Looking for a new way to explore the state? Meet the Kentucky Coffee Trail

Only in Kentucky can you find a "lethal latte" in the 800-person town of Powderly and, on the other edge of the state about 230 miles away, a chef's table approach to coffee a few minutes from Cincinnati.

These are just two tastes of what you might find while exploring the new Kentucky Coffee Trail, which launched in late 2025 and has a mobile app on the way.

The idea sparked shortly after Jenni Kaus and her husband, Mike Johnson, moved from western New York to Vanceburg, Kentucky and opened their own coffee shop, called Kangaroo Ridge Farms, in 2024.

"Coffee is a connector and there's so many of these towns just like Vanceburg that are beautiful," Kaus told the Courier Journal. "But, unless somebody has a reason to come to Vanceburg, they're probably not going to stop here."

Kaus wanted to give people a reason to stop in all kinds of places around Kentucky.

"There's a lot of things that are off the beaten path that have their own stories and would be great for people to discover," she said. "But they need reason to head off the highway."

So far, the Kentucky Coffee Trail includes 32 coffee shops across the state, including heavy hitters such as Fante's Coffee in Louisville and A Cup of Commonwealth in Lexington.

Leo Fante, who owns Fante's Coffee at 2501 Grinstead Drive, said he jumped "right away" at the chance to join the Kentucky Coffee Trail.

“We're certainly excited to be a founding member,” Fante told the Courier Journal. “I think it will be a really nice addition to our state. You’ve got all these people coming to Kentucky for the bourbon trail. You’ve got to get up and start your day somehow."

Recently, Fante pronounced his shop's affiliation with the Kentucky Coffee Trail with a dash of high-profile flavor.

On Dec. 1, Gov. Andy Beshear visited Fante's Coffee and met with the well-known New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who was in town for a Kentucky Author Forum. Later that day, a Facebook post from the shop's page shared photos of Beshear and Fante posing together with a bag of coffee.

"As one of the founding members of the inaugural Kentucky Coffee Trail, we are so proud to represent the heartbeat of local coffee culture right here in Louisville," the post stated.

Leo Fante shows the labels on the back of the coffee that he sells that gives consumers information on the taste profile of that blend. November 19, 2025

That's a big stage for the new Kentucky Coffee Trail, which also counts Colliver Coffee Roasters, a new mobile coffee shop in Louisville, as a member. In 2025, Henry and Katherine Colliver went after their dream of roasting their own coffee. In a coffee truck called Cypress and Myrtle, the husband and wife duo began selling their beans and popular cold brews at the East End Farmers Market.

Not long after Katherine Colliver saw the Kentucky Coffee Trail pop up on social media, she reached out to Kaus about joining.

"I didn't even have to think about it," Colliver said. "I think it's an amazing idea to bring that to Kentucky. It encourages people to try new things and it puts small businesses on the map."

If the coffee trail picks up steam, it could follow in the booming path of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which launched in 1999 and Louisville Tourism's own Urban Bourbon Trail.

"We know from our success with launching the Urban Bourbon Trail in 2008 that experiential trails drive real visitation, spending and storytelling for local businesses," Rosanne Mastin, communications and public affairs manager for Louisville Tourism, told the Courier Journal. "The Kentucky Coffee Trail has the potential to do the same. People love being invited into authentic, local experiences — and they love having a fun, curated way to discover them. That’s exactly why trails like this resonate."

Other coffee collections have been brewing for years, including Lexington's annual coffee week and a small version covering four locally-owned shops in Shelby County.

Kaus hopes the coffee trail continues to grow and has a goal of 90 participating coffee shops, or 10 in of the nine regions making up the trail.

“There's something special about a little mom and pop shop that's kind of a pillar of their community,” she said. “If you think about coffee shops, it's kind of where locals gather. All of them have their own special feel and their own special niche. And to draw more people in to get to experience that, I think is pretty amazing."

"Watching her vision come to life has been inspiring, and her work ethic reflects the very best of the entrepreneurial spirit in Eastern Kentucky," Riley Thompson, startup outreach coordinator at SOAR, said of Kaus. "The Kentucky Coffee Trail is a powerful example of how entrepreneurship, place-based storytelling, technological connections, and collaboration can come together."

For Fante, it's a way to show off what Kentucky's best coffee shops have to offer.

“I’m a big proponent of serving our community and making your community a better place,” he said. “That's what this coffee trail will do.”

What coffee shops are on the Kentucky Coffee Trail?

So far, the trail includes 32 coffee shops representing nine regions in Kentucky. The "Bourbon, Horses, & History" region covers Louisville and includes Fante's Coffee and Colliver Coffee Company.

Colliver Coffee Company, a Louisville-based roaster and mobile business, is part of the new Kentucky Coffee Trail.

Here's the full list of regions and coffee shops:

Western Waterlands: Blended Brews in Paducah, Piper’s Tea & Coffee in Paducah, Cafe Au Latte in Mayfield, and Go Cafe in Paducah.
Bluegrass, Blues & BBQ: Lethal Latte in Powderly.
Caves, Lakes & Corvettes: The Hive Coffee Co in Glasgow.
Bourbon, Horses & History: Harden Coffee in Campbellsville, The Store House Coffee Co. in Leitchfield, Fante's Coffee in Louisville, Deez Beans Bardstown in Bardstown and Cypress & Myrtle Mobile by Colliver Coffee Company in Louisville.
Northern Kentucky River: Kangaroo Ridge Farms in Vanceburg, The Benchmark in Augusta, Hemingway’s Bourbon & Coffee in Maysville and Carabello Coffee Co. in Newport.
Bluegrass Region: The Amsdsen in Versailles, Revival Coffee Company in Fisherville, Drinklings Coffee House in Wilmore, Purdy's Coffee in Richmond, The Greenery: Coffee + Social Space in Lexington, and A Cup of Common Wealth in Lexington.
Kentucky Appalachians: Fuzzy Duck Coffee Shop & CoffeeTree Book in Morehead, Let Freedom Ring Coffee Co. in Sandy Hook, Nook and Cranny Coffeehouse in Grayson and The CoffeeHouse in Paintsville.
Daniel Boone Country: Mountain Mugs in Pineville, The Gypsy Grind Coffee Company in Stanton, Folktale Coffee and Bakehouse in Corbin, and Hazard Coffee Company in Hazard.
Southern Kentucky Vacations: The Beanstalk Coffee Shop in Somerset, Reel Java Brew & Bakehouse in Jamestown, and The Farmer’s Daughter Coffee Co. in Greensburg.

How to go on the Kentucky Coffee Trail

The Kentucky Coffee Trail's passport and mobile app are launching soon, inviting participants to track your stops, collect stamps, and unlock rewards as "you sip your way across the Commonwealth," according to the trail's website.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Looking for a new way to explore the state? Meet the Kentucky Coffee Trail