In the heart of central Kentucky – not far from its famed bluegrass country – is an area known as the Bourbon Trail, a confluence of numerous distilleries that produce the bulk of the world's Bourbon. 

The distilleries are roughly in a circle between Lexington on the east and Louisville on the west with the town of Bardstown, KY smack dab in the middle.

Formally designated by Congress as "America's Official Native Spirit."  The distilleries offer tours and tastings and offer a perfect RV getaway.

Here's a video we did when we did an RV trip to the Bourbon Trail a while back.

The History of the Bourbon Trail and the Beam family

Kentucky Bourbon has a rich history and proud tradition that dates back to the late 1700s.

For more than two centuries, no family has influenced bourbon-making more deeply than the Beam family, maker of the world's best-selling bourbon.

The tour of the Jim Beam distillery near Clermont, KY offers an up-close look at how they make the world's best-selling bourbon–from grain to barrel to bottle and beyond.

Here, you learn that bourbon is unique among whiskeys because, by law, it must be at least 51% corn. Why is it called Bourbon?

Well, one of Kentucky's original counties was Bourbon County, which was established in 1785 when Kentucky was still part of Virginia.

Farmers shipped their whiskey in oak barrels — stamped from Bourbon County — down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.

The long trip aged the whiskey, with the oak wood giving it the distinct mellow flavor and amber color. Pretty soon, whiskey from Bourbon County grew in popularity and became known as Bourbon whiskey.