DATES
TOUR #1: September 11-14, 2022 ~ SOLD OUT
TOUR #2: September 18-21, 2022 ~ SEATS STILL AVAILABLE

RSVP
(619) 295-3939

COST
$1,780 per person based on double occupancy
Single occupancy upcharge is $280

DEPOSITS
50% initial deposit due upon booking
50% final payment due 21 days before the tour start date

INCLUDED IN COST:
1. One night’s lodging in Nashville, TN and two nights’ lodging in Louisville, KY
2. Transportation to all distilleries and venues
3. Breakfast on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
4. Lunch on Monday and Tuesday
5. Dinner on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
6. All distillery tours and tastings

NOT INCLUDED IN COST:
1. Airfare and ground transportation getting to Nashville and returning from Louisville
2. Optional extra drinks
3. Gratuities for breakfasts (plan on $1-2 per person per day)
4. Gratuities for bus drivers (plan on $15 per person total)

ARRIVING EARLY AND/OR STAYING LATER
We’ve made arrangements with the Nashville hotel (Holiday Inn Express on Clay Street) for a discounted rate for any of our guests who want to come into Nashville a day or two early.  Dittos with the Louisville hotel (Hyatt Regency on Jefferson Street) for anyone wanting to stay a day or two longer.

>>> Please SCROLL DOWN for the hour-by-hour itinerary below, but here’s an overview of the highlights:

SUNDAY
The first day in Nashville will include an exclusive, underground, members-only visit to a secret venue at an undisclosed location that has the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most open bottles of Bourbon in the world.  I’ve been sworn to secrecy but here’s a little “sneak peek.”

After tasting Bourbon in the “Spirits Chapel” there (plus some optional ultra-premium tastings ... Willett 27, anyone?!) we’ll head to another very private venue also at an undisclosed location for a “taste of Nashville.”  It’s actually going to be at our daughter Erica’s house located on a third of an acre in the heart of East Nashville.  It’s a project we’ve been working with her on for over six years now and it’s finally finished.  You can see pictures of the units we built in the rear of her property (which will conveniently not be rented so we’ll have access to their kitchens and restrooms!) plus glimpses of the backyard here. It truly is a magical place that I know everyone will enjoy and Mary and I are so proud of what she’s accomplished!  The event will be held in her backyard and will start with a welcome cocktail made with spirits from local distillery Corsair.  Next we’ll have a grazing dinner featuring a huge sampling of Nashville’s casual cuisine including Hattie B’s hot chicken and Martin’s BBQ.  There will be plenty of wine, beer and cocktails before, during and after dinner and then we’ll conclude the evening with a live music set under the stars by local musician Colin Elmore.  I know it will have been a long day for some, so we’ve made arrangements for an early bus to take folks back to the hotel if you want to make it an early night, and then another bus an hour later for those who want to extend the evening.

MONDAY
After spending Sunday night in Nashville we’ll head north to Kentucky in a luxury charter bus Monday morning.  Breakfast is included at the hotel Monday morning on our way out of town to either eat there or take to go as we’ll need to make an early exit because we lose an hour due to the transition from the Central Time Zone in Tennessee to the Eastern Time Zone in Kentucky.  On our way to Louisville we’ll visit two distilleries in Bardstown, the Bourbon capital of the world.  The first will be the Bardstown Bourbon Company, a state-of-the-art modern facility where we’ll also have lunch and cocktails, and the second will be Heaven Hill, the largest family-owned distillery in Kentucky.  In addition to a tour and tasting there, I’ve made arrangements for a super behind-the-scenes rickhouse tour where you’ll be able to “thief” straight, uncut, barrel proof (usually 130+ proof) Bourbon straight from the barrel.  Next and final stop for the day will be our hotel in Louisville.  After checking in and freshening up, we’ll meet at the Spire, a private venue on the top floor of the hotel.  It’s a circular room that will give you sweeping 360-degree views of Louisville and we’ve got it all to ourselves.  We’ll start with a welcome cocktail as you get off the private elevator and then have a grazing dinner featuring local Louisville culinary favorites paired with Bourbons from four local downtown Louisville distilleries including Angel’s Envy, Rabbit’s Hole, Old Forester and Peerless.  After dinner you’re welcome to explore any of the many Bourbon bars on the “Urban Bourbon Trail” that are walking distance to the hotel (we’ll provide maps) or just call it a night and head back to your room.

TUESDAY
Tuesday morning we’ll head east towards Lexington.  First stop will be a very hands-on distillery called Three Boys Farm Distillery.  The distillery is located in a barn and is anything but corporate.  We’ll tour the facilities there and afterwards thief samples directly from the barrels.  And what’s really cool about this place is that if you like a particular sample from a particular barrel, they’ll bottle it up for you straight from that barrel for you to take to-go.  To my knowledge they are the only distillery offering this service.  Next we’ll head to Buffalo Trace (also home to Pappy Van Winkle, Blanton’s, Col. E. H. Taylor, Eagle Rare and a host of other top end Bourbons).  We’ll start with a fascinating tour of their extensive grounds followed by an in-depth tasting.  After that I’ve bought out their Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse, a large log cabin built in 1935 where we’ll have a welcome cocktail and a BBQ lunch.  After lunch we’ll head south to Wilderness Trail Distillery, a relatively new distillery that utilizes some pretty state-of-the-art technology not found elsewhere.  It was founded in 2006 by a couple of buddies in a rock band whose families had a long history in the Bourbon industry.  Their passion and pursuit of excellence is evident in their Bourbons ... some of the smoothest out there.  After that we’ll head back to Louisville to Evan Williams micro distillery right in the heart of downtown and nine minutes walking distance to our hotel.  (This is important because the bus driver has to deadhead back to Nashville right after dropping us off so as not to exceed DOT maximum daily driving times.)  We’ll have an in-depth tour here with a specialty cocktail and tasting followed by a very special tasting dinner in their underground speakeasy along with more specialty Bourbon cocktails.  After dinner we’ll walk (waddle?!) back to the hotel where you can either check in and call it a night ... or have a final nightcap at a local Bourbon bar.

WEDNESDAY
The tour is officially over when you wake up Wednesday morning (breakfast is included) but there are plenty of things to do within walking distance before you have to fly out that afternoon.  I recommend taking the Trolley de “Ville tour which will give you a great overview of the city including a stop at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.  There’s also the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Muhammed Ali Museum and a steamboat cruise on the Ohio River.  There are also three distilleries within walking distance (Angel’s Envy, Old Forester and Peerless) if you want to experience another Bourbon tour and tasting.  For those of you not spending an extra day in Louisville, if you’re going back to San Diego, the plane is currently scheduled to depart at 4:30.

Whew!  Should be another tour for the record books!  Thanks for reading!

Here’s the hour-by-hour itinerary.  (For those of you coming from San Diego, I’ve listed Southwest flight numbers and times for your convenience but airfare is not included.)

SUNDAY
06:30 AM  Dep SAN (San Diego) on Southwest #2947
12:30 PM  Arr BNA (Nashville)
01:30 PM  Check into Nashville hotel
02:30 PM  Bus arrives to hotel
03:00 PM  Arr members only Bourbon club
04:15 PM  Dep Bourbon club
04:45 PM  Arr private venue for cocktails, taste of Nashville, beer, wine + live music
07:30 PM  Dep private venue (1st bus for those who want to leave early)
08:00 PM  Arr hotel (1st bus for those who want to arrive early)
08:30 PM  Dep private venue (last bus for those who want to stay later)
09:00 PM  Arr hotel for the night 

MONDAY
07:00 AM  Breakfast included at hotel
08:00 AM  Bus departs Nashville (one hour time zone change from TN to KY)
11:30 PM  Arr Bardstown Bourbon Company for tour, tasting, cocktails + lunch
02:15 PM  Dep Bardstown Bourbon Company
02:45 PM  Arr Heaven Hill >>> tour, tasting, rickhouse visit, cocktails
05:15 PM  Dep Heaven Hill
06:15 PM  Arr Hyatt Regency Louisville
07:15 PM  Take private elevator to Spire rooftop venue
07:30 PM  Welcome cocktail, grazing dinner + local Bourbon tasting at Spire
09:00 PM  Urban Bourbon Trail on your own (optional; or just call it a night) 

TUESDAY
06:30 AM  Breakfast included at Hyatt
08:00 AM  Bus departs Louisville
09:00 AM  Arr Three Boys Farm Distillery >>> tour, tasting
11:00 AM  Dep Three Boys Farm Distillery
11:30 PM  Arr Buffalo Trace >>> tour, tasting, BBQ lunch
01:45 PM  Dep Buffalo Trace
02:45 PM  Arr Wilderness Trail >>> tour, tasting, cocktail
04:45 PM  Dep Wilderness Trail
06:15 PM  Arr Evan Williams >>> tour, tasting, cocktails, grazing dinner
08:45 PM  Walk back to Hyatt (9 minute walk)
09:00 PM  Arr Hyatt or Urban Bourbon Trail on your own (optional; or just call it a night) 

WEDNESDAY
07:00ish    Breakfast included at Hyatt
09:00 AM  On your own: visit distilleries (Angel’s Envy, Peerless, Old Forester); Louisville Slugger Museum; Muhammed Ali Museum, Trolley de ‘Ville; river cruise, etc.
01:30 PM  Check out of hotel
02:00 PM  Taxi from Hyatt to airport
04:30 PM  Dep SDF (Louisville) on Southwest #320
07:25 PM  Arr SAN (San Diego)