Explore Bourbon Country

Yes, you read that right, let’s explore bourbon country! It’s similar to how people explore wine country. They head to a vineyard, sip some wine, enjoy small bites and make a vacation out of it. So why not do that with Bourbon? Kentucky is home to some of the most spectacular Bourbon distillers, you can make this your weekend getaway. Learn about the history of American Whiskey and how to make it while enjoying some delicious food and beautiful scenery.  So get those road maps out, find yourself a little bed and breakfast and lets explore Bourbon Country!

There are literally dozens and dozens of place to visit throughout Kentucky to learn about and enjoy some of America’s finest Bourbon. But today, we are going to focus on a few that are right around Louiseville.

JIM BEAM URBAN STILLHOUSE

Located right in downtown Louisville, the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse is Jim Beam’s home away from home. Complete with a small working distillery and bottling line, it’s a great place to learn a little about bourbon, grab a handcrafted cocktail or a pick up some swag. They welcome all bourbon fans (aged 21+) to stop by for a taste of the Jim Beam distillery experience.

Some of the experience you can have are –

• Bottle your own Urban Stillhouse Select – 100 proof bourbon = 375ml = $29.00 or 750ml = $45.99.
• Laser customization of your bottle, barrel head, or various other items = Price varies based on size
• Taste of History Experience = $8.00 per person ( Includes 4 quarter oz. pours, History of Jim Beam, and a Louisville skyline etched shot glass)
• Tableside Cocktail Experience = $25.00 per person (Mix, muddle, and shake your way to the perfect handcrafted cocktail)
• Small Batch Experience =$25.00 per person (Experience our premium products in a small group setting. Bookers, Bakers, Basil Hayden’s, and Knob Creek)
• Hand Crafted Cocktails = Starting at $8.00 each

DISTILLED SPIRITS EPICENTER

Distilled Spirits Epicenter ® is an international distilling center located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. We provide a one-of-a-kind experience in the time-honored craft of distilling. The Epicenter has something for everyone with a passion for the craft on both the science and art side of distilling. From Moonshine University, where visitors learn how to build, open, and run their own distilleries, to our fully-equipped Grease Monkey Distillery, which when not in use for classes, is available to develop mash bills, create prototype batches, experiment with processing, or for full run productions.

Distilled Spirits Epicenter ® is the home to over 50 industry experts who help out with classes, productions, and every facet of the alcohol production industry.

MICHTER’S MICRO-DISTILLERY

Located at 801 West Main Street in the heart of downtown Louisville, Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery is across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum & Bat Factory and down the block from the Frazier History Museum, which has been designated the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center and serves as the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. Join us for a guided tour and tasting to learn about our “Cost Be Damned” approach to producing the highest quality American whiskeys and enjoy a drink at the world-class Bar at Fort Nelson. Online reservations are strongly recommended, but walk-ins will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

OLD FORESTER DISTILLERY

This is a newer distillery that opened in 2018, or should I say reopened? Returning to the same building it once called home, Old Forester Distilling Co. opened to the public on National Bourbon Day in 2018. The distillery is the culmination of a nearly 150-year legacy that began in 1870 when George Garvin Brown changed the spirits industry forever when he sealed whiskey in a glass bottle. He set up shop on Louisville’s Main Street – dubbed Whiskey Row – the hub of the Bourbon business in Kentucky. On the distillery tour, you’ll follow the Bourbon making process in an immersive experience that leads you from fermentation and distillation to the on-site cooperage where handcrafted barrels will be raised and fired, then aged in an on-site maturation warehouse before bottling and shipment across the globe.

This is just a small sampling of places you can visit to learn all about the history of American Whiskey. It’s a great place to start and then start adding more and more distilleries to you list to visit.