Hit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

The Hot Brown: a turkey sandwich with bacon and Mornay sauce.

Woodford Reserve, located about an hour from Louisville in Versailles, boasts historic buildings and beautiful grounds in the heart of horse country. And you'll get a chance to sample the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, Woodford's Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Tour reservations are recommended, as this is one of the most popular stops on the trail.

While not a part of the official Bourbon Trail, Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort is the oldest continually operating distillery in Kentucky and offers some of the more interesting tours, including a ghost tour, history tour and popular "Hard Hat" tour with behind-the-scenes features. Online reservations are required for all but the regular walk-up tour, and you'll want to do so pretty far in advance. Unlike most Bourbon Trail stops, all the tours at Buffalo Trace are free. Brands include hard-to-find Pappy Van Winkle, Elmer T. Lee, Blanton's Single Barrel and Eagle Rare, though only the latter is regularly available for purchase at the distillery. And don't expect the distillery to offer you a taste of Pappy's, which retails for $60-$250 a bottle - if you can find one. Alan Tenniswood, consumer affairs associate with Buffalo Trace, says Pappy's is released just once a year in November, and the number of bottles released is kept hush-hush, even among employees like himself. His favorite liquor store in Frankfort raffles off a bottle a week leading up to Christmas, and he says there's typically about 150 people lined up to enter the raffle each week. The best way to get a taste is to order a shot at a local restaurant, says Tenniswood, who recommends Bourbon on Main.

Willett Distillery, located outside charming Bardstown, has a spanking-new visitor's center, tasting room and gift shop facility that opened in June. Limited to about 20 people, Willett's tours are fairly small and it's not unusual for them to fill up, so consider reserving a spot via the distillery's website beforehand. The tour includes three samples and a souvenir glass, though a discounted tour minus the samples is also available. At Maker's Mark in Loretto, you'll get the chance to dip a souvenir bottle in red wax. Touristy, yes, but fun nonetheless.

Louisville, Kentucky's Brown Hotel is the originator of the famous Hot Brown

Bluegrass Distillers uses locally sourced, organic grains to produce its bourbon. Its limited-release "Blue Dog" is a unique unaged bourbon made with blue-corn mash. If you can't get your hands on a bottle, the distillery's bourbon ice cream and bourbon cake make great consolation treats.

Between distilleries, break from booze in Lexington, Louisville or Bardstown, all of which have unique stays, good restaurants, interesting shops and non-bourbon-producing attractions to check out.

Bardstown, known as the "Bourbon Capitol of the World," was located near the end of stopping point for settlers headed west along the old stagecoach route that passed through the Cumberland Gap. The Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, located near the end of that route, has been in operation since 1779. Bardstown hosts the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which Bill Murray attended in 2016. This year's event is set for Sept. 11-17.

Ever wanted to sleep in a jail cell? That opportunity also awaits in Bardstown, with no arrest required. At the Jailer's Inn Bed and Breakfast, located in the old county jail, you can stay in a former cell that's been converted into a room retaining some historical elements - the original bunks are still bolted to the wall - while a comfy bed and other amenities one expects from a bed-and-breakfast have been added. Located in the middle of town, the inn is a short walk from restaurants and shops - and is supposedly haunted. Flip through the guest book if you enjoy being creeped out.

Louisville and Lexington both have a 21c Museum Hotel, a concept involving a boutique hotel and contemporary art museum rolled into one. Louisville also boasts the historic Brown Hotel, which oozes 1920's charm. It's there that the famous "Hot Brown" turkey sandwich smothered in Mornay sauce was born. Louisville is also home to attractions like the Muhammad Ali and Louisville Slugger museums.