Daddy monkey recently had a birthday, and what better way to celebrate by knocking off a bucket list item: The Kentucky Bourbon Trail. (Well, a portion of it at least…) Plus, we were able to enjoy a much needed (and extremely over-due) date day. More on that later.
If you’re not familiar with Kentucky, we’re basically famous for three things:
- Bourbon
- Bluegrass
- Basketball
Bourbon, much like beer, is an acquired taste (in my opinion), and my taste tends to fancy the fairly expensive, single-barrel options. If all of that is a foreign language to you (it was to me 3 days ago), I encourage you to to visit some of these amazing places, because I’m not a very good teacher, and it’s much more fun to see, smell, learn, and taste for yourself.
- Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY:
I’d have to say that this was our favorite distillery stop of the day. The history of this place is SO fascinating and the grounds are absolutely stunning. Our tour guide was Rick, and he was SUPER funny and very informative. My favorite tasting here was their Bourbon Cream. It seriously didn’t taste alcoholic at all, which is a bit frightening. 
- Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, KY:
We didn’t take a tour of Four Roses, but did enjoy a tasting on their beautiful terrace. The overall appearance of the distillery gives off a bit of Spanish flair, which pairs sweetly with the charming meaning behind the Four Roses name. I can’t really say I had a favorite here, but loved how well Lauren explained the mix of things to where I could understand it better. I’m a visual learner, and kudos to you all on your fantastic poster board demonstration.
- Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, KY:
If you ever stop here for a tour, be sure to have Bubba as your guide. OH EM GEE, this feller is HILARIOUS! He honestly made the tour SO much more enjoyable. I loved how this facility wasn’t as “dolled up” or fancy as the others. I imagine it looks just like it did in its early stages, and I love that. The story behind it is pretty neat also. My favorite tasting here was the Wild Turkey American Honey Sting.
- Town Branch, Lexington, KY:
This was an impromptu stop, and I’m so very glad we did. While we didn’t have time for a full tour, Marshall made sure we were satisfied with our visit and gave us a PRIVATE tasting! It was so sweet, and because of his sincerity, we will definitely be back for another visit! My favorite tasting here is a tie. I’d previously tried their Bluegrass Sundown dessert cocktail (and it’s to DIE for). However, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE their Town Branch Single Barrel. I honestly could sip on this by itself, which I typically don’t do.
While this was a birthday bucket list item, it was definitely more of a day to enjoy ourselves. Without the monkeys. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE THOSE MONKEYS with every fiber of my being, but sometimes they’re jerks, and I need some time away from them before I lose my mind. I remember early on during our first pregnancy, folks would approach us with their unwanted words of wisdom, and bestow upon us their greatest thoughts on how to be amazing parents. “Be sure to make time for weekly date nights.” I thought, ha! Whatever, we’ll be fine. And not that we’re not fine, but marriage AND kids is freaking hard. Like REALLY FREAKING HARD. How do you show how much you love someone when there’s so much to be done, so little time, and you’re utterly exhausted? Like seriously, how do you, because I’ve yet to figure it out. I work full time, these kids require a lot of attention, and because of that, we eat out far too much than I care to admit, and our home looks like a mixture of a preschool room meets fraternity house. How do you communicate with your spouse (like really communicate) when the bulk of your conversations revolve around poop, homework, grocery shopping, and the never ending list of things to be done around the house? Again, seriously asking, because we’re failing here too.
We just get lost in the mundane, day-to-day grind, and forget who we are and why we love each other. We essentially become roommates, who occasionally sneak in a quick kiss, flash a fake smile, and carry on with whatever else needs to be done. Folks, it’s SO SO important to not forget about your spouses though. Daddy monkey drives me crazy, but I seriously couldn’t do life with anyone else. He might make my blood boil occasionally, but we’re pretty good partners, and we’ve managed to (mostly) figure out how to (semi) tame these wild monkeys.
If you love bourbon and want to share some advice on where we should hit up next, comment below!
If you need a day date, and have some cool ideas on one, comment below!
If you completely relate to the stresses of marriage with kids, comment below!
If you can help the rest of us hot mess expresses: PLEASE TELL US YOUR WAYS BELOW!
~XOXO Becca
My Circus, My Monkeys 