Monday, March 28, 2011

Final Four!

With the NCAA National College Basketball tournament wrapping up soon, it's hard not to get excited for the final games!  Especially for the wildly devoted University of Kentucky fans in Lexington, it was exciting to watch  the Wildcats defeat #1 ranked Ohio State on Friday and UNC earlier today.  With only one more game to win  (facing UConn) to advance to the Finals, you bet all of Lexington will be on the edge of their seats.  I'm not nearly as big a fan as many Lexington locals, but it's easy to get excited when nearly the entire city erupts with cheers and high-fives.

Next weekend will mark the end of Macrh Madness, so, readers, which team do you think will be the 2011 NCAA Champion?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Stop #2

Kenucky's infamous bourbon trail is a great way to see the beautiful rolling countryside and experience six local bourbon distilleries. Each distillery offers unique experiences, scenery, and, of course, many unique bourbons. If you're unfamiliar with the bourbon trail. It's the name for the group of six local (but famous) bourbon distilleries in the area.

Second stop: Jim Beam


http://www.cocktailtimes.com/distillery/001_1.jpg


It may be surprising that the world's best selling bourbon comes from a distillery in quaint Clermont, Kentucky.  Unlike Woodford Reserve, the Jim Beam distillery produces millions of bottles every year with worldwide distribution, with production rates on par with Tennessee's Jack Daniels whiskey.  This expansive distillery produces several variations of Jim Beam: white label (original), black label (double-aged and one of my favorites), rye, Red Stag (cherry-infused), 7-year, and green label (charcoal filtered).  In addition, they also make a handful of finer small batch bourbons: Booker's, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, and Baker's (each with their own intricacies).  But, naturally those are a bit pricier.  


As with many distillery tours, you'll get to walk through the dark and aromatic barrel houses  where the barrels of distilled liquor are aged.  Also, you'll be guided through the Stillhouse Exhibit where the original copper distiller from the 1800s sits.  Most importantly, you'll conclude the tour with a tasting of a variety of bourbons.  I suggest tasting one of the small batch brands, notably Booker's.


In 2012, they will begin a more in depth tour through the complicated distilling processes for those wanting a behind-the-scenes look, so plan your visit soon!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Busy Busy Busy!

Sorry readers, I've been quite busy with school recently, but BestofLex is still on my mind.  Will return this week with all new content and blogging action!

Thanks for your patience.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

100 followers!!!


I'm a very happy blogger for reaching the 100 follower milestone!  Thanks very much for supporting this site and contributing your interesting comments, and I hope to bring you more Lexington info in the near future!

Sincerely,
Lexingtonian

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

March Madness is Upon Us

The cold month of February is now gone which leads us to March, the ultimate month of college basketball.  Like many college towns with promising basketball talent, Lexington's sports bar scene awakens with enthusiastic sports fans cheering for their favorite teams (notably the Kentucky Wildcats) during the always exciting conference and national tournaments a.k.a. March Madness.  What makes Lexington such a hotbed for college sports fans is that Kentucky has no professional sports teams, meaning lots of attention is turned to Kentucky collegiate sports.  It's always a big event in Lexington when UK has home games in football's Commonwealth Stadium or basketball's Rupp Arena.  Luckily for the fans, Kentucky's basketball team is consistently competitive nationally.

So, as the NCAA tournament nears, who are your favorites?  Any early predictions for the national champions?

Can't wait to fill out brackets my bracket!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Eat of the Week


Everyone thinks they know the best pizza in town.  It's a commonly debated hot topic of food lovers to argue where the best place is to get a pizza.  Well, here it is, folks: the best pizza I've ever had.

This week - Goodfellas Pizza - http://www.goodfellaspizzeria.com/webmenu2.pdf


I can't think of anything bad to say about this restaurant or its food.  It's simply the most delicious, well rounded,  and probably one of the biggest pizzas you can buy.  You seriously can't handle their 22" X-Large on your own.  Like every pizza place, this hole in the wall joint offers pick-up or delivery, but the real treat is fresh pizza by the slice.  Why?  Because its location a block away from many popular bars downtown in addition to its closing time in the early AM make it the perfect place to drop in to grab a slice after a long night out.  This is one of the few instances where this so-called "drunk food" is still incredibly good even when you aren't.  Be prepared to wait, however.  At 2AM and 30 degrees outside, there will still be a line out the door.  But it's completely worth it. 

Completely.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Stop #1

Kenucky's infamous bourbon trail is a great way to see the beautiful rolling countryside and experience six local bourbon distilleries. Each distillery offers unique experiences, scenery, and, of course, many unique bourbons. If you're unfamiliar with the bourbon trail. It's the name for the group of six local (but famous) bourbon distilleries in the area.

First stop: Woodford Reserve





Woodford Reserve offers a picturesque lodge surrounded by old barrel houses making it a perfectly rustic atmosphere.  Guests are treated to a tour covering the triple copper distillers, barrel house, bottling building, and a sample of the Woodford Reserve bourbon itself (paired with a choclate bourbon ball candy).  I highly recommend this stop of the bourbon trail due to its quality and uniqueness.  Plus, Woodford Reserve bourbon is about as good as it gets!