Back on Bardstown Road (it actually turns into Baxter Avenue) is the new destination from proprietor Sergio Ribenboim, the Beer Palace (917 Baxter Ave.), sister bar to Sergio’s World Beers (sergiosworldbeers.com; 1605 Story Ave.). With well over a thousand bottles from around the world (from vintage Belgians to Lexington Brewing’s Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale) and 42 taps, Sergio’s might just be on every beer pilgrim’s bucket list.
Holy Grale
A new beer hot spot on Bardstown Road is the gastrotavern Holy Grale (holygralelouisville.com; 1034 Bardstown Road) that Layne says plans to start brewing their own. Before this joint, owners Tyler Trotter and Lori Beck were among L’ville’s first to open a craft-centric hangout, Louisville Beer Store (louisvillebeerstore.com; 746 E. Market St.). Layne says that the Beer Store “offers an amazing selection for on-premise or to-go. Also, you can order from the menu of 732 Social (732social.com; 732 E. Market St.) while at LBS and enjoy some of the best food in L’ville.” Sharing space in the same building, 732 Social offers local and sustainable small plates such as Tots and Cracklins to entrées like Steak au Poivre made using Old Forester bourbon and wild garlic.
Accommodations in town run the gamut, but consider staying at the Brown Hotel (brownhotel.com; 335 W. Broadway), originally built and recently renovated in the English Renaissance style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A must for all hotel guests (and not) is hunkering down in the Lobby Bar for a Hot Brown. This lesser known but no less mighty regional sandwich originated in the hotel kitchen for which it’s named. Turkey, bacon and tomato ride high on an open-faced island of Texas toast in a sea of rich Mornay sauce made with butter and cream. Burn it off hiking Mammoth Cave. But pair it with one of the bar’s signature bourbon cocktails or a BBC Nut Brown Ale.
