Old Talbott Tavern
Bardstown, Kentucky
If you call yourself a bourbon fan, you owe it to yourself to make a pilgrimage to Bourbon Country. And once you're there, you should most certainly start your tour at The Old Talbott Tavern. Continuously operated since it was built in 1779, it's the world's oldest bourbon bar, having at one time been owned by Jim Beam's brother, having been frequented by the founders of Heaven Hill and Maker's Mark, visited by Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone, French King Louis Phillipe, and Jesse James, drank in by countless many. Should you find yourself enjoying your bourbon a little too much, they also serve a menu of local food favorites and, as a last resort, offer five overnight rooms.
Photos: Patricia Drury, Dana McMahan
