Modern Forage: Lexington, KY
Winchester (Clark County, in the Lexington-Fayette MSA) anchors two Central Kentucky regional staples: Ale-8-One ginger-citrus soft drink (1926, G.L. Wainscott) and beer cheese (Joe Allman at the Driftwood Inn, late 1930s). Both have annual festivals in Winchester.
Winchester (in the Lexington-Fayette MSA) anchors two Central Kentucky regional staples: Ale-8-One ginger-citrus soda (since 1926) and beer cheese (since the late 1930s). Both have annual Winchester festivals.
This list is almost certainly incomplete; the Lexington-Fayette MSA holds further hyper-local dishes that have not yet surfaced in the survey.
A note on the Where-to-eat blocks. Every entry below carries a list of restaurants and, where available, star ratings as of the date this post was published. These are a snapshot. Verify hours and addresses before driving anywhere.
Ale-8-One — Winchester, KY
Pattern: Grocery Store Regionalism.
Not a dish but a regionally locked beverage: a ginger-citrus soft drink created in 1926 by G.L. Wainscott, bottled only in Winchester, KY. The name is a play on “A Late One” (the latest thing). Until recently it was only available in Kentucky and bordering counties. It has the fierce local devotion of a regional food item and is essentially the state’s unofficial soft drink.
Sources: Berea College Appalachian Center exhibit (2013); multiple Kentucky cultural sources.
Where to eat: Ale-8-One Bottling Company, Winchester (the bottling plant; tours available). Any Kentucky grocery store. Ships nationally via ale8one.com.
Beer Cheese — Winchester, KY
A cold, spicy cheese spread of sharp cheddar, beer, garlic, Worcestershire, and spices, served with crackers or celery. Attributed to Joe Allman at the Driftwood Inn in Winchester, late 1930s. Winchester holds an annual Beer Cheese Festival. The cold-spread preparation is distinct from the hot, nacho-style “beer cheese” that has spread nationally. The Kentucky original is served cold and is more dip than sauce. Passionate local disagreements over the “true” recipe are common.
Sources: Kentucky Tourism; Tasting Table (2023); Fodors (2021); Let’s Go Louisville (2025). Five+ sources.
Where to eat: Hall’s on the River, Winchester (canonical beer cheese; carries the Driftwood Inn lineage). Annual Beer Cheese Festival, Winchester (June). Most Lexington-area restaurants carry a beer cheese starter.
More from the series
Browse the rest of the Modern Forage survey.
Research & primary sources
Methodology, validation logs, and the entries that didn’t make this post are in the modern_forage/ on GitHub. Every entry here passed a 2+ independent-source check; the citations under each dish list them.