On The Trail of a Bourbon Experience
Let’s take a little road trip shall we?
I’ll start off by saying that I’m not a brown liquor person. Sometimes I want to be. But, I’m just not. I love the thought of brown liquor. I guess I feel like even the best bourbons, whiskeys, and scotches are wasted on my totally unrefined palate.
Over the years I’ve tried. Trust me. I’ve attended bourbon tastings, whiskey festivals, and other celebrations of distilled spirits. I love the events. They’ve all been well staged and executed. It’s just the actual tasting that’s the problem.
My friends that are into this kind of thing rave about their rare bourbons like they are works of fine art. I get it. And, I have a great appreciation for the skill and craftsmanship it takes to make exceptional spirits, wines, and craft beers. In my case, I’ll take the beer or the wine and leave the bourbon for those who can really appreciate it.
Over the years I’ve traveled through parts of The Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. But I’ve never actually “done the trail”. If you’re interested in planning a trip or setting up an itinerary, there are links to all of the bourbon resources you will need at the bottom of this post.
I did recently make a stop in the heart of Bourbon Country, Louisville, Kentucky. And, when in bourbon territo,ry a stop at a true bourbon establishment is in order.
My stop, Brendon’s Catch 23 (505 S 4th St, Louisville, KY). This isn’t a Kentucky bourbon dive bar. I love dive bars. But this wasn’t that. Brendon’s is very upscale. Steaks and bourbon, that’s their thing. And, on the bourbon side, there are 135 choices!
That is a lot of options. I mean a lot! It borders on insane. But, that insanity seems to be more the norm than the exception when talking about bourbon bars. Choices abound.
This particular list spans a pretty wide range of tastes and prices. $9 gets you a standard 2-ounce pour of Old Grand Dad BIB (Bottled in Bond. FYI, I had to look that term up). And, $150 gets you the same 2 ounces but of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20yr. That’s a BIG spread! But, as it turns out there is a little something for every taste and every budget.
There’s not really a great comparison to craft beer here. Most craft beers can be had for $6 to $10 a pint. Even most of the fantastic ones. Not a big range. But there is a comparison to wines, tequilas, and even vodkas.
OK, this is a little off topic, but here goes. I’m mildly intrigued about the beer thing. Why is it that you don’t see rare or small batch craft beers being sold for $100 a pint? Maybe it’s the audience? I’m not sure. There are a lot of regular Joe’s drinking beer and bourbon. It’s not like people that can afford to splurge for a $150 2-ounce bourbon pour or a $150 bottle of wine don’t like beer. Maybe it’s coming. Maybe I’m ahead of the curve! I should dedicate the time to some additional research!
So, here’s your dilemma. You’re in the Sarasota area. It’s located in the Sunshine State, not the bourbon state. You’re miles and miles from all that the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® has to offer. And, you want brown liquor. What to do?? Obviously, the question that I’m posing is one that I already know the answer to. And now you will too!
Do not despair, there are some great options here on the Suncoast for bourbon tasting. Let’s take a look at a few.
Located on St. Armands Circle is The Whiskey Barrel (15 South Blvd of the Presidents, (267) 266-9650). The name tells you everything that you need to know. Whiskey Barrel, yep you get it. They have a lot of whiskey here. And, they have whiskey related events. They have some private dining space in case you would want to host your own whiskey event. That sounds like fun!
The Whiskey Barrel also has food. They sport a fantastic menu of casual dining fare. A couple of soups, some tasty sandwiches, and some delicious entrees. Oh, they have pizza too. A little strange for a whiskey bar I’ll admit. But, after a few 2-ounce pours, I’m sure a pie would hit the spot!
If you happen to be searching for bourbon in downtown Sarasota, you’re in luck. There is Circo, A Taco Joint & Bourbon Bar (1435 2nd Street, (941) 253-0978). You may remember them for their soon-to-be-famous Walking Taco. No $150 bourbons on the list. But still some damn good ones and some pricey ones too. I was told that, on occasion, they get a visit from our old friend Pappy here too. Or, maybe that was just bar talk?? You should check. Of course, there’s food here too. You can feast on tacos and other casual fare that goes with bourbon or whatever else you may be drinking.
Lastly, let talk Whiskey Obsession. This is billed as the Largest World Whiskey Tasting Event in the South. It started here in little old Sarasota, but, has migrated up the road to Tampa. Still a great event. Just a little farther away. Hey, that’s what hotel rooms and Lyft are for.
This is a big event. It’s held in April, so you’ll have to wait just a bit to scratch the itch to taste all of that brown liquor. I guarantee you it will be worth the wait.
Oh, here’s something that looks like fun. Maybe you want to host your own whiskey tasting for a group of friends? Great idea. Right? Here’s a video with everything you need to know before you send out the invites.
Let’s wrap it, shall we? Here are the bullets. The actual Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, fantastic! But, far away. The Whiskey Barrel, Circo, and Whiskey Obsession are great local alternatives for those searching for a closer to home brown liquor experience.
HERE ARE LINKS TO THINGS WE MAY HAVE REFERENCED IN THIS PIECE
- The Kentucky Bourbon Trail®
- Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon
- Old Grand Dad Bourbon
- Brendon’s Catch 23 – Louisville, KY
- The Whiskey Barrel – Sarasota
- Circo, A Taco & Beer Joint – Sarasota
- Whiskey Obsession Festival
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