Bulleit Bourbon, made in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, is one of the most beloved of the many American craft whiskies that sprung up during the Bourbon resurgence of the past two decades.

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Never the less, many Manhattans, including the one I ordered years earlier, mix bourbon and sweet vermouth in a cocktail glass, leaving out the bitters.

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No one could have predicted that their customers would rush out and hoard on the bourbon.

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Buffalo Trace offers one of the best distillery tours in Kentucky, even though it is not technically part of the Bourbon Trail.

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There are bourbon bars that stock more stuff than anywhere in the Bourbon Belt, bars that serve only drinks made with the freshest fruit, others that have perfected one thing, such as Rockfish, where the whiskey highball craze that recently swept Japan found its most perfect expression.

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In fact one of the best Manhattans I ever had was made with now defunct Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old bourbon.

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