Visit Louisville to enjoy bourbon.

Enjoying bourbon with connoisseurs

I jokingly call The Urban Bourbon Trail in the heart of Louisville the "beer trail" because it's home to some of the world's most famous bourbon bars, serving around 50 different types of bourbon, and hosting numerous bourbon-related events each month. Naturally, restaurants also create special dishes based on this type of bourbon to attract more customers.

Choosing a corner near the famous Brendon's Catch 23 bar at 505 4th Street, I ordered a bourbon cocktail and sipped it while trying to get Tim, an older bartender, to tell me about the history of this drink.

Perhaps because the crowd wasn't large yet and he hit the nail on the head as a bourbon connoisseur, he explained enthusiastically: "Bourbon is an American whiskey, although its name comes from the Bourbon dynasty in France. The name comes from the name of the production area, the Bourbon district of the state, about a two-hour drive away. Bourbon is made from at least 51% corn. After distillation, it is aged in completely unused oak barrels whose insides have been torched. Bourbon was declared the national spirit of the United States by the United States Congress on May 1, 1964."

Then he paused, "So what is the national drink of Vietnam?"

I was taken aback, then quickly tried to cover my tracks: "That's... Rugavina!" - a famous rice wine from Vietnam.

But perhaps he wasn't too concerned about the accuracy of the answer, instead tapping his hand lightly on the bar counter to confirm emphatically: "And remember, bourbon is whiskey, but not just any whiskey can be called bourbon because there are very strict rules for classification." Then he took out a piece of paper and wrote down two places I needed to explore on my next leg of the journey.

First destination: Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse

The first must-visit location, right in the heart of the "Fourth Street Live!" district, is the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse, showcasing the world's number one best-selling American bourbon. Founded in 1795, this family has been involved in the production and distribution of whiskey for seven generations, earning the brand the humorous saying: "If you're in America, you have to drink bourbon, and if you're going to drink bourbon, you have to choose Jim Beam."

For just $8, a half-hour tour with the rather romantic name "Taste of History" awaits bourbon enthusiasts or easygoing foodies like myself, aged 21 and above, who get to experience a journey through history.

After a 15-minute introduction to the bourbon line and the Beam family history, visitors spend the remaining time touring a small, operational distillation area, watching the bottling line run smoothly overhead, and tasting four types of bourbon distilled right there. The experience is further enhanced by the "takeaway" gift of a small drinking glass bearing the Jim Beam logo.

Next destination: Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

I decided to continue following Jacob, the guide for the "Evan Williams Bourbon Experience" tour, in the heart of Whiskey Row not far away.

A long line of people entered the room to reminisce about history, watching a documentary film that impressed me most, especially the scene where the district authorities had to vote on whether to drink bourbon before or after their meeting.

Continuing to immerse ourselves in the old-world setting where the first bottles of whiskey were distilled in another room, we walked through the corn mixing cellar, observed the production process of a delicious bottle of bourbon, learned how barrels are stored, and then ventured through the Evan Williams vintage whiskey exhibition room.

Of course, the final highlight that everyone was looking forward to was the experience of tasting four types of bourbon and listening to Jacob's lecture: "To be called bourbon, the spirit must not have any added flavors or colors: just corn, water, wheat or rye, malt, and the color comes from the charred wood inside the barrel. Finally, the distilled spirit has an alcohol content ranging from 40-80%."

“During the aging process, the barrels are kept in a large warehouse with virtually no system to control the effects of climate and weather. Depending on the external natural conditions, the wooden barrels will expand or contract, thus creating a variety of different flavors. In particular, temperature causes the gaps in the wooden barrels to widen, so barrels located at higher altitudes where the temperature is higher will produce wine with a different flavor compared to barrels located lower down.”

When I quietly asked Jacob about Kentucky's signature cocktail, the Mint Julep, he explained: "The official recipe for the Mint Julep used in the famous Kentucky Derby race doesn't use the bourbon that Kentucky produces. Instead, they use Early Times, a whiskey aged in old wooden barrels repurposed from the Bourbon Old Forester distillery..."

At this point, Jacob's words began to linger in his ears. Perhaps the intoxicating effects of the alcohol had begun to spread throughout his body, making the traveler feel momentarily tipsy...

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

- Most of the food and souvenirs in Louisville are related to bourbon; you can visit the food court on 4th Street to try bourbon chicken or the Louisville tourist center to buy bourbon BBQ sauce, bourbon honey, bourbon chocolate, etc.

- Taste of History wine tasting tour is open Monday to Saturday from 1 PM to 9 PM. Address: 404 4th Street - (502) 855-8392 or Evan Williams Bourbon Experience tour at 528 W Main Street for $14.

- A 1.5-hour drive from Louisville is Lexington, known as the Horse Capital of the World, with over 450 horse farms. And don't forget to visit the Bluegrass Tavern to sample one of nearly 500 different types of bourbon.

- Other interesting information:

• Kentucky is the birthplace of bourbon whiskey, accounting for 95% of the world's bourbon production.
• One-third of the world's bourbon is produced in Louisville.
• The number of bourbon barrels in Kentucky is greater than the number of people living there.
• It takes at least two years before bourbon can be extracted.
• The bourbon industry generates $8.5 billion and provides 17,500 jobs for the state of Kentucky.

Phan Quoc Vinh