservations are a must.
  7. Breeder’s Cup will be held again at Keeneland on 11-6-20 and 11-7-20. This is the biggest two days of racing all year. Keeneland did an outstanding job in 2015 holding the event and I expect no less this time around.
  8. We are also proud to announce we are offering our Health Care Workers the same discount on our public tours as we offer our active and ex-military guest. This discount is offered on both our Bourbon in the Bluegrass Tour as well as our Barrel to Bottle Tour.
  9. Due to popular demand we are now offering Public Sunday Tours from the Marriott Griffin Gate. Check our website for details on distilleries offered on the day you would like to tour.
  10. We have also started a BLOG (about 5 years late), we will update this with all the happenings around the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Horse Country. We will also post any news about our new tours and offerings We will also post images of our buses and info on our great group of guides on this page. you can check that out at www.centralkentuckytours.com/blog
  11. We all know this has been a trying time for us all and if you are like me, we are all looking for a great place to visit and get out of the house. Rest assured, Central Kentucky Tours and myself will do everything we can to make sure you have an enjoyable safe trip to Kentucky.
Kentucky Derby Museum-Must see when in the area

Wilderness Trail

Here is an update from our friends at Wilderness Trail Distillery

For immediate release May 27, 2020

Wilderness Trail Distillery to release first 6-year-old

Danville, KY — Wilderness Trail Distillery has been waiting patiently to have fans sip its first six-year-old wheated Bourbon.

Wilderness Trail, the newest member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, plans to highlight the Trail’s  June 8 reopening by releasing a 6-year-old, wheated bottled in bond Bourbon, on this celebratory day.

The other releases by the Danville distillery, owned by Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, have been four-year-old, bottled in bond Bourbons and a cask strength rye whiskey.

“We always practice patience in aging our whiskeys. We’re used to waiting for those great flavors the years spent in the barrel produce. But it’s been hard to wait for the return of our visitors. It seems like years since we’ve had guests. We wanted to make the first day back extra special,” says Baker, the distillery’s master distiller.

To mark this special occasion, the bottles will be in a Family Reserve mahogany box with two shot glasses. “Family Reserve” is written in gold lettering on the exterior of the box. The cost is $75 plus tax. There is a limit of two box sets per person. This is the last time Wilderness Trail will offer the mahogany box sets.

Wilderness Trail will offer presales of 100 box sets for June 8 curbside pickup. The box sets are only available for purchase online. Pickup hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you can’t join us for the reopening, the distillery’s gift shop will receive another 300 bottles for future purchases.

To purchase the 6-year-old Bourbon, please go to WildernessTrailKy.com’s “Shop” link and look under the category of “Spirits.” For more information, please call 859-402-8707.

Please remember to bring your receipt or a copy on your phone for pickup.

Changes to promote safety of our guests and employees

A few things have changed since Wilderness Trail last welcomed visitors. The distillery will follow social distancing guidelines and face masks are required. The number of people in the Visitor Center is limited 10.

Keeneland Burgoo

There are things in Kentucky that you must try when you visit. One of those items is the Keeneland Burgoo.

Burgoo by definition is similar to a “Hunter’s Stew” where everything goes into the pot. However Burgoo is supposed to be at least 3 game meats, vegetables and cooked over a open fire. Burgoo over the years has been adapted to meet USDA guidelines, so no more “roadkill”.

So the next time you are visiting during April or October, be sure and include Keeneland as part of your Kentucky Bourbon Trail trip and be sure to get a bowl of Burgoo during the race.

SERVING SIZE: 12

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 3 pounds stew meat, cubed
  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 3 pounds frozen mixed vegetables (corn, lima beans, green beans)
  • 1 (7 ounce) can tomato puree
  • 1 (7 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 pound frozen okra, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon beef base
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco
  • 1 cup sherry wine
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 pounds potatoes, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Brown stew meat with herbs and garlic.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and cover with water.
  3. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for a minimum of two hours, or until ingredients have been tenderized but do not dissolve. The potatoes should be “fork tender” but hold their shape.
  4. Adjust seasoning to taste, and thicken with cornstarch if needed.
  5. Serves 10-12

By Ed Boutilier, Executive Chef at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky

Bus #1

Lots of our guest when they book like to know what kind of vehicle they will be traveling in, over the next few entries we will describe and show images of each bus.

Bus #1 has 14 separate seats with aisle down the middle. We use this bus mainly for our larger private tours. It also has overhead storage, as well as storage in the rear for coolers and luggage. It has separate audio for the guest to control their own tunes as we travel along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

All our buses have umbrellas on board and also bottled water for our guest. Of course we will also have hand sanitizer available as well as surgical masks if you forgot yours. All buses after each tour will be sanitized and if needed during the day.

Latest Update from the Kentucky Bourbon Trail on Tours

The KDA has submitted its Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Plan to Reopen to the Governor’s Office for review and guidance. KBT Visitor Center retail-only operations (no onsite consumption) are eligible to open May 20. However, with the requirements and restrictions issued by the Governor’s Office, several distilleries are waiting until later to welcome guests and/or reopening retail operations gradually.

We expect limited tastings to open shortly thereafter. We expect limited tours to resume later this summer.

We strongly recommend you contact individual distilleries for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding hours, policies, and experiences. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® will continue to update the website – www.kybourbontrail.com – and social media with general information regarding distillery tourism operations and policies as the information becomes available.

www.centralkentuckytours.com

#TeamKentucky #TogetherKY