Mint Julep Experiences can help you check off your Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Bucket List
If you’ve done one bourbon tour or dozens, you quickly realize that the bourbon industry is fueled by relationships. It’s the people behind the scenes — filling barrels, rolling barrels, driving busses, selling distillery swag, hosting tastings, analyzing samples, tasting samples (the lucky ones), etc. — who have made bourbon the billion-dollar industry it is today.
It is with those relationships and partnerships in mind that Mint Julep Experiences has become one of the leading bourbon tour and “transportainment” companies in both Kentucky and Tennessee. With more than 12 years under its belt, Mint Julep provides its guests one-of-a-kind custom experiences they can’t get anywhere else.
As their motto says, they provide Southern hospitality with a twist of mint. Think of it as a 360-degree view of the bourbon industry.
And the proof can easily be found on top travel sites like TripAdvisor, where Mint Julep has countless five-star TripAdvisor reviews and has won the Travelers’ Choice award year after year. Mint Julep was also named one of the “Best Guided Drinking Tours in America” by Condé Nast Traveler.
Exclusive Bourbon Experiences
Going back to those relationships mentioned above, Mint Julep is able to offer their guests exclusive experiences they wouldn’t be able to get just walking into a Kentucky distillery. With more than 12 years of entertaining and chauffeuring tourists along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, these perks make it an easy decision when choosing the perfect bourb
on tour company.
Mint Julep can work with any range of budget and group size to turn you into a VIP for the day and get you behind the ropes. Whether you have a party of 2 or 22 (and even more!), Mint Julep can create a custom bourbon tour itinerary that’ll make everyone happy. And the fun part is, no two tours are exactly alike! Each tour is curated specifically to the guests’ desires and schedule.
So what can you get from Mint Julep that you can’t get elsewhere? Let’s start with inside access to tour times not offered to the public. Mint Julep’s solid relationships with many bourbon distilleries allow them to bring guests before some distilleries open for the day, or even stay later after closing time for an after-hours bourbon distillery experience.
Imagine climbing through a rick house, among hundreds of aging bourbon barrels, looking for that perfect honey barrel with a distiller. Then imagine him or her brandishing a whiskey thief to draw out the bourbon straight from the barrel and into your glass. Flecks of black char swirl in the barrel-proof juice like a snow globe.
It’s a bourbon-soaked fantasy many whiskey aficionados dream about, and Mint Julep can make it a reality with their exclusive offerings.
The sky is truly the limit when it comes to booking one-of-a-kind Kentucky bourbon experiences with Mint Julep, and those mentioned above are only two examples among many.
How about a progressive themed dinner, complete with cocktail pairings, with a top chef? Or what about tasting some highly sought-after bourbons in an elevated tasting experience? Mint Julep has you covered.
Ever wonder how distillers blend their barrels to get that consistent flavor time and time again? Learn from professionals how they do it, and then get a chance to create your own blend that you can brag about with friends years later.
Want to pick your very own barrel out of a rick house, or perhaps you have an appointment already to do that? Mint Julep can coordinate private barrel selections and provide transportation to and from the distillery as well.
Beyond Bourbon in Kentucky— Other Bucket List Experiences
While most folks who visit Kentucky are thirsty for bourbon, Mint Julep can curate additional experiences as well — from a stop at a horse farm to tastings at a winery to a multi-day, multi-state experience between Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn.
Kentucky is home to dozens of wineries and breweries, many of which work one on one with Mint Julep to create unique behind-the-scenes experiences for guests who want to add wine or beer to their bourbon itinerary.
History, tradition and innovation often collide on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, and Mint Julep can navigate through them all by including stops at a barrel-making cooperage, a look at Vendome Copper & Brassworks — which makes distillery equipment for most of the bourbon industry and beyond — a working Kentucky farm, haunted inns, dive bars, high-end bourbon lounges, five-star restaurants and many, many more.
Mint Julep has partnerships with the area’s top culinary chefs, so a food-pairing experience can also be intertwined among the day’s activities. When I said the sky was the limit with your Bourbon Trail Bucket List, I wasn’t kidding.
Travel Bourbon Country in Style
Mint Julep has a wide range of luxury vehicles for any group size wanting to travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, and the fleet is out on the streets seven days a week canvassing the Kentucky countryside. The company also operates out of Nashville and can facilitate multi-state/multi-city experiences for those looking to spend a few days in the South.
Road Trip to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail® and Nashville
The Tennessee Whiskey Trail® is booming with new distilleries and one-of-a-kind experiences at two mainstays: Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel. And just like in Kentucky, Mint Julep has great relationships at all of them to offer exclusive opportunities.
While in Nashville, Mint Julep has created fun-filled foodie adventures including a Bourbon, Beer & BBQ tour and a Sweet Start: Mimosas & Murals experience.
And speaking of Music City, Mint Julep is your ticket to a behind-the-scenes look at the country music industry, providing you access to historic museums, landmarks and sound studios with today’s top talent — and you may even get a chance to record your own song!
Urban Bourbon Trail® Tours via Open-Air Tuk-Tuks
If your departure city is Louisville, there’s one more adventure Mint Julep has up its sleeve, and it involves only three wheels! That’s right — you can explore bourbonism up close and personal in your own private tuk-tuk with Bourbon City Cruisers. These open-air, three-wheeled, battery-powered vehicles take you all around downtown Louisville on your own private Urban Bourbon Trail® tour.
From cocktail bars to historical markers to bourbon distilleries, Bourbon City Cruisers are a fun and adventurous way to learn, taste, smell, see and feel the bourbon-soaked culture that permeates throughout Louisville.
The knowledgeable Cruiser Captains will enlighten you every step of the way and take you to their favorite dives, lounges, Instagram-worthy photo spots, distilleries, bottle shops and much more! In fact, it’s like having your own private tour guide for three hours, getting an insider’s knowledge on all things Derby City.
As you can see, Mint Julep can give you that 360-degree view of the bourbon industry and help you check off that Bourbon Bucket List. The company has loyal partnerships with most of the distilleries that dot the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, and they can get you behind the ropes for a one-of-a-kind escapade in Bourbon Country, Music City and all spots in between. Contact Mint Julep today to work directly with an experience coordinator and start planning your exclusive bourbon experiences, transportation, travel dates and more!