Bard Distillery

Drew H (00:00):
Enjoy an extended version of this episode in its interview at patreon.com/whiskey. You can try it out now with a seven day free trial. That's patreon.com/whiskey lore. Welcome to Whiskey Lores Whiskey Flights, your weekly home for discovering great craft distillery experiences around the globe. I'm your travel guide Drew Hannush, the bestselling author of experiencing Irish whiskey experiencing Kentucky Bourbon and my new myth busting in whiskey storytelling book, whiskey lore volume one available now on Amazon and it is time to welcome you to stop number one on whiskey LO's Great 48 tour, my coast to coast exploration of America's great craft distilleries with each week of 2025 featuring another state that I'll be exploring and another top-notch craft distillery destination. And we're going to kick it all off today with my first of seven adventures at least seven. And this one will be taking me from my home in South Carolina to Kentucky first, then through Tennessee into Texas, back through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and then back home to South Carolina with 2,400 miles to cover in this single trip.

(01:24):
And after staying in Nashville overnight, I decided to stop off and get some photos at the Leatherwood Distillery in Clarksville, Tennessee for my travel guide@whiskeylord.com slash travel, and had the unexpected pleasure of meeting the owner while I was there and got back into the car. I was on a mission on my way to Bard Distillery in Graham, which is a town in Muhlenberg County, western Kentucky. And if you are unfamiliar with the bar distillery today, you are going to learn all about it. I had wanted to put it into my experience in Kentucky Bourbon book, but like a lot of people, western Kentucky seemed like it was a long way out there back in 2020. And now there's all sorts of distilleries out here. There's MB Roland Casey Jones, dueling grounds Green River, and you even have across the border, old Glory and Leatherwood. So a lot of places to check out here.

(02:25):
And rather than focusing on Louisville, Lexington, or Bardstown for this particular journey, I thought this is all about craft distilleries and I want to get people engaged with craft distilleries on this adventure. And so I was thinking back to when I traveled through here and stopped off and talked with Tom and Kim at the Bard Distillery and had such a good time. And we talked all about making moonshine and why they weren't making moonshine, but we're making something very similar to moonshine and how they were getting things started up by sourcing some whiskey and now they've got whiskey. So we got all sorts of stuff to talk about. And so they, to me, as great a people as they are, it feels like a wonderful place to start off this journey and introduce you to some really fun people. And I'm going to share some secrets in this particular interview. Some things that I didn't even know about the first time I came here to visit about Tom and Kim's background. We'll get into that and talk about the spirits and more. But first, I want to get you inspired to come out here to Western Kentucky. So let's learn a little bit more about the town of Graham, the surrounding area, and Muhlenberg County.

(03:40):
A welcome to Muhlenberg is a welcome to coal country, an area rich with mineral resources for the longest time where the heartbeat of Kentucky's economy. It's an area that's filled with rural charm and a region that's steeped in music history and the feel of small town Americana, a country and early music rock bands will want to stop off in Central City for a chance to pose with a legendary Everly Brothers bronze statue in the Everly Brothers Memorial Park. And then stop in at the Muhlenberg Music Museum filled with memorabilia from the Everlys, John Prine and Merle Travis. And afterwards you can explore the adjoining Kentucky Motor Sports Hall of Fame. Nature Lovers should make sure to bring walking shoes or a bike for a day out at Lake Malone State Park, where limestone bluffs, serene waters and hiking trails will invite you to slow down and immerse yourself in Kentucky's natural beauty. And for those looking to pair another whiskey adventure with your stop at the bard, you could get more of the big time industrial feel of distilling from the Green River Distillery in Owensboro just an hour north or head south to Hopkinsville just 40 miles away, and get the old country feel of KC Jones to start out your state line tour adventure. So while you may be there for the whiskey, make sure to check out the scenery in Muhlenberg and the surrounding area where there's enough to fill up a day or weekend with memorable moments.

(05:11):
So the first thing you're going to notice as you're driving up to the distillery is that this is an old schoolhouse. So don't be fooled. My first time visiting as I started the tour, Tom took me back into the gymnasium and up on the stage was the distillery setup, which was very unique. This is all going to be changing over time because now there are some ven dome copper column stills that are in the big two story brick building. And so we'll find out more about what is coming from the Bard Distillery, but if that name Bard sounds familiar to you and you're thinking, is there any connection to Bardstown? There is. And so that is how I want to start my conversation with Tom and asking him to tell us a little bit about the origins of Bardstown and their family connection.

Tom (06:08):
Sure. Well, the connection is my fourth great grandfather was the founder of Bardstown. He and his brother David, they came down from Pennsylvania, had some things they were looking for salt being among them. They found this spot that'd be a perfect spot to build a town. One was an engineer that was my grandfather, William, and then his brother was a businessman and politician. So between the two of 'em, they said, Hey, why don't we start a town? There aren't that many in Kentucky. So lo and behold, Bardstown was created and then as time went on, Bardstown became the epicenter of bourbon and other spirits. So yeah, that's the link. And then my grandfather's son, Isaac, who was born in Bardstown, moved here to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, about an hour and a half from Bardstown, moved here in the 1820s and we've been here ever since. Our farm is still in the same spot. My house is where his house was. So yeah, we're got a close length to Bardstown, but Muhlenberg has been our home for a long time.

Drew H (07:03):
Have you ever found any connection to whiskey distilling in the family?

Tom (07:07):
All I have found is some little odd things, like my grandfather who was born in Bardstown, he was a Presbyterian minister and a farmer. But we have found out recently that the first thing he did when he moved to Muhlenberg County was that he bought a tavern. I don't know the ins and outs of that, but we do know he was the owner of it. And then we've always heard stories of having the past. Sometimes people would give, my grandfather who was a traveling minister as well would give him whiskey, which he could also back in the 1820s, 1840s, that was legal tender in a lot of places, especially in rural areas.

Drew H (07:41):
So

Tom (07:42):
A lot of whiskey being packed around. And he's actually written, he wrote some papers back in the day about how Ellberg County was known for some of its whiskey and brandy production. So he actually has mentioned it. But other than that, as far as us directly making it, none that I'm aware of.

Drew H (07:58):
So your family has been on the same farm since that time?

Tom (08:02):
Yeah, for 200 years. Been on the same spot.

Drew H (08:05):
Well, and you and Kim, something I didn't realize until I started digging through your website was you guys have a racing car connection?

Tom (08:15):
Well, hers is more interesting than mine. She was actually a driver, a race car driver in what's now the Xfinity Series. At the time it was the NASCAR Bush series. So yeah, she's actually raced against the Earnhardt's Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, she's actually been on track with 'em. Carl Edwards, all the big names she's actually raced against for a period of time in the Bush series. And that's how I met her. I was actually a crew member. I started working my way through the ranks and then after a little while, I ended up on the same team as her, as the driver. And then we became friends after that, and then off we went as time went on after that happened.

Drew H (08:55):
Yeah, I wonder how many people actually come into the distillery because they know that connection and they're like, Ooh, I want to meet a stock car racer.

Tom (09:05):
Sometimes they do, and one thing we don't do much is we really don't bring it up, Kim and I, because we thought, you know what? It's a neat connection, but it's only neat to certain people. It's not something that we look at that as a past life in a lot of ways that we really enjoyed. But if someone else brings it up, we'll bring it up and we'll love to talk about it. We love racing, but we also, since it's in our marrow, both of us spent most of our lives racing that we try to stay away from it. We know once we get back in, it's addicting. So we try to ignore it as much as we can now because we get the smell of high octane fuel and all of a sudden our pole starts racing and we want to do it again. So we're kind of enjoying the distilling life right now.

Drew H (09:51):
Well, I think it's interesting because you kind of went the opposite direction of what we always hear from the old moonshiners all turned into stock car racers, so you kind of went the opposite direction.

Tom (10:01):
Yeah, we did. We did. And we were fortunate enough to have been in the sports at a time when all the old moonshine runners were still alive and still around.

Drew H (10:09):
Wow.

Tom (10:10):
Meeting the Allisons and Junior Johnson, some of those guys. So it was kind of neat that we would actually be in the garage. We traveled the United States, we were on the circuit for years, so to actually meet some of those folks and talk to them about their moonshine running, and this was long before we decided we wanted to open a distillery. But yeah, we remember just sitting around talking to him about that and it's a neat history to nascar, that's for sure.

Drew H (10:36):
So what got you interested in getting into distilling?

Tom (10:40):
Well, of course we'd always heard with the family link to Bardstown, and my entire life, whenever I would tell someone what my name was, they would instantly ask me if we made bourbon. And I just laugh it off and say, no, we're from Bardstown, but that we don't do that. So I'd always heard that just growing up. But Kim and I, while we were still racing, came up to Kentucky from North Carolina where we're living at the time, came up to visit some family, and while we were up here driving around, saw the big brown sign for Maker's Mark, and this was around 2006. So we pulled in there and of course we thought the place was huge. Well, that was 2006. It's a whole lot bigger now, but still, it was incredible. And we had an incredible experience, basically had the place to ourselves. It was a little bit different 2006, but fell in love with everything about it.

(11:30):
And next thing you know, a couple of weeks later, we came back again, and this time we actually met Bill Samuels. Bill Samuels actually took us on our tour. So by then we were just hooked with the whole industry. We loved everything about it. We thought, this is neat. We love the sights, the sounds, the smells, obviously the taste of bourbon. So we just started becoming bourbon fans, bourbon geeks. And then as time went on, we just kept learning more, meeting more people in the industry, and then she and I both decided to move on from the careers that we had after racing, and we thought, you know, why don't we bite the bullet and do this? It's all we talk about and all we're interested in, so why don't we do it? And she and I were kind of known for doing that, take a chances and doing things like that. So that's basically what got us into it is Wayne Bill Samuels.

Drew H (12:16):
Well, you and I have had a chance to talk before because I came up there late 2021, and we discussed a couple of things. One of the things you mentioned, which I thought was interesting, and it kind of shows the comradery and the connection between distilleries in Kentucky and all across the globe actually. But this idea of how you got started by actually going to visit another local distillery, can you kind of tell that story?

Tom (12:47):
Oh, absolutely. So once we realized that this was really something we wanted to do, of course we started visiting all the distilleries just like everyone does, and just like I hope people continue to do. And of course we went to MB, Roland Casey Jones, places like that, and we weren't in the industry yet, but we met the folks and again, just fell in love with 'em. Thought, man, these are just salt of the earth people. Then in 2015 when we really decided that we were thinking seriously about doing this, Paul Thomashevsky at MB Roland was offering a called Camp Distillery where you could come and spend about four or five days at MB Roland and he would basically do his best to scare you out of starting a distillery as any good person would. So I went and I always joke that he didn't do a very good job of scaring me. By the time it was all said and done, I thought, yeah, this is definitely what we want to do.

Drew H (13:37):
So how do you come about going into a schoolhouse? And this is a schoolhouse you are somewhat familiar with, as I understand,

Tom (13:45):
Very familiar with. It's actually the school that I went. I was in elementary school there from kindergarten until sixth grade, and then three generations of my family before me graduated from there all the way from 1930s on up. So my earliest memories are of these buildings, and they quit using them for the most part around 1990. They still use it as an elementary, some of the buildings. And then around 2005 or so, I think they shut them down completely and just sold 'em to some local people who lived there. By the time we came along, those buildings had been abandoned essentially for about a decade. And when we decided to start a distillery, Kim said, so where are we going to build this thing? I said, well, I know what would be the perfect spot, but it's going to take about a decade of work to get it ready, and that's how long it's taken.

(14:31):
So we were able to get the site, but it's on 33 acres. It's three giant buildings. I mean, it was a K through 12 for 90 years. So really great bones, but of course in bad shape. So we've done a tremendous amount of work trying to rehabilitate and still have a lot of work to go, but we've been operating a small distillery out of one of the buildings, and now we're ready to jump up to a bigger one. So it's a great spot right off the WK Parkway in Kentucky, which will soon be a little exchange off of I 69 once they finally complete that. So it's in a great location for travelers. So we're excited about the spot.

Drew H (15:07):
I hear you're getting a brown sign soon.

Tom (15:10):
We finally got approved. That's the main thing. The main thing is getting approved for it. But then they said, congratulations, now give us all the money you have because they're expensive, they're very expensive,

(15:19):
And now they're even more expensive than they were, and they're even harder to pay for. They used to give you a lot of years to actually pay it off. Now they basically want the money right now. So basically in the same email, we were elated, and then on the bottom half the email, our heart sank. We thought, wow, we're going to do this, but we're working on it. That's been a big goal to get that big brown sign. I'm a history buff and in Kim is as well. So to get our own brown sign at the exit that basically I grew up at, it's exciting to know that they've approved it. Now we just got to pay for it, but it's coming. It's coming soon.

Drew H (15:55):
So one of the spirits that I got to taste while I was there was the, well, I didn't get to taste, actually, I think you are actually out of it at the moment, is the Silver Mule. And we talked a little bit about that while I was there, and I thought it was fascinating because one of the things that I've researched in terms of Tennessee whiskey is that they did not like having color in their whiskey in the 19th century. And so because of that, they would put it into, if they did store it in the barrel, they would put it in a barrel that they wouldn't get any coloration out of. Talk about the Silver Mule, the concept behind it, because a lot of places could just make moonshine, but you're actually going a step further with it.

Tom (16:39):
What we didn't want do is we didn't want to market a moonshine. We didn't want to say, Hey, this is just like they make out in the woods. Not we want it to be a whiskey, but we want it to be clear. We want it to be right off the steel. It's what we normally just call a new make whiskey.

(16:54):
Well, the only way that we can legally call it a whiskey, which in my mind is what it is, is that it must rest in a new charred oak container, or you can't call it a whiskey. It doesn't matter what it is. So we said, all right, fine. We know how to do that. So we got some barrels and we cleaned them out real good to cut the top off of it, and we made its wear. As soon as we made this whiskey and got it to where we wanted it, we would actually pour it into that barrel long enough to rest and then pour it back out and voila, you have whiskey and one thing. Yeah, and it is just so we can call it a whiskey, which again, in my mind historically that's what whiskey Whiskey was,

(17:37):
But we tell people it's a new make. We're not doing anything fancy. It's not old whiskey that we've taken the color out. It is brand new off the steel, but by God it's a whiskey. It meets all the criteria. Here it is. And we actually market ours more. I mean, we have some people who buy it and they drink it just straight up like it is, which is fantastic. But we really market it more as a cocktail mixer. We bottle our Silver Mule at 124 proof, and basically we say, look, if you're making a cocktail instead of grabbing the vodka, why don't you grab this 124 proof whiskey and see what it does? Everyone who tries it absolutely loves it. We have people that now put that in their cocktails instead of vodka, and they're saying it's just such a different flavor, which obviously would be because vodka has no flavor, this stuff has all kinds of flavor,

(18:27):
Really adds a lot to the drink. But as you said, you couldn't get ahold of it because we have not been selling it now for a while because of our two little stills. I got to where as soon as I was making it, people were wanting the silver Mule. Well, I can't put barrels away if I keep taking it off the still and putting it right in a bottle of selling it is Silver Mule. So we had to make a decision and say, look, people will come back to the Silver Mule when it's time, so I'm going to take it off the market, start putting that into barrels instead. So glad I did. And the good news is as soon as that column is up and running, I can make a ton of Silver Mule on day one.

Drew H (19:00):
Nice.

Tom (19:01):
Because as soon as it comes off there, I just go put it in some barrels and we can have it right back on the shelf. So that's coming. There's a hot tank for everybody. Silver Mule will be back on the shelf just as soon as that column is up and running. That's actually the first thing that I'm going to be making and dialing in.

Drew H (19:16):
So is the Mule and Berg the same recipe? Is that what you're basically now putting in barrels?

Tom (19:22):
It is our weed. So our Muhlenberg is our weeded product and then our sender and smoke brands that is our rye based. So yeah, Muhlenberg will always be our weeded and we just use the same, and we have different barrels. We've kept some back to try to get some age on some, but again, operating those two little stills, I can't say, oh yeah, I've put away a thousand barrels. No I haven't. There's no way I'd be dead by now if I tried that. But yeah, we just use our standard weeded match bill for all of that. And so you can taste our Silver Mule and know what it tastes like just off the still and just proof down a little bit and then try Muhlenberg Bourbon. Then you know what it tastes like after a few years. And then as we put more and more away, you'll get a full vertical through the years of what stuff tastes like everybody else is doing with their products.

Drew H (20:13):
Was the choice of wheat kind of an homage to the fact that this all kicked off with your Maker's Mark visit?

Tom (20:19):
I think it was because also, I mean, that was one of the first bourbons that I ever really enjoyed when I ever tasted any. And some people, whenever they start talking about the different popular and high production bourbons that they like, some people start to scoff at different ones, not the ones, I'll tell you look right now, there's Makers on my shelf as we speak. I'll always have Makers' Mark. I enjoy it, I love it. It's good stuff. So absolutely. When we first started distilling, I said, well, let's make something our version of what I love and what Kim loves as well. Yeah, absolutely. And I do. I love a weed bourbon. I love 'em both. I love 'em both.

Drew H (20:59):
Well, the thing I like about this whiskey now, you look at the back and it says aged at least one year, and we'll talk about that in a second. But the other thing is it's a higher proof and it's got some nice fruity character to it. With wheat whiskey I am sometimes it feels like it needs a barrel for some time, but you've gotten around that somehow and made something that to me is very impressive at a really early age. You got a lot of the barrel influence, the caramel, vanilla, some toasted oak in there that I pull in. But this nice fruit note that comes in as well, is that down to the choice of the type of wheat that you're using.

Tom (21:40):
It's a combination of two things as far as that note that you're getting. It's the wheat that we're using. It's also even the barley. We use a higher barley content and it's kind of a chocolate malt, so it's just adding more and more sweetness to the red winter wheat that we put in. And then the red of course, red winter wheat, that's obviously helping quite a bit. So even before we cook, I have to watch Kim because she'll actually walk by, just grab a handful of the malts and actually just start eating it almost like you do with Nestle quick powder. That's kind of what it's like to her. So our grains are really sweet tasting before they ever go in. So that's a lot to it. But the barrels, the cells who we get our barrels from, they have just shown to really have nice notes in how they put those barrels together and where they're sourcing their wood. They also age the age the stains for 12 to 24 months depends on what we're looking for. So I think that combination really helped a lot with getting a very, very young bourbon that has a much older notes to it.

Drew H (22:45):
So you got big changes actually going on right now, and you are about to open up your brand new visitors experience. So give me an idea of what people will be experiencing when they come to Bard Distillery.

Tom (23:00):
Sure. Well, right now, whenever they come see us, of course they come in our gymnasium and we have what used to be the entryway with the hotdog stand is our gift shop. So we're expanding beyond that in the new facility next door, we're going to have a much larger visitor's area. There's going to be a much bigger area inside for people to just come hang out, enjoy a cocktail. We're doing that now, but at least now you'll have indoor and outdoor places to do that. Lots more outdoor areas as well, because again, I keep going back to Maker's Mark, where you could come have bring your picnic and just lay out on the grounds and just enjoy your day there. And we want to do the same thing. We want it to be a destination experience for people where they come and they stay a while and have a good time.

(23:43):
So a lot more just space to operate and do what we want to do as far as the visitor experiences that we want to have. We're designing right now more tour options because some people, you'll hear that they don't want to see any more equipment. They don't mind staring at it. They don't want to hear the process. And I think the current term that people are using, everyone's been 51% corned to death. So some people don't want to hear that, but some people like me who's a equipment nerd, I do want to hear it. I do want to see it. But we're going to have some things where, hey, if you don't want to do all that, just come in. We'll give you different experiences with our products, different immersions, and also we're going to have some art installations as time goes on. So for art lovers, we're going to have some art that you can see in your regular visit there, but some that will be kind of hidden away that if you really want to go and see what we've got going on, come this route.

(24:37):
We're starting to do more events where people basically just have an event with Kim and I. We're actually doing little one-offs right now to trial it, but we've already had a lot of success with it, like a fireside with the distillers. We're having another one I think this upcoming January. So we're just starting to give people more options on how can you enjoy visiting our distillery? How can you do something you really haven't done at other places? One thing else that we're doing is by moving out of the gymnasium, that's always been meant to be our entertainment venue. So by getting out of there with our production and our regular distillation and at visitor center, that will now become our event center where we'll have concerts. People will be able to use the event center if they so choose. But I'm a music fan, so I always tell people, sometimes I think this distillery is just a ruse for me to get my center going

(25:27):
Just so that I can get some big artists in and get good seats to some of my favorite people. So lots of things like that. We're putting our lake back so people will be able to come and enjoy our lake and do things around there. So that's kind of what we're looking for. We're going to have some distillery exclusive options now that we're allowed to do that to an extent in Kentucky. So there will be products and things at our distillery that you can't get anywhere else. So lots of things to make it worth your while to stop by there. If you're a fan of bourbon and a fan of just a neat experience, we're going to have lots of things.

Drew H (26:00):
Well, I think the advantage of having I 69 now starting to open up and getting people the idea that they can travel south, not just down I 75 or taking the normal pass, but that they can come through and that there are distilleries all throughout Western Kentucky. And I try to stress this to people that, yes, Lexington is great. Yes, Bardstown is great. Yes, Louisville is great, but come on. I mean, if you want to go see more of the salt of the earth people, as you say that, get away from the bigness and start seeing some of what is going on in terms of what craft distillers are doing, Western Kentucky is fun to drive around. It's got a different feel to it.

Tom (26:45):
That's exactly right. Every time a new distillery comes online in western Kentucky, we're all really excited because we strength in numbers and people may not travel to Western Kentucky to see one distillery, but they'll go to see 5, 6, 7 or eight, and that's what we have now. So yeah, we're really looking forward to people coming to see us. And it's a great trip. It's a different part of Kentucky that a lot of people never go to see, and now they have a reason to.

Drew H (27:10):
Well, you, Tom and your wife Kim, it's worth just going out to meet you two guys because you're both wonderful hosts and I really appreciate the hospitality that you've shown me when I've been out there, and I wish you all the luck in the world going forward.

Tom (27:28):
Alright, drew, I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Drew H (27:30):
Well, I hope you enjoyed this ride to the Bart Distillery. If I peaked your interest in traveling to the distillery, make sure to head to whiskey-lord.com/flights where you could view the profile of Bar Distillery, the growing list of worldwide distilleries that we're featuring on the show. Then dig deeper into the whiskey lore online distillery travel guide. Use the heart feature to show your interest in the particular distillery or log in with a free membership and bookmark your favorite distillery. So add them to your very own wishlist. The site features, planning tools, maps, steward dates, and booking links for over 600 distilleries worldwide. Start your journey@whiskeylo.com slash blights. Stay tuned because in just a moment, I'm going to have some closing travel tips if you plan on visiting the Bard Distillery. But first, it's time for this week in whiskey lore.

(28:25):
It was 108 years ago this week that the Memphis Commercial Appeal published a striking photograph of five police detectives famously known as the Couch Squad. They stood proudly in front of an automobile that had covered over 1800 miles in just six months, targeting illegal drinking establishments known as Blind tigers. During the first eight years of Tennessee prohibition, getting a drink in Memphis wasn't exactly a challenge. Mayor Ehh Crump had a reputation for turning a blind eye to illicit saloons. However, as state pressure grew to crack down on illegal activity, captain John m Couch was tasked with shutting down the whiskey trade of the city. But for most of his six month crusade, couch faced stiff resistance, especially within his own police department, largely because he kept arresting boss Crump's cronies, which led to the politician finding ways to undermine his efforts. But after Crump was removed from office by the Tennessee General Assembly, through the passage of the Ouster Law Captain Couch's campaign finally gained momentum.

(29:34):
What had been a frustrating catch and release effort transformed into real justice against the audacious operators of those blind tigers. The photograph captures a moment of victory with the officers sharply dressed in vests and double-breasted suits. Standing to Captain Couch's right as officer JD Morehead gripping a hatchet in his left hand, a symbolic tool that had been gifted to couch nine years earlier by none other than Carey Nation, the Kentucky firebrand notorious for smashing Kansas saloons with their own hatchet in the days before prohibition. And if you love stories of prohibition and want to learn more about blind tigers, blind pigs, and the origin of the speakeasy, well check out my new book, whiskey Lore Volume One. We're going to learn these things along with the origins of Irish triple distillation, the distilleries that were allowed to distill during prohibition and when and who the real father of bourbon was. It's all within whiskey lore, volume one, the book's now available on Amazon or through your favorite online bookseller.

(30:43):
As we prepare to leave the Bard Distillery and head to our next destination, give you some helpful travel advice. If you're planning out a trip to Western Kentucky, remember that it is in central time, not Eastern time yet. Central Kentucky is in Eastern time. So to make sure you don't miss a tour in central Kentucky, if you start out in Western Kentucky, remember that you are going to lose an hour. But the advantage is if you're in Louisville or Bardstown and you're heading west, you're going to gain an hour. Now, as we close out our visit to the Bar Distillery, if you are still on the fence about a visit, let me give you my three reasons why I think you should have this distillery on your whiskey lower wishlist. Well, first, one of the great things about visiting these Western craft distilleries is a chance to meet the owners.

(31:32):
It's a completely different side of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which sometimes can feel just a little bit corporate. And here you get to see how it all begins. Second, if you're looking to get away from the standard process tour, keep your eyes on the distilleries website to see what kinds of special tours Tom and Kim have in store for you. And y'all wanted to check out their new Stillhouse and Visitor center as well. And third, I have to say that I was completely impressed by Tom's ability to pick and manage barrels. The cinder and smoke line has been phenomenal, and I'm not normally a huge fan of weeded whiskeys, as many of them will underwhelm me. I couldn't leave the bar distillery without getting a bottle of their flavorful Muhlenberg whiskey, which stands apart at its younger age. Well, it's time to head west of Paducah and then head down the Mississippi River to Memphis for a return visit to one of my favorite Tennessee distilleries, one filled with history and one of the best New Tennessee whiskeys on the market. Make sure you're subscribed to the Whiskey Lo podcast so you don't miss any of the great 48 tour. I'm your Travel Drew Hanish. And until next time, cheers Ava for transcripts and travel information, including maps, distillery planning information and more. Head to whiskey lord.com/flights. Whiskey loza production of Travel fuels Life LLC.