On the way to Lexington, Kentucky I noticed a billboard for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  Now I enjoy sports, but when it comes to horse racing I’m completely ignorant.  The reason the sign caught my eye was that it promoted Kentucky Ale as the official beer of the games.  Kentucky Ale you say?

We were staying at a friend’s house in Lexington and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try some of their local beer.  I wasn’t expecting much since I’ve never heard or read anything about the brewery, but it was worth a shot.  On a muggy afternoon we headed downtown towards the brewery.

The tour consisted of six people: a couple for Texas, two locals from Kentucky and us.  The brewery is a tiny one, hidden away on a side street just outside of downtown, and produces only three beers. 

Our tour guide Jessica started chatting and I was immediately unnerved.  Although the Lexington brewery was founded in 1794, it has existed under the ownership of a multitude of individuals.  The current brewery was founded in 1999 and is one part of a firm called Alltech.

Alltech?  That sounds like a giant corporation.  I was skeptical to say the least.

As the tour continued I found out that Alltech is a giant corporation.  Thoughts of sour-swill created only for profit immediately filled my head once I discovered that their main product was horse-feed supplement.  It makes sense for a company in Kentucky, the horse capital of the United States, to be in that business.  Whether they should be involved in beer also is another story.

My skittish thoughts started to soften once our guide stated telling us a bit about the history of the company.  Dr. Pearse Lyons is the president of Alltech and his company specializes in many aspects of nutritional supplements for horses, including yeast.  Lyons is an Irishman and as a teenager served an internship at St. James Gate, the world famous Guinness brewery.  He always had a sweet spot for beer and after Alltech took off he made time to make brewing more than a hobby.  The more I heard about this guy the more I was eager to taste the goods.

As Jennifer guided us through the tiny brew house, she pointed out a giant copper vat.
“This is where we distill the whiskey,” she informed us.

“Whiskey?” I thought, immediately intrigued.

Jennifer told us that the brewery was also a distillery and would be releasing their first batch of two-year-old single malt scotch at the Games in 2010.  They were also in the process of creating bourbon, the staple Kentucky spirit.

One thing I found so interesting about the brewery distilling spirits is that one of their beers is Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, a barrel aged version of their flagship Kentucky Ale.  The whole idea was to bring the brewing and distilling full circle.  After aging bourbon in oak barrels, the brewing would use them to age beer.  Once the beer was done they would use the barrels to age the scotch. 

After the extensive—and incredibly informative, it’s not often a brewery doubles as a distillery—we were off to the tasting room, a beautiful area known as Byrne’s Pub.  The first brew was Kentucky Light and I figured it’d be the usual watered-down fizzle.  Once again, however, the brewery caught me off guard.  The “light” in Kentucky Light was just a marketing ploy; the beer was really a Kölsch, a traditional beer from Cologne, Germany known for its light body and refreshing crispness.  Kentucky Ale worried that too few of its clientele knew what Kölsch was and would pass on the beer.  The Light was spot on.

The second brew was Kentucky Ale, a mix of an Irish Red and English pale ale.  Again, I was impressed.  The beer was a beautiful amber with a smooth, malty bite and impressive balance. 

The third and final brew was the Bourbon Barrel Ale.  Normally served in a snifter, the beer emitted the strong, boozy nose of hard liquor.  The taste was a beefed up version of their ale, mellowed by oak aging and notes of vanilla.  Definitely a sipping beer, this 8% A.B.V. beast packs a wallop while having a dignified, elegant edge.  Very, very enjoyable.

As I was leaving the brewery I couldn’t help but feel baffled; I’d never expected this small outfit to be as good as it was, especially since most bars I’ve seen around here touted mostly Lite beers from the big brewing giants.  I was even more affected since a lot of larger microbreweries push fifteen different varieties of beer into as many states as possible; Kentucky Ale benefits by sticking to its guns.

Kentucky Ale produces only three ales and distributes exclusively in Kentucky.  Their twelve employees are obviously dedicated to good beer and their reluctance to get too-big-too-fast corresponds to their passion for quality beverages.  I only wish that I were more of a liquor drinker so I could try their bourbon and scotch once it’s released.   


The hops growing outside of the brewery.  Perhaps for a future beer?