When Leigh Thompson moved from Phoenix to Paducah, bourbon wasn’t part of her life.
“In Arizona, we drank beer, wine, and tequila,” she says with a laugh. “I knew bourbon was made from corn, and I knew it was brown.” That pretty much distilled the extent of her knowledge.
Then, on a whim, she applied for a job at a newly opened bourbon bar. During her interview, she admitted she knew practically nothing about bourbon. The owners hired her anyway, enrolling her in extensive bourbon education. There was just one problem.
“I hated it,” she says. “I told my husband, ‘How can I sell something I don’t even like?’”
Everything changed with one sip. She’ll never forget experiencing the Elijah Craig single-barrel selection that made bourbon make sense. “It just clicked,” she says. “That bottle changed everything.”
Today, Thompson’s collection has grown to nearly 100 bottles, including discontinued releases, distillery exclusives, and bottles signed by master distillers. Her favorites include Old Forrester 1910, Elijah Craig, and Green River.
On a move back to Paducah after a brief relocation to Texas necessitated by her husband Ryan’s career, protecting the collection became a priority. Their vehicle, loaded with bourbon, rode on a trailer with the car’s air conditioning running throughout the trip to keep the bottles from overheating.
“We weren’t taking any chances,” she says. Although she enjoys the thrill of finding rare bottles, Thompson believes bourbon isn’t meant to sit unopened on a shelf. “Bourbon is meant to be enjoyed with friends,” she contends.
That philosophy has made her collection as much about memories as bottles. Friends gather for blind tastings, holiday celebrations, and evenings spent discovering new favorites without knowing the label until the last sip.
Her love of bourbon naturally expanded into mixology. Thompson helped develop cocktails at Barrel & Bond before joining Stella’s, where she continues creating drinks and introducing guests to new spirits. She’s equally passionate about western Kentucky’s growing bourbon scene.
From Jackson Purchase Distillery to Green River, Ingram, Abstraction Distilling Company, and Old Terrell Distillery, Thompson enjoys seeing local distillers collaborate instead of compete.
“They’re helping build western Kentucky into a bourbon destination,” she says. Ironically, bourbon isn’t the biggest surprise Kentucky gave her. Paducah is.
After growing up in large cities, she was struck by how strangers greeted one another, neighbors offered help, and the community rallied together in difficult times. “There is an actual sense of community here,” she says. “People genuinely want to help.”
After her family’s brief relocation to Texas, Leigh came to realize what her children already knew. Paducah was home. “I’m never moving away again,” Thompson says. “Paducah just keeps getting better.”
Looking back, it’s hard for Thompson to believe that a woman who once turned up her nose with regard to a classic pour of the “brown water,” now curates cocktails, hunts rare bottles, and proudly shares an enviable collection of them with family and friends.
It all started with one unexpected glass of Elijah Craig and an unexpected move to Kentucky.
