Lexington's well known status as the "Horse Capital of the World" and its location in the heart of "Bourbon Country" bring lots of tourists to its beautiful bluegrass landscape. What not many are aware of is that in recent years a half-dozen brewpubs have popped up in the modestly sized city to accompany its local distilleries and – if that weren't enough – colorful murals have been popping up as well (26 in the city!!), often near the watering holes.
After imbibing a few late-afternoon brews at Lexington Beerworks a couple of years ago I stumbled across (no not literally – I was a little lost) a very colorful mural of Abe Lincoln. It was so striking and joyful, a smile broke wide across my face. The mural was created by Eduardo Kobra.
Lexington is teaching the rest us of a valuable lesson. Murals can be truly significant art. And I had accidentally discovered that they go great with beer – and other spirits.
Who knew?!
LexArts, Lexington's primary arts council, as well as the area's United Arts Funds organization knew at least one half of that compelling combination.
"LexArts initiated the Lexington Mural Project in 2008 with the creation of four murals by professional artists, and the project created visual icons that have helped to create community identity and heighten the visibility of the arts," said Nathan Zamarron, LexArts Community Arts Director. "Each year more murals have been added, and the appetite for public art has grown."
The other half of this intoxicating mix, the advent of gastropubs and brewpubs, began in 2011. That some of them happened to be close to murals was, in most cases, simply happy happenstance. There are several in the Pepper Distillery Warehouse campus.
Ethereal Brewing/"I Am MO"
Ethereal Brewing has a kind of "warehouse chic," brick-and-concrete hipster feel with high ceilings and art everywhere. The focus is on its own Belgian farmhouse brews and American craft beers but the place offers a broad range, with about 16 beers on tap, 11 of them its own. Ethereal offers beer cheese and pretzels, but food trucks are typically around, and there's lots of outdoor seating at long tables alongside Town Branch Creek on the Pepper Distillery Warehouse campus.
On the same street as Ethereal, a stunning 75-foot-tall and 270-foot-wide mural in black, gray and red takes up a whole side of the old Pepper Distillery Warehouse. "I Am MO" by MTO depicts a gas-masked graffiti artist with a spray can behind bars. It is perhaps the largest and most controversial of Lexington's numerous and magnificent murals.
Ethereal Brewing, 1224 Manchester St., Lexington, Ky., 859-309-1254, www.etherealbrew.com
Barrel House Distillery/"Distillery District Mural"
Just down Manchester Street from Ethereal Brewing is the appropriately named Barrel House Brewing, located in the old barreling house of the former James Pepper Distillery. Part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, Barrel House Distillery is mostly about its handcrafted RockCastle Bourbon, a small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, but the operation also distills vodka, rum and moonshine. The distillery's tasting room and gift shop are open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, with tours beginning 15 minutes past the hour every hour.
"Distillery District Mural" by Dronex Inc., at 809 Manchester St., is a collaborative effort by a number of artists led by Myke Dronez of Lexington. The mural depicts a train hauling bourbon barrels.
Barrel House Distillery, 1200 Manchester St., Building No. 9, Lexington, Ky., 859-259-0159 barrelhousedistillery.com
West Sixth Brewing Production Brewery and Taproom/"Horses Jumping"
West Sixth has a taproom and a beer garden, both offering an ever-changing beer list of local libations. Currently it has about 14 of its own handcrafted brews plus other select brews. West Sixth's Barrel Room is the place for barrel-aged and small-batch beers and is open only on Friday and Saturday nights. West Sixth has tasty bar food like pretzels, bagel chips, beer cheese and kettle corn. Servers from Smithtown Seafood, located next door, will walk over selections from their menu to imbibers desiring a little more substantial fare. Plus, food trucks are parked outside West Sixth most weekend evenings. West Sixth Production Brewery and Taproom offers free hourlong tours on weekend afternoons.
If you're enjoying brews at West Sixth, take a very quick stroll to the intersection of West Sixth and Bellaire Avenue for a gander at "Horses Jumping" by Gaia. It's a large mural that shows just what you'd expect, given its title, but with unusual artistic elements.
West Sixth Brewing Production Brewery and Taproom, 501 W. Sixth St., Suite 100, Lexington, Ky., 859-705-0915, westsixth.com
Lexington Beerworks/"Lincoln"
More than 70 beers, a dozen on tap, and a few hard ciders, as well as wine and specialty cocktails are all to be enjoyed at Lexington Beerworks. You'll also be able to take advantage of a nice menu offering everything from pretzels, beer cheese and charcuterie to sandwiches, nachos and pizza. And if you're a home brewer, this is the place for you. Lexington Beerworks carries hundreds of items in its home-brew shop upstairs and provides regularly scheduled classes for making beer and wine.
The aforementioned colorful take on our 16th president isn't too far from Lexington Beerworks. Just mosey south down Limestone and hang a left onto Water Street. It's on the 200 block of Water Street, just east of South Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Lexington Beerworks, 213 N. Limestone St., Lexington, Ky., 839-317-8137, www.lexingtonbeerworks.com
The Village Idiot/"Lilly and the Silly Monkeys"
The Village Idiot, often cited as Lexington's first gastropub, has 20 beers on tap, about 85 bottled beers, wine, a handful of specialty drinks, imaginative pub grub, and a truly first-rate menu of fine dining dishes, including the likes of grilled salmon, New York strip steak and fried Cornish hen. This appealing gastropub is housed in Lexington's oldest surviving post office building, circa 1825.
For an other-worldly, somewhat disturbing sight, hang a left coming out of The Village Idiot for the short walk to the 100 block of Market Street to see "Lily and the Silly Monkeys," a collaboratively created mural by German artists Hera and Akut, who sign their joint efforts as Herakut.
The Village Idiot, 307 W. Short St. Lexington, Ky., 859-252-0099, www.lexingtonvillageidiot.com
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