Wine & Spirits Itinerary

Day 1

Start your morning off right with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa from Capital Cellars

Capital Cellars Bloody Mary

You can sip and shop from this unique downtown Frankfort business.  Continue on just a few doors down to grab a light breakfast and coffee at Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe before exploring some more of the area.  We suggest following the self-guided Public Art Walking Tour where you can see the beautiful murals and sculptures all around downtown and through Riverview Park.  Or get in some retail therapy by stopping in at Completely Kentucky, Glitterati, and the Artisan Center market, you won’t want to miss Poor Richards, Broadway Clay, or any of the other local shopping outlets in downtown.

Uniquely Frankfort local spots for Lunch options are plentiful in Frankfort and any of these downtown eateries are exceptional in their own respect!  Most have large Bourbon selections and their own specialty drinks as well.

After lunch, a guided walking tour with “Colonel E H Taylor” focusing on Bourbon History is the perfect way to spend an hour before heading out to Buffalo Trace Distillery for a tour and tasting at the world’s longest operating and most award-winning distillery in America!  All tours are complimentary, but reservations are complimentary but highly encouraged!

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Frankfort is the home to Kentucky’s only Sculpture Park.  If you want to mix your wine and spirits with some more art and nature, head over to Josephine Sculpture Park where you can interact with nearly 70 works of art as you explore 30 acres of walking paths through native meadows.  The park is free and open to the public 7 days a week.  Dogs are welcome- on leashes.

Sculpture amongst the trees at JSP

Late afternoons/ early evenings are also a nice time to be downtown.  For dinner, enjoy one of Frankfort’s “hot” spots, Bourbon on Main, Goodwood Brewing, or Mortimer Bibb’s Public House.  Both serve up views of the Kentucky River, Bourbon on Main has an extensive Bourbon Bar, while Goodwood features their own selections of beer, some brewed on site.  Mortimer Bibb’s is your “taste of Ireland” in downtown Frankfort, with a small plates menu and variety of beverages. We suggest an after-dinner drink and games at The Cooperage Bar or Brick Alley.

If you are visiting on a Friday in July or August, you may stroll through downtown and enjoy the free concerts that are held on the Old State Capitol lawn. Check out our events calendar for actual dates.

Day 2

Have breakfast at Main Street Diner or a coffee and pastry at the Engine House before heading East to Castle and Key Distillery. Experience well-crafted spirits on 113 acres of rolling hills in a castle that holds more than a century of distilling history. Neighboring this massive castle and its stunning key-shaped springhouse, you will find Glenn’s Creek Distilling, located in the old bottling and shipping building of the former Old Crow Distillery.  This craft distillery offers a pot distilled, hand-crafted, single barrel, barrel strength bourbon. We suggest lunch at The Stave before venturing out for more adult beverages.

Breakfast at Main Street Diner

Castle & Key Distillery

After lunch, you may decide to do some site-seeing.  This area is full of gorgeous horse farms and scenic backroads.  On your way back into town, stop for a wine tasting at Prodigy Vineyards & Winery. Prodigy’s tasting room will provide you a sample of central Kentucky wines in a beautiful setting.  The gift shop is pretty nice too!

End the evening downtown with a quiet dinner at Serafini Restaurant, located on historic Saint Clair St., across from the Old State Capitol. Using local ingredients, Serafini’s chef creates mouth-watering specialties, combining the best of Italy with Kentucky’s southern food traditions.

Day 3

After grabbing breakfast from B’s Bakery, voted the country’s cutest foods by Food Network, start today’s activities with a visit to Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. – In the middle of Bourbon Country. Three Boys Distillery is a craft distillery on a small farm, completely family owned and operated, and they will make your entire group feel like family!  Where else can you pour yourself your own bottle, straight from the barrel?

You can’t come to Frankfort without having a FRANKfurter! We would suggest a late afternoon at Sig Luscher Brewery, where you can enjoy one of their special hot dogs, with all the fixins’, accompanied by Sig’s famously smooth Pilsner.  And be sure to ask about the story of the brewery- it is a good one!

West Sixth Farm

After lunch, if the weather is nice, an afternoon at West Sixth Brewery Farm is the perfect location for a nice walk, fishing, and gaining a behind the scenes look at the Brewing Industry.  Guided tours are available.  You may also choose to venture out on your own.  Dogs are welcome, on leashes. Be sure to check out our calendar to stay up to date on special events at the farm!