Foodies and bourbon enthusiasts seeking elevated dining experiences find their bourbon-infused bliss in Covington, Frankfort, and Bardstown. Many restaurants and bars in these bourbon-centric cities showcase unique takes on pairing bourbon with meals, specialize in bourbon-infused menus, and feature dishes that amplify bourbon flavors. Additionally, these three cities offer bourbon experiences that bourbon lovers aren’t likely to find anywhere else. SIGNATURE SPINS In Newport, the team at Purple Poulet Southern Bourbon Bistro , led by Chef Rick Zumwalde, loves a good splash or three of bourbon in dishes like fried chicken and waffles with maple bourbon syrup, “Swanky” Shrimp-n-Grits with bourbon-cream pan gravy, hickory-smoked beef brisket with bourbon-peach jus, a Casino-style market catch with bourbon-bacon-maple broth, and bourbon mashed sweet potatoes. Likewise, the team at Beehive Augusta Tavern shows its unbridled enthusiasm for Kentucky bourbon by incorporating it into multiple dishes: bourbon-braised short ribs, bourbon carbonara, bourbon-glazed bone-in pork chops, bourbon-glazed salmon, a bourbon bordelaise burger, and honey bourbon fried chicken. Even sides like the honey bourbon bacon brussels get a dousing. At the Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo.), Kentucky’s first distillery-based restaurant, Chef Stu Plush likes to bring out bourbon tasting notes through various dishes. For instance, the menu suggests BBCo. Origin Series Bottled-in-Bond or Prohibited Paradise for country ham carbonara and BBCo. Origin Series Rye Whiskey or Feel the Heat for its Southern fried chicken. At HOC (House of Commons): A Bourbon Library in Frankfort, Founder and Proprietor Dave Sandlin brings encyclopedic knowledge to the bourbons he stocks. Additionally, this bourbon barkeep knows how to spin a good yarn. “Everyone has a story to tell, and every bourbon has a story to tell,” said Sandlin. “Our storytelling is the framework around the more than 315 Kentucky whiskeys we have on the shelf, why we have them, why each is special, rare, or different.” Visitors to HOC won’t find food and bourbon pairings (although Sanders is happy to share restaurant recommendations); this bourbon bar is about pairing bourbon to people’s palettes. “People come in and tell us what they like, and we formulate a taste profile for them,” said Sanders.