Come on, sing it with me!
“It’s beginning to look a lot like nor-mal, across The Bourbon Trail.”
Almost two years ago, I was wondering when I’d ever entertain such glib thoughts again. The annual Bourbon Classic was winding down in February of 2020, and I and some colleagues had just finished a food and whiskey pairing for 156 people. None of us could have guessed that it would be the biggest event any of us would work for a long time. Even the 10-person pairing I did a week later was huge compared to what was coming—nothing at all. By the time a trio of mid-March pairings booked in St. Louis were cancelled, COVID-19 was just revving up. I’d not do a public presentation until September of 2021.
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READ THE STORYWhen distilleries closed their doors to visitors shortly after, bourbon tourism economies in communities like Bardstown, Lawrenceburg, Frankfort and Louisville suffered. Surely some in those places enjoyed the drastically reduced road traffic and a respite from the whiskey-mad masses. But as shutdowns dragged on and revenue plunged, the quiet got old.
Fast forward to the end of 2021, when the worst of the pandemic has passed, and traffic is flowing again to Kentucky’s distilleries. Most all have reopened for tours that are booked months out. Packed tasting rooms smell of whiskey and vibrate with happiness. People seem as excited to see strangers as they are to sip booze in public and at the source.
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