Have you taken a southern bourbon, whiskey or wine tour?

Over the weekend, many Atlantans tuned in to watch the annual Run for the Roses at the Kentucky Derby. The Derby conjures iconic images of horses hurtling out of the starting gate, ladies donning huge hats and gentlemen sipping mint juleps out of silver cups.

Like the Derby, the state of Kentucky itself is known for three big things: horses, bluegrass and bourbon (the star ingredient in the South’s beloved julep). For visitors to the Bluegrass State, a tour of one of Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries can be as intoxicating as a wine tour through Napa Valley, Calif. or single malt tour through Scotland.

Now that the Derby crowds have headed home, it’s a great time to get a taste of all that the beautiful Kentucky countryside has to offer. Several major distilleries south and east of Louisville offer tours and tastings along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  East of Louisville in the state capital of Frankfort, you’ll find Buffalo Trace Distillery. A bit further south, you can tour the Woodford Reserve site in Versailles before heading to Lawrenceburg for a double shot at the Four Roses and Wild Turkey distilleries.

South of Louisville, near Clermont and Bardstown, pick up the Bourbon Trail with stops at Jim Beam, Heaven Hill and the Bourbon Heritage Center.  Round out your tour down the road in Loretto at the Maker’s Mark Distillery.

Bourbon’s not your thing? You can also dip down to see where the Volunteer State’s famous Tennessee Whiskey is made or fan out to the various breweries and wine regions throughout the south. Tours of Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. are free, but be prepared — the town and surrounding county is dry.

Given the south’s spirited moonshining and legal distilling heritage, it’s no surprise that other forms of fermentation have begun weaving themselves into the region’s culture. In addition to white lightning, whiskey and bourbon, tours of breweries like Atlanta Brewing Company and Abita Brewing (Abita Springs, La.) or wineries throughout Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina offer an alternative to the hard stuff in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Have you taken a distillery or brewery tour? What was your favorite part of the tour? How do southern wine or whiskey tours compare with similar tours in places like California, France or Scotland?