Right up the road from us, in the heart of Kentucky, is “the Most Beautiful Small Town in America” – Bardstown, Kentucky.  Known worldwide as The Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown has been voted the best in Fodor’s, Rand McNally, USA Today, National Geographic Adventure, and many more. If you’ve ever been to Bardstown, you know why. If you haven’t been, you should add it to your bucket list.

Bardstown is home to the Stephen Foster Festival, My Old Kentucky Home, Bernheim Forest, 5 bourbon distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

The annual festival, which is 6 beautiful days in September, has been a favourite of ours for years. With concerts, craft vendors, art, food, hot air balloons, and a barrel relay, of course we spent a day this weekend enjoying the festivities.

Our first stop was Mammy’s Kitchen.

We never miss an opportunity for the best bourbon burger in the world! The beef, Swiss cheese, and onion straws are smothered in bourbon sauce that is to die for!

I’ve never seen anyone add any condiments. No ketchup, mustard or mayo! It’s perfect exactly as it is. I’ve tried hundreds of bourbon sauces and none compare to Uncle Marty’s. We expected Uncle Marty to be a grizzled old man with a sharp eye and delectable secrets for making the bourbon sauce. We were surprised when a handsome man who appeared to be in his mid-30s came out to accept our compliments.

After lunch, we walked through the quaint streets of Bardstown to the bourbon festival. It was an ironic surprise that the first sign we encountered stated “No Alcohol”. This is the BOURBON festival, right? I guess they figure that you’ll have such a great time, you’ll save the bourbon for later.

(Truth be told, you can get a nip or two at the ball field, but don’t tell anyone!)

The band was tuning up, and vendors had set up white tents between the shade trees to sell their talented crafts, shirts, hats, and all things bourbon.

Of course, the Bourbon Festival wouldn’t be complete without the distilleries being represented. All of the finest were there!

There’s nothing like Jim Beam for cooking! Brownies, pies, chicken and pork will all taste better with Jim Beam. For a cocktail, I prefer straight Jim Beam Honey Bourbon or a Tipsy Duck made with Jim Beam, coffee, tea and chocolate.

If you’re drink of choice is the Versailles Cocktail (bourbon, lemon juice, St. Germain and a splash of champagne), Four Roses is the bourbon to use.

If you’re craving a good Whiskey Sour or Kentucky Buck (ginger beer, bourbon and citrus), go for the Wild Turkey!

You can’t make a decent Gold Rush or Mint Julep without Woodford Reserve, my absolute favourite.

Of course you’ll also see Maker’s Mark, Bulleit and Evan Williams (Heaven Hill), who our friend, Gary, jokes is his distant uncle.

As we always do, we wandered into the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History . It’s one of my favourite parts of the day at the festival.

There are awesome, inspiring displays.

We were so inspired, we couldn’t resist buying a decanter or two. Regina was drawn to the colour of two beauties.

This guy had my name all over him! Not only did he catch my eye, but he said “Poland” on the back and he was giving me the finger! It seemed to be my style!

A day at any festival wouldn’t be complete without plenty to eat. The Bourbon Festival is no exception! The difference? Almost everything is flavoured with bourbon (no complaints from this camp!)

First stop, our friends, Tom and Josh, Kentucky Gourmet Nuts, make the best nuts ever.

We opted to get a couple of cones of pecans (a Kentucky favourite).

For a Kentuckian, Bourbon Balls are a must have. They are a smooth, creamy, chocolate-covered bite that packs a punch of bourbon deliciousness.

Kentucky Woods offers many delicious bourbon treats. Bourbon Maple frosted cookies, Bourbon Pecan Pie and Bourbon Barrel Cake, a brown sugar cake with chocolate, walnuts, maple, and caramel — oh, and true Kentucky bourbon flavour! They make great gifts and come packaged in wood bourbon barrel boxes. We’ve consumed many over the years!

We can’t forget the Bourbon Fudge. If you’re a fan of grainier fudge, this is not for you. Creamy, smooth chocolate fudge with walnuts and a fifth of bourbon poured in at the end, you can certainly get tipsy while the chocolate fudge melts on your tongue!

The day was beautiful and spent with good friends, good food and Kentucky pride. Join us next year. You won’t regret it!

Do you have a favourite bourbon recipe? Please share it in the comments. We love all things bourbon!