Plus: Bourbon hotspots in Kentucky and a new Johnny Cash statue

PHOTOS: BRENT HUMPHREYS

When former Austin resident Ashleigh Bell Pedersen recently two-stepped around the dance floor at the White Horse, one of the city’s great honky-tonks, she felt right back at home. “On weeknights, its vibrant dance scene, friendly familiar faces, and live local bands keep it a holdout of Austin culture amid a changing city,” she writes in our latest issue of G&G. Follow along as she visits enduring haunts—from classic dives like the Broken Spoke (serving up cold beer and chicken-fried steak since 1964) to newer spots like Sagebrush, a throwback to the dance halls of rural Texas.

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Frankfort, Kentucky. Once a guys’ trip to raft West Virginia whitewater was booked, it didn’t take much arm-twisting to extend the weekend across the state line for some Bourbon Country brown water. Though the layover was brief, we made the most of the Kentucky capital’s distilleries, eateries, and warm hospitality.

The stay. Frankfort’s newest hotel, the St. Clair, is also its nicest, with spacious, boutique-style suites situated above a brick-paved street in the middle of historic downtown. Quiet, too, though we cleared out before Billy Bob Thornton’s band was slated to play the Art Deco–accented Grand Theatre across the way.
Pours and bites. We convened at the hotel’s Howser Tavern and were tempted to go no farther, especially after sampling mixologist Patci’s signature cocktail with bourbon and aged balsamic vinegar. (Pssst! Rumor has it there’s a second, hidden speakeasy with a clubbier vibe and rarer pours—ask nicely for the password.) Burgers and craft beers were just a stroll away at Goodwood Brewery, where an outdoor table overlooking the Kentucky River suited our loud-laughing crew. Afterward, we couldn’t resist a nightcap at House of Commons, where we stared gobsmacked at the bar’s “bourbon library” and may have indulged in a crazy-rare pour of Very Very Old Fitzgerald.
The main attraction. Buffalo Trace Distillery lived up to its “Disneyland for Bourbon Lovers” reputation on a tour that included the Blanton’s bottling room and a rustic rickhouse stacked with Eagle Rare barrels. (Bonus: Luck put us there on a day when the gift shop released coveted bottles of E.H. Taylor Small Batch; we queued up like true fanboys.) Down the road, Castle & Key delivered an entirely different distillery tour that guided us through sprawling, lushly landscaped grounds and into historic buildings for a close-up of huge, bubbling mash vats.