Written by: Dominick A. Miserandino Photography by: Margherita Miserandino
How not to get drunk in Louisville while drinking bourbon, and what to do at Churchill Downs.
Louisville is synonymous with the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Bourbon, so that’s just what we figured we’d check out.
Churchill Downs is actually the more specific home of the Kentucky Derby where the horses have run for the past hundred years and than some. It looks a bit like you expect a racetrack to look, but the history is everywhere. "Here’s the statue of the first horse to win the race.", "Here’s the sign commemorating the Xth anniversary of the race." The museum lets you learn about the history of the race and everything you wanted to know about being a jockey but were afraid to ask. In the back is an actual Kentucky Derby horse that you can stand next to and take the usual mandated picture.
Churchill Downs
A few minutes later, we were back on the bus and rode through the blue grass hills of Kentucky. It’s a beautiful ride and we ended up at the Jim Bean Distillery.
Beware of the trees!
Why do I say that? Besides the dramatic impact it has, it’s an issue of décor. I’m not sure if it’s the most fashionable statement on the part of the distillers but the trees are black. Dark black, deathly black. Blacker than a coal miner’s lungs on the worst of days. Blacker than charcoal on a hot sunny day. And why are they black?
As the sign so freely admits, it’s a unique fungus that is created by the moisture in the air from the neighboring distillery. Ahh, an encouraging thought. We were led into one of the original buildings where the Jim Beam was made and watched the "Jim Beam" film. The filmmakers didn’t seem to prefer subliminal messages but went straight for the gut when the current president says, "Oooh, that’s good bourbon." ,giving a thumbs up.
Trees at Jim Beam
We left the information building feeling quite in love with Bourbon, and walked over to the next building to try some of that good Kentucky Bourbon. I’m far from a bourbon connoisseur, but was told that my urge to grab my throat, cough a bit, and proclaim it "Darn strong" was quite typical.
It was then, back on the bus, and a ride across the beautiful Kentucky countryside to get back to the boat.
