Ale-8-One Bottling Company
Winchester
For a ginger and citrus soda celebrated across Kentucky, guests can pop open an Ale-8-One inside the factory that has mixed the drink for 90 years. The beverage was developed in the 1920s, and today, Ale-8-One is one of the country’s oldest family-owned soft drink companies.
The drink is carried throughout Kentucky and Indiana, as well as parts of Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois. The name originated from a regional naming contest. The slogan “A Late One” referred to the beverage as the latest trend in soft drinks.
Groups can book factory tours by appointment on Thursdays and Fridays. The tour begins with a video that relates the history of Ale-8. Guides then lead guests through several production areas to see the work that goes into each bottle.
Participants receive a free bottle so they can taste the original blend of ginger and a hint of citrus. The drink has a smooth taste with less bite than a typical ginger soft drink.
In the on-site gift shop, visitors can purchase more bottles to take home, as well as other Ale-8-themed items, including T-shirts, bottle openers and drinkware. The shop sells other Kentucky-made products as well, such as barbecue sauce and salsa.
The company also participates in annual events, among them the Winchester Pioneer Festival and the Beer Cheese Festival. It donates to more than 900 organizations statewide.
Haney’s Appledale Farm
Nancy
What began as a roadside fruit stand has evolved into a 450-acre farm and market staple in south-central Kentucky. Haney’s Appledale Farm started in the late 1800s under the name Cloverdale. When Lawrence and Oreida Haney inherited the farm in 1944, they thought the name didn’t suit their business as apple farmers, so they changed it to Appledale.
Five generations later, the Haney family still owns the farm, which now grows more than 25 varieties of apples, as well as 10 varieties of peaches, pears and nectarines, on more than 70 acres. The business also runs a certified Farm Bureau Roadside Market and pie shop.
Groups can schedule tours of the apple farm, market and pie shop. They will hear stories from the family and see how they run such an extensive operation. In season, participants can pick their own produce and enjoy slices of freshly baked apple pie. The farm’s freshly pressed apple cider is another farm favorite.
Jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, sorghum and apple butter all make excellent gifts or treats to enjoy later. The farm also sells other local goodies, such as gourmet cheese, candies and honey.
In addition to food, the farm store sells memorabilia from the nearby Mill Springs Battlefield, locally made homemade toys, cookbooks and local crafts.
The farm is near Lake Cumberland, which offers boat rentals and the Lake Cumberland State Resort Park.
