To truly understand and feel the history and heritage surrounding a topic, it is often necessary to get to (perhaps even start) at its origin. And bourbon is no different! Let the folks at Tour With Us KY (www.toursithusky.com) create that experience for you with a trip up the Ohio River to Maysville, Kentucky.
This history of Maysville is as old as the nation itself. In the days prior to Kentucky statehood, the town (then known as Limestone Landing) was part of Virginia’s Bourbon County. By the early 1800’s Maysville was second only to Louisville as a Kentucky port on the Ohio River. Its docks were essential to the movement of all types of goods and the arrival of numerous travelers to ‘the west’, including Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone, & the Marquis de Lafayette.
Maysville rightly lays claim to a significant portion of the rich bourbon heritage in Kentucky. In the years following the Civil War, The Old Pogue Distillery was established on the banks of the Ohio as “Distillery No. 3” in the town. Old Pogue is very near the site that is believed to be the location of Kentucky’s very first bourbon distillery.
Today The Old Pogue Distillery is solely owned and operated by 5th and 6th generation Pogues still using original family recipes. There you can see bourbon being distilled and hear about the process directly from the distiller. Included in the Old Pogue tour is a visit to The Ryan-Pogue House, the family home built in 1825 and located on the property adjacent to the distillery.
The bourbon history gallery at the Kentucky Gateway Museum tells the vivid history of bourbon, from the Whiskey Tax Act Rebellion of 1791 to prohibition and today. The museum is located in the heart of historic downtown Maysville.
Your Maysville B-Line Tour can also include a stop at the Baker-Bird Winery/B-Bird Distillery. Located in the nearby historic river town of Augusta, the winery began distilling on the site in 1797 and features the oldest commercial wine cellar in America. The distillery utilizes a bourbon recipe that dates back to the Revolutionary War.
Come see where bourbon (and to a large degree Kentucky!) started its journey to prominence. Contact us to start planning your next daytrip with friends, family, or that special social group. Visit www.tourwithusky.com to see more about the B-Line Trail: Maysville. We can also help you design a custom tour package that can include any of those destinations on your bourbon bucket list!