Wine and Spirits Travel

It had been a busy and fun-filled three days in Louisville . The first annual Bourbon and Beyond Festival had been a blast, and we really enjoyed the downtown attractions when we first arrived. We had another great breakfast in the Executive Lounge of the Louisville Marriott East and packed up to go. Before we left Kentucky we had one more unique place to go, Mega Caverns, where you can take a tram ride and go ziplining underground. Mega Cavern claims to be the only place in the world with underground ziplines and I have yet to see any place argue that point. It’s certainly a unique attraction that shouldn’t be missed. Brittany and Jamie went ahead to complete the Mega Quest rope course and do the ziplines underground. I started a bit later for the tram ride, which took me through the caves. It was a unique experience since these caverns are about more than scenery of the caves and undersea fossils. They have been used for practical purposes, such as s t

We enjoyed a nice spread in the executive lounge at the Marriott East Louisville before loading up on sunblock and thin clothing. Day two of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville , Kentucky, played out quite different than the first. I was able to catch up on the food and bourbon aspects of the event, as well as hear some more incredible music. I met up with Dan Cohen of Jim Beam first thing in the morning. Although bourbon is in the title of the festival, I hadn’t had any to try yet. He brought Brittany, Jamie, and me over to the Beam setup behind the stage for a tasting. They were showing off Jim Beam and Jim Beam Black (I had hoped to try the Vanilla, but it wasn’t available yet). Black is a bit smoother and more taste-filled than the original. It’s aged longer, but in white oak, so it’s flavors of vanilla and caramel are more blended. Beam was also mixing to cocktails backstage for the VIPs and performers, the Jim Beam Black Smash (Jim Beam Bla