In Kentucky’s Bluegrass Country, bold new flavors are taking root
In this redevelopment of the century-old Rainbo Bread factory, I’m tasting through a selection of beers — from IPA to amber to porter — which, not coincidentally, are part of the new flavor of Lexington.
The city’s heritage of bourbon and Bluegrass Country horses draws many visitors to Kentucky’s second-largest city (behind Louisville), but residents aren’t content to live on tourist-drawing traditions alone.
Aside from the brewery, there’s an aquaponics facility, a seafood restaurant, a community bike shop, a coffee roaster, an artists studio and, somewhat surprisingly, a practice facility for a women’s roller derby team.
[...] even if you can’t deny yourself a glimpse of horses grazing in pastures of bluegrass, be sure to follow this Lexington lead.
Drink the beer, exclaims the motto of Lexington’s Brewgrass Trail, a collection of eight breweries that showcase the city’s love affair with craft brewing.
While the region is home to master distillers, it’s also increasingly become home to master brewers, and the Brewgrass Trail Passport allows beer lovers to track their progress in tasting local brews across town.
The running club is part of the brewing company’s commitment to the community, as well as yoga classes, a bike club, game night and occasional science pub lectures.
Of the 24 taps in Country Boy Brewing and Taproom (conveniently near the University of Kentucky), 12 are dedicated Country Boy taps, with quirky names like Shotgun Wedding, Cliff Jumper, Half Way Home and Cougar Bait.
There are also occasional beers with local fruits, vegetables and hops, and I take a liking to the Jalapeño Smoked Porter.
Ethereal has a “dedicated yeast lab” and a chemist who helps with the brewing process, and both make the brewery stand out.
Beer and bourbon cross paths at the Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Company.
Among a stack of bourbon barrels, I sip a glass of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, which has aged for up to six weeks in charred oak bourbon barrels.
The childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln was restored to reflect the Todd family’s residency with period furniture, family portraits and furnishings from the Todds as well as the Lincolns.
People thought she was off her rocker,” says the guide about Mary Todd Lincoln, referring to her inability to escape the shadow of her son’s and husband’s deaths, “but she has a distinct place in public memory.
Across an asphalt parking lot on Market Street, Lily and the Silly Monkeys peer out from a wall below the spire of Christ Church Cathedral.
Next to Ethereal Brewing on a wall at the old James Pepper Distillery, an acrobatic human pyramid in black and white supports a dining table laden with food.
The segment that cuts through downtown allows me to glimpse more murals and public art, and I take a brief detour to visit the Downtown Arts Center, in a traditional-looking building festooned with colorful banners and buttressed with a sculpture of cylinders.
Soon, I recognize the trail’s intersection with West Sixth Street, and while I consider visiting my new friends in the Bread Box, my nose catches a whiff of barbecue.
The crowd pours out of the interior to the patio, some playing bocce as they wait for lunch.
At the North Lexington Family YMCA trailhead, other trail-goers join me on foot and on bikes, and those without their own bike grab a rental at the YMCA.
When I spy the rolling blue-green fields, miles of white fence, barns and equine superstars at the Kentucky Horse Park, I know my walk is over.
Amid ample opportunities for a cocktail, I notice the local Alltech line of beers, and choose a Kentucky Ale.
Room rates start at $179 per night.
Room rates start at $189 per night.
The menu here features smoked and barbecued meats from responsibly raised Kentucky cows, hogs, sheep, goats and chickens.