“We got bourbon balls when we got off the plane!”
This is what my mom said upon landing in Louisville, KY for the weekend of the Kentucky Derby. What I don’t know is whether or not she got the real thing. The bourbon ball originated in a small, women-owned-and-run business in Frankfort, KY – Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours and Museum – and we were able to tour the candy factory and museum before sampling the original bourbon ball.
We arrived in time for a tour that was starting about 10 minutes later. Tours cost $5 per person and last around 20 minutes. Rebecca Ruth Candy was started by two women, although Rebecca eventually sold her share to Ruth so she could start a family. Ruth gave it to her son and now her grandson now runs the factory. We had an awesome guide who made the tour a lot of fun.
You start by heading into the cacao room to learn about the chocolate before it becomes candy.
Once you pass the threshold into the factory area, you aren’t permitted to take pictures for obvious, secret candy making, reasons.
And as we know, “Old Slugworth would give his false teeth to get inside for just five minutes, so don’t touch a thing!” (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory)
Had it been up and running during our tour it would’ve looked something like this…
Once the factory portion is over, you head into a small museum for some information and a feast for the eyes. There’s a LOT of memorabilia to be taken in, but if you can pick out a few cool things to look for that can help.
One of the most interesting facts we learned was about rationing in World War II. Without sugar you can’t make candy, so Ruth would ask people to give their sugar ration and she would reimburse them with one whole piece of candy. Tin was also in short supply, so Ruth asked for tin donations of coffee cans, etc and painted them with her logo. In the bottom she included a poem which basically said that if our troops can do without things, we can do without our tins. That was done to encourage people to return the candy tins during the time of rationing.
The first candy made was the Kentucky Mint Colonel, although Rebecca Ruth’s became known for the innovation of combining Kentucky Bourbon with chocolate to create the Bourbon Ball. The bourbon ball has a bourbon infused center with a chocolate coating and one pecan on top.
At the end of the tour you can try a Bourbon Ball (or something else if that isn’t your fancy). I chose a Kentucky Mint Colonel and Stephen chose the Bourbon Ball and we tried each other’s. We went on to purchase a few other lovely treats and thoroughly enjoyed them later that day.
An inexpensive and relatively quick stop at Rebecca Ruth’s Candy Tours and Museum is a great way to spend a hour or so whether you’re visiting Frankfort, KY or just passing through.
Address
Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours and Museum, 116 E 2nd St, Frankfort, KY 40601
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