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Explore the sights, sounds, aromas, and flavors of bourbon country

Find your special place

Learn More

Explore the sights, sounds, aromas, and flavors of bourbon country

Find your special place

Learn More

Subscribe to our Newsletter

We are really excited to announce the launch of our monthly newsletter, beginning September 1. You can sign up below to get valuable information about Kentucky and Bourbon Country. You'll gain behind-the-scenes knowledge of distilleries, recommendations for great restaurants, and learn about side trips throughout Central Kentucky. We'll help you plan your own bucket list. You will also have access to special deals from our partners. There is no cost to subscribe and you can opt out at any time.

Experience the excitement with the book

Take a sneak peek at The Bourbon Journey

Take a quick peek at the introduction, and first chapter of The Bourbon Journey. I think you will enjoy the read and the photos captured during our time at 41 distilleries in Central Kentucky as we completed research for the book. If you like what you see, you can purchase the e-book at Amazon at this location.

Download PDF

Early Reviews of "the bourbon journey" are in

Jacob Kiper, DrinkHacker

Kevin Stinnett, The Bourbon Flight

If you’re pondering coming to Kentucky to experience the heart of bourbon and don’t know where to start, The Bourbon Journey is an excellent tool. Meade provides valuable logistics insights that many other books have failed to consider. If you want your bourbon pilgrimage to go as smoothly as possible, you’ll want to grab this book. Check out the complete review here.

Kevin Stinnett, The Bourbon Flight

Mark E. Meade’s passion for bourbon and travel shines through in every page of The Bourbon Journey. Mark is a lifelong resident of Kentucky with a passion for quality Kentucky bourbons. That passion also extends to tequila and bold red wines. Mark has visited nearly all of Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries over the last two years, researching this book. Read the full review here.

Rod Trawick, Nicholasville, KY

Kevin Stinnett, The Bourbon Flight

Katherine Jones, Charleston, SC

What an incredible writeup! Very excited that all your hard work, dedication, and knowledge is going to always be a part of Kentucky. A book legacy for you and your family.

Katherine Jones, Charleston, SC

It is so great to see professionals in the business recognizing your book for what it is - incredible!! Jacob is so specific in his praise in all its strengths. I can speak from personal experience on how wonderful you are as a bourbon guide, but the book is such a beautiful summary and manual on that and so much more! Way to go, Mark! Well deserved!

Ken Goodman, Southlake, TX

Katherine Jones, Charleston, SC

Olivia Harvey, Charlotte, NC

Mark's book gets right to the point about where to go and what to do if you are lucky enough to venture to Kentucky's incredible Bourbon Trail. My wife and I last did the Bourbon Trail in 2019 and we are due back this October (2024) as our barrel at Makers Mark Distillery will be ready for us. Even as veterans, Marks book gives us even more ideas and things we will look forward to on our eagerly awaited return to Kentucky.

Olivia Harvey, Charlotte, NC

Katherine Jones, Charleston, SC

Olivia Harvey, Charlotte, NC

Mark is an excellent author and gives a phenomenal visual description of the distilleries! Through reading about his book I discovered Castle & Key Distillery. During my recent trip to Lexington, I decided to visit it and it was fabulous. If you are interested in learning more about the Bourbon Trail or have a passion for bourbon, this is the book for you.

exciting news

The Bourbon Journey™ Is Live

Our visitor's guide to Central Kentucky and our iconic distilleries has launched and the reviews and feedback have been extremely positive. Paperbacks are available at many locations - distillery gift shops, book stores, and specialty retail locations - in Kentucky and Ohio, and hard-copy books will be available in a few weeks. E-books are available at Amazon, Apple Books, and many other online locations.

If you are planning a visit to Kentucky to sample our world-class bourbons, then you need this invaluable guide to help you plan. With 41 detailed reviews of distilleries and 196 photos captured during our research, this will become a beautiful addition to your library.

Coming December 2024

The Bourbon Journey™ Is Live

This one will closely follow our release on the Bourbon Trail. A Global Journey is about international travel, but more specifically food at international stops. There are some 150 recipes that I have developed based on favorite dishes enjoyed in locations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, and India. I cheated just a bit, developing several recipes from Thai and Cuban cuisine, even though I haven't traveled to either of these beautiful destinations.

About the Kentucky bourbon trail®

Central Kentucky’s rolling hills host the renowned Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, an initiative by the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA) to promote the bourbon experience. Stretching from Hopkinsville to Owensboro to Covington, with Lexington in the mideastern boundary, the trail captures the beauty of central Kentucky.

Kentucky Distillers' Association

About Mark

Mark Meade is a lifelong resident of Kentucky with a passion for quality Kentucky bourbons. That passion also extends to tequila and bold red wines. Mark has visited nearly all of Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries over the last two years, researching this book. Before that, he toured more than 350 wineries in California, Oregon, Canada, Washington, Italy, and Portugal. This gives him a unique perspective to compare the emergent Bourbon Trail™ to the world’s historic wineries.

This book is a result of Mark’s passion and is targeted at bourbon lovers worldwide, especially those planning a trip to Central Kentucky’s Bourbon County. This written effort provides background information on bourbon production and the significant history of this production in the state. This allows visitors to prepare for their trip and make the most of the experience. It goes beyond this simplistic goal and provides excellent tips for related activities and perfect recommendations for dining experiences during a visit to central Kentucky.

Photo Gallery

The large cookers at Bardstown Bourbon Company are used to convert the starches in the mash into fermentable sugars.

Contact Us

Better yet, reach out to us with questions!

We love our customers and are happy to help answer questions about making the most of your experience in bourbon country.

Kentucky Journey LLC

mark@kentuckyjourney.com 859.361.5198

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Kentucky Journey LLC

experience Kentucky Bourbon Country

Explore the sights, sounds, aromas, and flavors of bourbon country

Explore the sights, sounds, aromas, and flavors of bourbon country

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Experience the excitement with the book