For more than 20 years, the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail has allowed the Commonwealth’s visitors — and lucky inhabitants — the chance to map a path through the state’s finest mass distribution and craft whiskey houses, while navigating nearby cities and attractions.
Now, the Pennyrile and Jackson Purchase has its own blooming path centered around another type of craft alcohol: beer.
Revealed today by the state’s Convention & Visitor’s Bureaus in Glasgow, Bowling Green, Beaver Dam, Owensboro, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Murray, Kentucky Lake and Paducah — the West Kentucky “Brewery Hop” will take tourists and locals through 13 brewing pubs spread throughout the region, in what is a joint effort to showcase not just craft beer, but popular attractions along the way.
Hopkinsville CVB Executive Director Brooke Jung said the original discussions for this project began under the direction of Henderson County CVB Executive Director Abby Dixon and Owensboro CVB Executive Director Dave Kirk.
Two dozen conversations later, alongside wide creative collaboration, and fall of 2021 seems to be an opportune time to reveal efforts.
As the city and county’s first craft brewery, Jung can happily tout the Hopkinsville Brewing Company in the colorful guide — while encouraging visits to places like the Greenway Trail, the Casey Jones and MB Roland distilleries, and the Pennyrile Forest State Park.
Craft beer’s rise in west Kentucky can be celebrated, and especially in Hopkinsville — where Kate Russell serves as the new trail’s only businesswoman.
Each brewery has a unique stamp, and once someone completes a visit to at least seven locations, the “beer-port” can be mailed to the Henderson Tourist Commission in exchange for some official #WKYBreweryHop swag. Visit all 13 breweries, and completionists can mail it again to the HTC for another unique gift.
A QR code is available on each page of the beer-port, which can be scanned to provide more information for each city.
Jung noted the complete purpose of the brewery hop, however, is to fully experience western Kentucky — from Glasgow to Paducah, and from Henderson to Hopkinsville — while using the pubs as focal points.
Those interested can find their own copy of the “Hop Stop Guide” at any of the participating breweries or their correlating CVB offices, and a new website to plan these hops has been launched at westkybreweryhop.com.
Owensboro
Mile Wide Beer Company, The Brew Bridge, Goodwood Brewing & Spirits (coming 2022)
While You’re There: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Green River Distilling Company, Moonlite Bar-B-Q
Glasgow
Yancey’s Gastropub & Brewery
While You’re There: Mammoth Cave National Park, The Historic Plaza Theatre, South Central Kentucky Cultural Center
Murray
Hop Hound Brew Pub
While You’re There: Calloway County Barn Quilt Trail, Miller Memorial Golf Course, Elk & Bison Prairie in Land Between the Lakes
Bowling Green
Blue Holler Brew Supplies, Gasper Brewing Company
While You’re There: National Corvette Museum, NCM Motorsports Park, Lost River Cave
Paducah
Dry Ground Brewing Company, Paducah Beer Werks
While You’re There: National Quilt Museum, Paducah Wall-to-Wall Murals, River Discovery Center
Beaver Dam
Uncrafted Territory Brewing Company
While You’re There: Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Bill Monroe Homeplace, Ohio County Park
Hopkinsville
Hopkinsville Brewing Company
While You’re There: Hopkinsville Greenway Trail, Casey Jones Distillery & MB Roland Distillery, Pennyrile Forest State Park
Henderson
Henderson Brewing Company
While You’re There: John James Audobon State Park, Ellis Park Racing & Gaming, Famer & Frenchman Winery & Cafe
Kentucky Lake (Marshall County)
The Dam Brewhaus
While You’re There: Kentucky Lake, Land Between the Lakes National Recreational Area, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park