If you’re in the mood for good company, great music and good bourbon, The Kentucky Hug, located at 325 St. Clair St., offers the atmosphere you’re looking for. The new venue, described as a bourbon bar and music emporium, incorporates three key elements, said Meredith Goins, who owns The Kentucky Hug with her husband, David.
“It’s going to have three elements — bourbon, music and community,” Meredith said.
Meredith and David took over the building, which was the former Brick Alley bar, in April. They painted the walls, hung new lights and artwork, brought in new furniture and bar stools, and opened the doors to the public on May 1.
“It was a quick turnaround,” Meredith said.
But, the Goinses have been mentally preparing to open their own business for years.
“It may seem out of left field for us, but we’ve had behind-the-scenes conversations for years,” Meredith said.
Meredith works as a tour guide at Buffalo Trace Distillery, and David is a musician having played with numerous bands over the years, ran the music department at First United Methodist Church, and has been an instructor at area schools and colleges.
“Since David is a musician and band director, and has lots of musical connections — he’s bringing all of those elements forward,” Meredith said. “I bring the bourbon knowledge, and he brings the musical.”
David, who is leaving his job at Georgetown College in the fall, will operate the bar full-time. He will line up the weekend entertainment and lead day-to-day operations. He plans to start a podcast where he will interview musicians and bourbon royalty and will record at The Kentucky Hug. He also plans to invite bourbon industry representatives to give presentations at the bar, and he plans to host groups, such as The Frankfort Bourbon Society and others, at the bar.
“My ADHD needs this,” David said. “I have to have multiple things to do. We don’t want this to just be a bar.”
Meredith agreed and said, “We want this to be more about the experience. Being the creative director for a place like this — it checks a lot of boxes for (David’s) creative brain.”
David explained that he sees a correlation between his work at The Kentucky Hug and his work at First United Methodist Church.
“At the church, I did the traditional service and the contemporary music service,” he said. “There was a lot of variety. I’m putting many things under one umbrella.”
David plans to schedule jazz and bluegrass musicians to play at The Kentucky Hug. He said the two types of genres are similar and both are based on improvisation.
“I found out people wanted jazz music,” David said.
David, a trumpet player, is a fan of jazz music.
“Like bourbon, there are no additives in jazz,” he said. “There’s no loud volume. They’re all acoustic instruments.”
David is excited to showcase musicians who aren’t widely known.
“There are a lot of people who don’t get exposure who are unbelievably talented,” he said.
He’s moved the stage area from the back of the venue to the front windows, where he wants everyone passing by to be able to see what is going on inside.
They currently serve some food such as wings, mozzarella sticks and egg rolls. David said they’re looking to add soup, salads and wraps that people on bourbon tours, or on break from work, can have for lunch.
The bar is fully stocked, complete with an extensive offering of Kentucky bourbons.
“We have a Frankfort flight called My Old Kentucky Home with Buffalo Trace, J. Mattingly, Benson Valley and Whiskey Thief bourbons,” Meredith said.
They also offer a signature cocktail that Meredith helped to develop called “The Kentucky Hug.” It’s made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, honey, ginger syrup and lemon juice.
“It was a collaboration between our main bartender and me,” Meredith, who is a certified Bourbon Steward, said. The bartenders are Teketta Stephens, Lynn Aubrey and Ava Goins.
Meredith said she’s also working on an Old Fashioned menu, which will contain four to five different drinks that are a twist on the Old Fashioned.
“Meredith brings a knowledge that I don’t have of bourbon,” David said. “She and the bartenders, they know everything about it.”
Since opening in April, David said fellow downtown business owners have welcomed The Kentucky Hug.
“There is a sense of community with the downtown business owners,” David said, which he credits Suzy Hosley, executive director of Downtown Frankfort Inc., for creating. “She is phenomenal. All of the business owners made a presence. We’re all here to help each other.”
Meredith is excited to create a space where “people feel comfortable and can be a part of the community.”
“We’re excited for tourists,” she said, “but we want to be the place Frankfort comes to and enjoy being around each other.”
David is excited to fill a musical void in downtown Frankfort.
“I think there’s been a void of quality music for a long time in Frankfort,” David said. “There hasn’t been anyone who has the ability to put it all together, and I have that ability.
“I hope to bring that to the community — culture, entertainment, and a splash of bourbon.”
