MAY 15, 2015. BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY.
Old Talbott Tavern is on the right. The town’s Welcome Center is the large building at the end of the street.
THE TOWN. Bardstown has been named “Most Beautiful Small Town in America” by USA Today and Rand McNalley. And the downtown area is designated as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s, quaint, charming and inviting. And boy, is there a lot to see! Art galleries, historic buildings, music, and one-of-a-kind restaurants. Diverse shops, antiques and collectibles, bookstores, historic cathedrals, Civil War and Railroad museums…the photo opps in Bardstown are endless. We can’t see it all during the six days we’ll be here, but we’ll give it a good shot.
THE OLD TALBOTT TAVERN. Located just off the Courthouse Square in the center of town, the Tavern has been serving traditional Kentucky favorites and a rich history for more than 200 years. Daniel Boone and Abe Lincoln have both passed through the Tavern’s doors. And bullet holes in an upstairs wall are reputed to have been shot by Jessee James. Lots of folks claim to have encountered ghosts inside the tavern, as well!
WE TOOK OUR CHANCES. We decided not to worry about whizzing bullets or ghosts this afternoon when we went to the Tavern for a late lunch. Our timing was perfect…it was about 3 pm and there was a lull between the lunch and dinner crowds. Perfect for picture-taking. We had one of the three dining rooms to ourselves. I had a New England style pot roast dinner with vegetables and freshly baked biscuits. The pot roast was good. Not quite as good as my own pot roast recipe, but pretty good.
THE OLD TALBOTT TAVERN
The Tavern has been serving food and drink for more than 200 years.
Our table. Very nice. We had the entire dining room to ourselves because we dined during the lull between lunch and dinner service.
Each of the three dining areas in the Tavern has a fireplace. Mantles over each one display antique memorabilia.
More antiques on display.
AFTER LUNCH WE POKED AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
Someone rode her bike to Kreso’s Restaurant. Why not? It kind of fits with the vibe in town.
Antiques and Collectibles are on display in dozens of little shops downtown.
This little cowboy wants something he sees in the window, for sure!
What the hell? A shopkeeper persuaded Florence to pose for this picture.
THERE ARE SOME HANDSOME HOMES IN THE AREA.
ABOUT KENTUCKY BOURBON…
KENTUCKY IS BOURBON COUNTRY. Bourbon is big business in Kentucky and Bardstown is the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” For the area’s Scotch-Irish pioneers, distilling was a way of life. And some of Kentucky’s earliest settlers were professional distillers fleeing Pennsylvania during the Whiskey Rebellion, a fight against a flat tax levied during George Washington’s presidency. The result was a fledgling population ripe for whiskey production.
Jim Beam American Stillery.
ALL BOURBON IS WHISKEY, BUT NOT ALL WHISKEY IS BOURBON. At that time, whiskey was just whiskey. But in the 1780’s, one of Kentucky’s first counties, Bourbon County, was formed. It was named after the French “House of Bourbon” in gratitude for the country’s assistance during the American Revolution. As Bourbon County farmers shipped their whiskey down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to new Orleans in oak barrels stamped “Bourbon,” referencing the point of origin, customers began requesting “that Bourbon Whiskey.” It was different than other whiskeys of the time because the long trip down the river aged it, giving it a rich oak flavor.
LOCAL DISTILLERIES. There are several distilleries in and around Bardstown, including Jim Beam, Barton 1792, Four Roses and Maker’s Mark. They all have very interesting tours. Some of the bars around town, including the Old Talbott Tavern where we had lunch today, have more than 100 different bourbons from which to choose. That’s a lot!
That’s one big selection of bourbon!
WE HAVE LOTS MORE TO SEE AROUND HERE. COME BACK SOON.
