Kentucky may be best known for its bourbon, but there is far more than spirits in the Bluegrass state to entertain travelers. Whiskey side quests—visits to museums, sights, and non-bourbon experiences—offer an opportunity to go deeper into the culture and curiosities of our region.

They’re also a great way to give your liver a quick break—and to make a few memories you might actually remember.

One perfect spot for a side quest is Flame Run, the largest privately-own glassblowing studio in the Midwest. Located in downtown Louisville and just steps from Whiskey Row, the space is equal parts art gallery and studio. Working just steps from the sidewalk outside, artists use fire and flame to shape liqud glass into delicate and dazzling works of art.

All that hot air isn’t just for show. Visitors can participate in the glass-blowing experience through classes, studio rentals, and create-your-own glassware experiences. It was the last of these that drew the Lexington Bourbon Society westward on last Saturday, with 25 of us making the trek to experience the art of glassblowing firsthand.

The design-your-own glassware experience ranges in price, with several small projects available to create in the studio. For our group, the rock glasses and stemless wine glasses (both $65) were the top contenders. Other options included ornaments and paperweights—basically anything the approximate size of a softball.

After choosing your project and your colors, you’re handed a paper bag notated with your selections scribbled Sharpie ink. As informal as it may be, that bag is important: when your turn comes, you must pass it along to the glassblower who’ll bring your creation to life.

Visitors don’t actually get to blow the glass themselves. With furnaces reaching something like 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s probably for the best. Though it was a beautiful day in Louisville, the studio was unrelentingly hot. Our group drifted in and out, stepping through the open doors into the cooler air of the sidewalk or up the stairs into an air-conditioned viewing area. The artists, far more used to the heat, worked steadily at their stations.

When it was my turn to blow, I handed my paper bag to John, my designated artist. I had originally chosen the rocks glass, but I asked John if we could swap it for the wine glass and shape it more into a tulip than a tumbler. He agreed, especially after I gave him full artistic license to interpret my chosen colors (pink, orange, and white) at will.

From one furnace, he drew molten glass onto a long rod, spinning it along the edge of a metal workstation. As he blew air into the glowing hot glass, it began to expand, glowing hot and red with heat and potential. John gently and methodically worked the rod back and forth, slipping the glass in and out of the fire to add glass or keep it hot, and shaping it with calipers and breath and flat tools.

The whole process to build and shape my chosen piece took maybe 15 minutes, though some were longer. John was patient and gracious as I watched and asked questions throughout. After my glass was complete, it was whisked away to cool in safety—something to keep in mind if you’re just popping in. The glass needs a day or two to rest before you can take it home, and I won’t see mine in its final form until someone goes to retrieve our wares later this week.

The rest of the afternoon unfolded just as you’d likely expect for a bourbon society: twenty or so bottles (and a collection of snacks) cluttered a table in the gallery, all open for sharing. At one point, a cocktail was shoved under my nose with the words “try this”—resulting in both hands filled with whisky and my camera dangling helplessly by my side.

For the average visitor, the experience of visiting Flame Run is likely a bit more low-key, but it will be no less fascinating. Whether you walk way with a one-of-a-kind piece of glass, a new appreciation of the craft, or just a good story, it’s a side quest worth taking.

Sláinte, y’all.

🥃 The Whisky Type is a self-funded project powered by equal parts curiosity, chaos, and whisky. If you’d like to support Carolyn’s questionable life choices and excellent content, buy her a dram! https://ko-fi.com/thewhiskytype