I'm going to be in Lexington the weekend of July 30-Aug 1 and was thinking about doing a distillery tour. I'm looking for one that is interesting historically and that is also scenic. I don't want to travel real far from Lexington as I only have the long weekend. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. TIA

Nobody has any input?

The closest is probably Woodford Reserve which is about 10 miles from Lexinton. www.woodfordreserve.com
They have something called picnic on the porch you might want to try. It's listed under events on their website.
The other distilleries really aren't close to Lexington. They are in surrounding towns/counties - Lawrenceburg, Frankfort, Bardstown.

In May, we did the Maker's Mark tour near Bardstown(I think). Lovely, quiet location and a well-done tour. Delicious bourbon chocolates for sale in the gift shop(one free sample).

I've done the tour at Woodford Reserve and it was very nice. There is a restaurant on hand that boasts a traditional KY menu and it was pretty good. One thing to note is that there is no bourbon or sampling on location. If you are interested, we did a fabulous tour of Claiborne Farms (horses) - it had to be arranged ahead of time (they don't run on a regular schedule - at least not in the fall) but it was really excellent and very informative. We went the same day we visited Woodford so they are relatively close. Have fun!

Three Chimneys farm also has tours and this is where Smarty Jones is at stud.
Bardstown is about an hour drive from Lexington. Other closer distilleries would be in Frankfort (Buffalo Trace) and Lawrenceburg (Wild Turkey).

You might want to take a look at www.bluegrasstours.com.

Maker's Mark is in Loretta & Jim Beam is nearby. There is a great contrast between the two & are the two I would suggest. If you can only do one, do Maker's Mark, everything is still done by hand. For the $$, I would say they also make the best bourbon, although I love several of Beam's 'small batch' products.

I'll also be in Lexington that weekend! Are you going to Breyerfest, too? In case you are not, I would avoid the Kentucky Horse Park for the weekend...

Three Chimneys is totally booked with tours for Breyerfest that weekend. That's a pity because they do a great job on their tours.

Marker's Mark is my personal favorite bourbon, and I hear the distillery tour is excellent. I keep meaning to go, but I haven't made it there yet.

Christie, I am just getting away to celebrate my birthday. I had thought of going to the horse park, but it sounds like I better stay away!

Thanks for the tips everyone, this really helps!

Maker's Mark would be a little bit of a drive from Lexington but it is by far our favorite distillery. It is beautiful and historical and much is still done by hand. We also prefer the taste of Maker's Mark to other bourbons. It has a higher wheat content than the others giving it a smoother taste.

The people at Wild Turkey were wonderful to us both times we were there. It also has quite a bit of history but is more corporate than Maker's Mark. Last time we were there they gave our whole party (about 5 or 6 people) tons of airplane bottles of samples of bourbon!

We're not big drinkers but the distilleries are like our own unique Kentucky bourbon version of the Napa Valley in our backyard.

Looks like Makers Mark is the all around favorite. Thanks guys!

If you want something close I would stick with Woodford Reserve. Makers Mark is about 70 miles from Lexington. Also downtown Lexington is KY Ale Brewery. They make Ky Ale and Ky Ale light. They also make a bourbon beer only available on tap. They have brewery tours. www.kentuckyale.com

There are several vineyards within 10 miles of Lexington. Equus Run near Midway and Woodford Reserve. You can tour the vineyard, picnic, sample wines,etc. Cost is $2. www.equusrunvineyards.com Talon is another vineyard near Lexington. www.talonwine.com