Heartland of Kentucky Decanters & Steins

There’s a sign on the highway. It’s not fancy; it’s just text: «Steins and Decanters». Since I was leisurely driving through Kentucky toward Nashville to help my brother move, I was absolutely looking for any excuse to delay the boxing and packing. The ensuing signs directed me through a couple of turns and to a plain warehouse 2.6 miles from the highway.
And there I met Roy, who enlightened me to the strange world of bourbon distilleries and their ornate decanters to make up for the fact that people used to think bourbon was swill and never bought it. And how they propagated the notion that these decanters were only valuable if they remained full. So the person would have to buy another one to get drunk.
As collectibles, this entire notion exploded, resulting in the hundreds of different decorative decanters around the store. Birds, cars, monuments — I had no idea these items could be turned into receptacles for booze.
Anyway, the industry eventually turned around, and now bourbon is increasingly popular and handcrafted, so these kitschy vessels are no longer necessary to propagate the delicious nectar that is Kentucky’s own liquor.
Anyway, I only bought a bowling pin-​shaped bottle (for some sort of Lebowski party, probably), but I was still there for a half-​hour talking to Roy about bourbon, bottles, and the economic advantages and logistical problems of renting a storefront a little way off the highway. So not only did I get an awesome party table centerpiece, I got some distillery history, and a delightful conversation.