More than 150 years before two cousins combined beer and cheese at a Winchester restaurant in the 1930s, issuing forth the Birthplace of Beer Cheese in the process, Daniel Boone was here, exploring the area and settling in at his fort at Boonesborough. (The original fort site may be toured at Fort Boonesboro State Park). And he had his family with him, including beloved daughter, Jemima, who became the subject of a bizarre kidnapping.
In 1776, 14-year-old Jemima and her two gal pals, sisters Betsey and Fanny Callaway, left the fort for a day of canoeing. The three young girls paddled along the Kentucky River and eventually drifted near the spot of present-day Waterfront Grille. That’s when they were captured by a band of Shawnee (possibly to be used as bargaining chips to forestall native lands from being seized) and taken north.
It was Daniel Boone to the rescue! He and a small party gave chase and rescued the three girls (unharmed) two days later. The event inspired author James Fenimore Cooper to write a fictionalized account of the kidnapping in his 1826 novel, The Last of the Mohicans, which in turned spawned the 1992 movie of the same name.
Cheese lovers blazing their way along the Beer Cheese Trail® in the Beer Cheese Capital of the World will find a historical marker at the kidnapping site on Athens-Boonesboro Road. And at the Waterfront Grille, one of many stops on this tasty trail? The restaurant’s signature in-house beer cheese as well as beer cheeseburgers and beer cheese grilled cheese sandwiches.
Beer cheese and Boone are the perfect pairing in Winchester. Boone’s footsteps are all over the area, intersecting with the Beer Cheese Trail® and its many venues, including restaurants, a local brewery and a market.
From Gaunce’s Deli & Café with its Kentucky Hot Ham and Beer Cheese Sandwich to Hall’s on the River featuring a Beer Cheese Burger and Beer Cheese Soup to Beech Springs Table and its Beer Cheese/Grippo Grilled Cheese, these restaurants and others on the Beer Cheese Trail® serve up the Always Original flavors of Winchester beer cheese (most made from secret recipes)—and many adding a helping of history on the side.
Download the Beer Cheese Trail Digital Passport, aka the Cheese Log, and start exploring all the ways Winchester serves its signature dish, earning prizes along the way.
And don’t forget: Winchester’s annual Beer Cheese Festival (a stop on the Beer Cheese Trail®), takes place on Saturday, June 14, in downtown Winchester with live music, food trucks, beer garden, artisan and crafts booths and plenty of family fun. Not only will you be able to taste delicious beer cheese samples offered at the food booths lining Main Street, but you’ll also have an opportunity to try Winchester’s newest taste sensation, and one exclusive to the Beer Cheese Capital of the World: Beer Cheese Trail® Mix & WinCheddar Popcorn.
Because of its unique claim to fame as the Beer Cheese Capital of the World, Winchester is one of 11 Kentucky Capitals Quest destinations offering a unique way to explore the state. Visit the KCQ website to learn about each destination and how you can earn swag along the way.