We all know that Bardstown is the best, but now we can show the rest of the commonwealth (and the world) just how good we are.
Kentucky Living Magazine is once again inviting travelers to choose the Best of Kentucky. Three finalists have been chosen in 30 categories, ranging from food and drink to museums and natural attractions.
Bardstown has received 10 nominations, and no, they are not all in bourbon categories. It’s no secret that Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World, is superior in the distilling of America’s only native spirit, so it’s not surprising that it would fare well when it comes to the state’s favorite drink.
In the category of Best Bourbon, two of the three finalists – Maker’s Mark and Elijah Craig – are made in Bardstown.
However, bourbon isn’t the only thing Bardstown distilleries do well. They also do hospitality, as witness the fact that two distilleries have been nominated in the category of Best Distillery Tour. See for yourself on tours at Maker’s Mark Distillery and Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.
Maker’s Mark has eight different tours, ranging from the one-hour-and- fifteen-minute beginner’s tour to the American White Oak From Sip to Seed Tour for those knowledgeable drinkers fascinated by the science of bourbon distilling. The Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience combines immersive tours and tastings with hands-on experiences such as bottling your own whiskey.
While its nomination doesn’t come from the bourbon end of its business, Log Still Distillery received a nod in the Best Place for Live Music category.
The Amp, a 2,300-seat outdoor amphitheater has hosted concerts by country superstars such as Shenandoah, Martina McBride and Little Big Town The Amp at Log Still has created quite a stir in the few short years of its existence – as witness its finalist position alongside the iconic Renfro Valley Entertainment Center in Rockcastle County and Joel Ray’s Lincoln Jamboree in Hodgenville.
Just to prove that Kentucky is not all about bourbon, it does a pretty fair job cultivating the grape (the first commercial winery in America was planted in the state). Bardstown also has a finalist in the Best Winery category. That would be the McIntyre & Family Winery, known for its blackberry and blueberry fruit wines, and wines you’ll never find in Napa or Sonoma, including dandelion wine and corn cob wine (the latter aged in bourbon barrels).
We do more than drink here in Bardstown. We also eat, and eat pretty well according to the Best of Kentucky which has four local spots competing in the finals.
Bardstown Burger, a finalist in the Best Burger category, is often praised for the quality of the meat, the seasoning and the way it’s cooked which is reminiscent of a hamburger right off the backyard grill.
Everyone loves a good breakfast spot, and Pat’s Place is one of the three restaurants competing for the title of Best Breakfast Place in Kentucky. So, cast your vote for Pat’s and then stop in for the Banana Nut Bread French Toast or the biscuits and gravy.
The iconic Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar, a fixture in Bardstown, loved by locals and visitors alike, is a finalist for Best Down Home Restaurant.
Rounding out the food categories is the state’s Best Sweet Shop where Bardstown’s own Hadorn’s Bakery (home of the ‘Yum Yum’) is competing with Serendipity Kandy Kitchen in Shelbyville and The Sweet Shoppe and Dessert Café in Hodgenville.
As one of Kentucky’s oldest cities, our history has always been important to us, so we are thrilled to see that My Old Kentucky Home, the beloved Federal Hill immortalized in song by Stephen Foster, is a finalist for Best Historic Attraction alongside such heavy-hitters as Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park.
Finally, what’s a great town without a great Main Street, and here in Bardstown, we have one of the best.
With shops such as Cactus Annie’s and Evergreen Liquors; attractions such as Taste of Bardstown Tours and Around the Town Carriage, along with art galleries, boutiques, bookstores and souvenir shops, Bardstown’s Main Street is a finalist in the Best Downtown Shopping District Category. In this one, you can vote both with your computer and with with your credit card.
Voting for your favorites began May 1st and continues until May 31st. Go to kentuckyliving.com and vote once a day per email address.Winners will be announced live August 19th at 10:00 a.m. on Facebook and You Tube, and results will be published in the September issue of Kentucky Living and on kentuckyliving.com.
So, be sure to vote and let the rest of the commonwealth know that Bardstown is truly the best.
For more information on Bardstown, go to VisitBardstown.com.