After a dreamy few days in the luxury Alys Beach community on the coast of Northwest Florida, I flew to Louisville earlier this week for a change of scenery. I’ve only been to the Kentucky city once (for the Derby, of course) and I’m excited for another visit.

While I always love exploring America’s smaller cities, I’m particularly interested in Louisville for its connection to bourbon. As the founder of the cocktail app The Liquor Cabinet, I love learning more about how spirits are crafted. That’s why I eagerly accepted an invitation to visit Blade and Bow, a contemporary bourbon label that’s made at the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

The Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which is known best for its many years as the home of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, is a key stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Recently, the distillery debuted an outpost of the Atlanta-based Garden and Gun Club, making the stop particularly hospitable and refreshing. Though Blade and Bow is lesser known, it’s making a splash as a newcomer on the scene, honoring the history of its storied home with two distinct variants that blend tradition with modern style.

In addition to tasting bourbon, I’ve tried my hand at betting at the horse races observing colorful Southern fashion. If you see me in a hat and bow-tie, you’ll know I’ve been fully charmed.

Favorite links this week

HOW TO RENEW YOUR PASSPORT

You might remember that I scrambled to renew my passport for a trip to Europe last summer. This CN Traveler article on the different ways to do it would’ve been really helpful at the time. The faster you need your documents, the more expensive they will be—shocker.

THE WORST VEGAN

The Netflix series Bad Vegan has blown my mind with the story of a once-successful restaurant owner whose life starting falling apart when a con artist claimed he could make her dog immortal. Though the show is juicy, it apparently left out eight very compelling details.

TRUTH OR DRINK?

For years, YouTubers have acted younger than their ages because the algorithm and advertisers prioritized kid-friendly content. Now, some social media stars are embracing their 21+ statuses with videos made honest by a little liquid courage.

MEMBERS-ONLY SOCIAL CLUBS

I’ve always been interested in members-only clubs as a way for people to connect and commune. There’s a special intimacy that comes from socializing with like-minded people in an intimate setting.

That’s one reason I initially co-founded Spring Street Social Society, a now-defunct creative club based on elaborate underground events, and also why I jumped at the opportunity to join Fasano Fifth Avenue. The latter is Manhattan’s newest private members’ club hotel, situated on the swanky Gold Coast section of Fifth Avenue. Members have access to overnight stays in the refined, full-service residences, private dining, and a suite of amenities.

But Fasano Fifth Avenue is far from the only contemporary members’ club that’s emerged recently. In fact, such clubs have been popping up all over the country, perhaps as a response to our limited social lives during the pandemic. Now, people want to gather together more than ever and these clubs want to provide venues for that to happen.

These clubs also want to distinguish themselves from their ancestor, Soho House, which has grown and expanded so much that it’s lost its exclusivity and it-factor. Noho’s Zero Bond, on the other hand, promises a rigorous application process to get into its comfortable workspaces, conference rooms, restaurants, bars, and curated experiences.

The Jane Hotel in the West Village will soon be transformed into the East Coast iteration of L.A.’s San Vicente Bungalows, with only 300 original members, while the Battery Maritime Building recently debuted the glitzy Casa Cipriani, a hotel, restaurant, spa, event space, and private club all in one. Tribeca’s Maxwell swears it won’t exceed 600 members so that “you feel like everyone is a friend of a friend.”

Beyond New York, Common House has dominated the Southeast, with locations in Charlottesville, Richmond, and Chattanooga offering co-working spaces, seasonal dining, live music, and more. Denver’s Clayton Hotel has a community-driven members club in addition to its public guest rooms and Park House in Dallas is focused on both fine and culinary arts.

While the price of entry to many of these clubs certainly makes me raise an eyebrow, I appreciate their dedication to assembling people with common interests for conversation and activities. There’s nothing I love more than meeting new people in inspiring places, which is exactly what I’m expecting from my new membership.

Missed an edition? View past newsletters here.

If you know someone who might love this newsletter, they can sign up at agnp.co. As always, I love hearing your thoughts, whatever they may be. Drop me a line anytime, and I’ll see you here next week.