Tom Wilmes
Tom Wilmes is a journalist based in central Kentucky, specializing in bourbon and other spirits. A contributor for Garden & Gun, he has also written for Whiskey Advocate, The Local Palate, Southbound, and various other publications. Follow @kentuckydrinks on Instagram.
Tastemaker
Balcones head distiller Jared Himstedt on making a pour that captures the spirit of Texas
Arts & Culture
The new U.S. Poet Laureate on the power of poetry and finding inspiration in place
Drinks
While scoring a hard-to-find bottle is a thrill, there’s a wealth of flavors to explore
Travel
Go beyond the standard distillery tour with these immersive experiences
Drinks
Freddie Noe, Jim Beam’s newly minted eighth-generation master distiller, looks to carry on his family’s legacy—and broaden bourbon’s horizons
tastemaker
Samara B. Davis, the founder of Black Bourbon Society, on standout sips and setting a welcoming table
Arts & Culture
Bid now on hundreds of unique items and experiences to help Western Kentucky rebuild
Travel
Three historic Southern inns where equestrians feel right at home
Drinks
As with bourbon, distillers are furthering the boundaries of one of America’s oldest spirits—with some tasty results
HOME & GARDEN
A Kentucky couple pull out all the stops for the ultimate DIY home bourbon escape
Drinks
The age of the liquid inside the bottle is rivaled only by the provenance of its ownership
Drinks
Like “fingerprints” for bourbon, whiskey webs not only look stunning, they might also contain answers that further the science of whiskey-making and more
Drinks
Distillers explore multiple avenues in broadening bourbon’s boundaries
Arts & Culture
Fans can’t attend this year’s Run for the Roses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch the race from home in style
Weekends
America’s native spirit flows along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, where back roads lead to new discoveries.
Southern Heroes
The co-founder of Uncle Nearest, the most-awarded new whiskey brand in the country, keeps an undersung distiller’s legacy alive
Drinks
A century since Prohibition, Hartfield & Co. remains the first and only distillery operating in bourbon’s namesake county
Drinks
Meet Victoria Eady Butler, great-great-granddaughter of the pioneering distiller Nathan “Nearest” Green, who is carrying on her family’s legacy as the newly named master blender for Tennessee’s Uncle Nearest whiskey