Savoring Frankfort – Visit Frankfort – Official Travel Guide for Frankfort, Kentucky (original) (raw)

Savoring Frankfort Bourbon, History, and Sweet Traditions: Written by Julia Koslowsky

Published September 23, 2024

Frankfort, KY is a city where tradition thrives. From delicious barrels of Kentucky bourbon to the stories charted in its museums, Frankfort is full to the brim with culture and history that come alive around every corner. Establishments like Rebecca Ruth Candy combine mouth-watering treats with a dash of the past to add extra sweetness to your trip. On your next getaway, come experience all the city has to offer. In a city with as much history as Frankfort, you’ll find nothing but the best.

Come Find Bourbon

You can’t explore Kentucky without indulging in a glass of bourbon or two, and you certainly can’t leave Frankfort without visiting our five local distilleries. Distilling bourbon is a time-honored tradition in Kentucky, and no experience compares to a behind-the-scenes look at the distilling process. All of Frankfort’s distilleries are located within a few miles of each other, and a few are even part of the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail. You’ll definitely want to step off the trail to taste the bourbon at each of our distilleries.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the country. Across their seven tours, encounter over two hundred years of bourbon history right on the banks of the Kentucky River.

Castle & Key Distillery, opened in 2018, finds its origins in 1887 as the former Old Taylor Distillery. The sunken gardens, restored castle, and prohibition history make this distillery’s tour one you can’t miss.

Although Glenns Creek Distilling has only been open for a decade, it also boasts a storied history. Formerly known as the Old Crow Distillery, Glenns Creek honors its past with bourbon recipes that pay homage to Old Crow by using one of their original distilling tanks.

For over ten years, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. on Three Boys Farm has offered unique tasting and tour experiences. If you’ve ever wanted to taste bourbon directly from the barrel, be sure to visit. You can even bring your pets to relax on the farm with you.

J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery opened in 2023 as Frankfort’s newest addition to the bourbon scene. Book a whiskey tasting or become a master bourbon crafter by customizing your own bourbon blend and bottle.

No matter which distillery you visit, you’ll find quality and classic Kentucky flavors at each one. Tours and tastings are available at all Frankfort distilleries. Be sure to book your spots in advance to beat the crowds!

Taste Local Sweetness

One of Frankfort’s favorite not-so-hidden gems is Rebecca Ruth Candy, a family-owned candy shop and the home of the original Kentucky Bourbon Ball. It was begun as a small business in the early twentieth century by Rebecca Gooch and Ruth Booe, two substitute teachers. It took a few decades for the business to stick, and Rebecca eventually sold her half of the business to Ruth. It was after Ruth’s move to Frankfort as a newly widowed mother that she perfected the Bourbon Ball recipe and sales went through the roof.

Over fifty years later, Rebecca Ruth Candy is a thriving, fourth-generation family business. Some of their candy-making techniques are still the same ones developed by Ruth, and the family has continued to add delicious, handcrafted candies to their offerings.

Rebecca Ruth Candy has three locations across the city, but you’ll want to stop by the original location in downtown Frankfort to experience the Rebecca Ruth Chocolate Tour & Museum. Book a tour in advance or walk right in to learn more about the shop’s history and see original machinery from the business’s early days. Don’t forget to grab your free sample — and maybe an additional box of chocolates — before you leave!

Experience Local History

Bridging Kentucky history and tradition, Frankfort’s museums play a key role in creating an active landscape of Kentucky’s past and preserving the past by connecting it to the present. In the heart of Frankfort’s downtown, visit the Capital City Museum and experience over two hundred years of local history, political events, inventions, and architecture. You’ll learn facts about the city you won’t find anywhere else!

At some museums, you can maximize your exploration with the purchase of a single ticket! Buying a ticket at the Kentucky Military History Museum, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, or the Old State Capitol will give you access to all three locations. Learn about the state’s fascinating war history and tour the collection of military artifacts at the Military History Museum. Visit the Thomas D. Clark Center to walk the hall of governors and chart your own course through thousands of years of Kentucky history, from early settlements to modern history. The Old State Capitol in downtown Frankfort served as Kentucky’s seat of government for almost one hundred years in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and it even contains the site of the only gubernatorial assassination in the United States!

One piece of history that you can’t miss is the Kentucky State Capitol, which boasts some of the most impressive architecture in the city, both inside and out. Witness democracy in action by sitting in on active legislative courts or simply tour the building to learn about important figures in Kentucky’s history.

Come Savor Frankfort

From mouthwatering bourbon to captivating history to the classic candies found in between, enjoyment can be found around Frankfort’s every corner. Frankfort is the sum of its parts, and the intertwined connections of its culture create an atmosphere of curiosity and excitement. Come immerse yourself in sweet treats, delicious drinks, and rich history. We hope to see you soon to experience all our wonderful city has to offer!