Urban Bourbon Trail

SDF: 5 Things We Love About Louisville Muhammad Ali Int’l Airport

Airport guides, , ,

Our “5 Things We Love About...” series celebrates services and amenities at airports around the country and the world.

Today we land at Kentucky’s Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF).

Keep in mind that some of the features we love may be unavailable due to health concerns. We’re confident they’ll be back.

If we miss something you love about SDF Airport, or if you have an airport you’d like to be featured, please drop a note in the comments section below.

5 Things We Love About Louisville Muhammad International Airport (SDF)

1. The airport’s name honors Muhammad Ali

Louisville International Airport became Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in 2019 to honor boxing legend and Louisville native Muhammad Ali.

Ali was born on January 17, 1942, and died on June 3, 2016. The Muhammad Ali Center, on Louisville’s Museum Row, explores his life.

2. The rocking chairs at SDF

Kentucky is bourbon country and we love that rocking chairs at SDF are made from bourbon barrel staves by local Wood Artisan Jason Cohen.

 

3. The Virtual Information Booth at SDF

SDF has a Virtual Information Booth staffed by volunteers from the Airport Ambassador Program who answer questions from a remote spot in the airport. A perfect social distance solution to customer service and safety.

4. Bourbon and Baseball Bats

Louisville is home to the Urban Bourbon Trail and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

So it’s good to know that travelers can purchase both bourbon and Louisville Slugger bats in the airport shops.

5. The SDF Wags Team

The SDF Wags program at Louisville Mohammad International Airport kicked off in 2019.

Certified pet therapy animals and their handlers visit the airport terminal two to three times a week to help make the travel experience less stressful.

6. Bonus: the SDF Mascot

We love airport mascots, plain and simple, and the mascot at SDF – named Skye- is one of our favorites.

Louisville International Airport on Kentucky Urban Bourbon Trail

Bars, Restaurants, , ,

Louisville International Airport now has a spot on the Kentucky Urban Bourbon Trail.

 

Book & Bourbon Southern Kitchen, located in the pre-security of Lousiville International Airport, is now an official stop on Kentucky’s Urban Bourbon Trail.

The trail consists of more than 40 bars and restaurants that embrace the state’s Bourbon culture.

To get a spot on the trail a venue has to offer at least 50 different bourbons. A trail ‘member’ also has to  celebrate and honor the role bourbon plays in the the city’s history and modern-day culture.

Louisville airport’s Book & Bourbon Southern Kitchen fits the bill because it offers more than 85 world-class bourbons (including several rare labels) and has a staff eager to teach guests about everything bourbon, including tasting notes and distilling history.

Traveling along the Urban Bourbon Trail isn’t just about drinking bourbon. It’s also about winning t-shirts. Participating restaurants and bars on the Urban Bourbon Trail hand out passports that guests can get stamped when they make a purchase at venues along the trail.

Anyone who collects six stamps can redeem their passport for a t-shirt. And you can get a stamp for any purchase – it doesn’t have to be a something made with bourbon.

And now that Book & Bourbon Southern Kitchen at Louisville International is officially on the Kentucky Urban Bourbon Trail, passengers can pick up their trail passsport as soon as they land at the airport and get started on collecting those stamps right away.

Before you head out on the road in search of Kentucky bourbons, keep in mind that in addition to the Urban Bourbon Trail of bourbon-centric bars and restaurants, Kentucky also has a ‘Urban Bourbon Experience‘ that includes bars, restaurants and borboun experiences and events.

There’s also the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which highlights distilleries statewide that are part of the Kentucky Distiller’s Association.

That seems like a like of bourbon, but there are many places where those trails cross and intersect.