Whiskey Lover's Guide to the Southern Highlands

George Washington brewed it. Jack Daniels employs an entire town in its production. And Scotsmen, though they say it can't compare to single malt, still will drink it by the tumbler-ful morning, noon or night.

We're talking about American whiskey--"the only true American spirit," as its makers have dubbed it. Whether it's Tennessee sippin' whiskey or pure Kentucky bourbon, this liquor is as much a part of heartland culture as apple pie. More so, according to some. And if you tour the twisting, turning American Whiskey Trail, you'll find American spirit a-plenty brewing in copper stills, maturing in barrels, and glowing like liquid amber--all bottled up and ready to take home with you.

The trail starts in Kentucky, in the bucolic country hills just outside Louisville. Serene rolling hillsides, pastel wildflowers and wide pastures are bordered by picturesque white fences. The first major stop is the Maker's Mark distillery--a collection of cheery red and white buildings scattered about a grassy campus smack-dab in the heart of bluegrass country. Originally used as a grist mill, the distillery building is a designated National Historic Landmark, and is in perfect repair in spite of being more than 200 years old. Another venerable building is the old quart house, where people used to drive their wagons up with quart jars to get their weekly fill of whiskey. Graceful poplar and Kentucky coffee trees--some of them dating back to the early 1800s--adorn the manicured lawns and pathways.

Maker's gives an entertaining and educational tour that covers everything from the property history to the brewing process to the bottling line. Unlike some of its competitors, this brand has no secrets--if you want the exact grain recipe or maturation method, you'll get it. You might even get a turn on the hand-dipping line, where each bottle gets plunged neck-deep into hot sealing wax of distinctive Maker's Mark red.

Just a few miles away is Bardstown, the self-anointed "Bourbon Capitol of the World." Bardstown is home to the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which draws crowds of more than 50,000 people each September. This is also where the Oscar Getz Museum--the largest collection of whiskey memorabilia in the country--is located. If you visit, make sure and check out the room full of Prohibition-era propaganda, particularly the daguerreotype of the formidable Carrie Nation. As you'll note, the axe-wielding matron and her cronies found few friends among the Southern distillers.

Take the Heaven Hill Trolley to the distillery of the same name. Also, catch a Stephen Foster drama in the small outdoor amphitheater. In neighboring Lawrenceburg are Four Roses, Bulleit Distilling and Wild Turkey.

Bourbon connoisseurs should plan to spend a few hours at the Jim Beam property, where two million barrels of finest Kentucky bourbon are stored in . The epicenter of bourbon production for more than 200 years, Jim Beam is a 7th generation family-run business. In addition to the world-famous Jim Beam brand, it also produces Basil Hayden's, fire-in-a-bottle Booker's, and 100-proof Knob Creek, the Number One selling premium bourbon on the market. When you set foot inside the 9-story warehouses, you'll know you're at the epicenter of the bourbon industry. But when you're relaxing peacefully in a rocking chair out back of the Knob Creek guest house at dusk, you'll swear you're in your own personal Old Kentucky Home.

Horse racing fans are already familiar with Woodford Reserve--this brand is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. Woodford's property is as polished and visitor-friendly as a bourbon distillery can be. The visitor center is decorated with racetrack-themed murals and stocked with Derby-branded souvenirs; a private room shows a short educational video. Even the copper pot stills and fermentation tanks seem more like museum displays than functioning parts of the distillery. A tour here is tantamout to a Bourbon 101 course--you almost expect there to be a final exam at the end. Happily, there's a tasting instead.

If Woodford is glossy, then fellow Brown-Forman brand Jack Daniels is the Disneyland of distilleries. This might seem like an odd comparison--maybe even a paradox--but only until you've actually been to Jack Daniels. From the spotless red-trimmed black outbuildings to the statue of the founder to the exhibition warehouse stocked with empty barrels, the property is flawlessly maintained and set up to accommodate hundreds of visitors daily. Inside the spacious, modern, multi-room visitor center, tourists from Asia, Europe and Australia mingle with drive-in guests from neighboring states. All told, Jack Daniels welcomes more than 200,000 guests per year.

You can't conveniently visit Woodford and Jack Daniels in the same day--the two are in different states. But if you're making the drive from Nashville or the surrounding area through the Tennessee backwoods to Jack Daniels, you should plan an afternoon stop at Dickel. The two are within easy driving distance of each other, and Dickel is the perfect foil to Jack Daniel's. Where Jack's place is sprawling and shiny, Dickel is smallish and folksy--a picturesque property with abundant Southern charm. This is one of the most family-friendly stops on the Whiskey Trail. It's in a dry county, so no tastings are permitted. The tour is entertaining, personalized and brief enough to keep kids interested. Pack a picnic lunch or a snack to enjoy on the sun-dappled, flower-splashed lawns.