Kentucky is the birthplace of bourbon, where distillers have been crafting batches large and small since the 18th century and thus perfecting it for over 200 years—with Kentucky producing 95% of the supply, making it bourbon’s true homeplace. In fact, there are more bourbon barrels than people in Kentucky!

Bourbon tourism is thriving in Louisville. Ten area distillery experiences are available for attendees to visit, but if you’re attending MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC), May 20-22, don’t delay in making your reservation—distillery tours tend to sell out quickly and it’s important to plan ahead and book early!

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL® WELCOME CENTER, FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM

Get your first pour at the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. Uncork helpful concierge services, Kentucky Bourbon Trail® field guides, trail maps and other trip-planning resources. While you’re here, enjoy The Spirit of Kentucky exhibition celebrating the history, craft and culture of Bourbon whiskey - America’s only native spirit.

ANGEL’S ENVY DISTILLERY

Angel’s Envy is a labor of love from multiple generations of the Henderson family. Visit the distillery across the street from Louisville Slugger Field to get an up-close look at the entire operation, enjoy a tasting in the Finishing Room, a cocktail at the private bar and the opportunity to bottle your own port barrel-finished bourbon.

BUZZARD’S ROOST WHISKEY ROW EXPERIENCE

This new micro distillery on Louisville’s downtown Whiskey Row offers a large bar for sampling, with a focus on educating consumers through whiskey classes and hands-on cocktail classes. Each class is taught by trained whiskey guides and includes tastings with additional flights and cocktails available for guests.

COPPER & KINGS

Copper & Kings is an American brandy, bourbon, absinthe and gin distillery located in Louisville’s historic Butchertown neighborhood. Take a tour of the modern, eco-friendly distillery, which includes a stunning outdoor courtyard, production floor and the maturation cellar (where you’ll find barrels aging to the sounds of rock music). Cap off the tour at the rooftop bar boasting stunning views of downtown Louisville.

EVAN WILLIAMS BOURBON EXPERIENCE 

The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience was the first distillery to open on Whiskey Row since Prohibition, signaling a whole new era in Bourbon City. Here you’ll find an immersive tourism experience that celebrates the legacy of Evan Williams, Kentucky’s first distiller and namesake of Heaven Hill’s flagship bourbon brand, and the intertwined history of bourbon and the Ohio River city. 

KENTUCKY PEERLESS DISTILLING CO.

The first Peerless whiskey went into a barrel in 1889 and now the Taylor family has revitalized the brand at their distillery right off Main Street. At this state-of-the-art facility you can authentically experience the entire whiskey-making process as the grains are milled, cooked, fermented, double-stilled and barreled as bourbon and rye.

MICHTER’S FORT NELSON DISTILLERY

Michter’s saved and renovated the historically and architecturally significant Fort Nelson Building on Louisville’s Museum Row. This cozy distillery has a prime spot on Main Street with a world-class Bar at Fort Nelson.

OLD FORESTER DISTILLING CO.

Returning to the same building it once called home, Old Forester Distilling Co. is the culmination of a nearly 150-year legacy. Their tour follows the bourbon-making process from fermentation and distillation to the onsite cooperage where barrels are handcrafted and fired, then filled and aged in an onsite warehouse before being bottled.

RABBIT HOLE DISTILLING

Set in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood, the distillery showcases the identity, tradition and legacy of bourbon-making in an entirely new way. Rabbit Hole wants guests to get lost in the magic and linger in the light-filled distillery with amazing views of the city, river, bridges and distilling operation. Guests can also sip on their spirits at the curated tasting bar.

STITZEL WELLER EXPERIENCE

Located in Southwestern Louisville at the site of the legendary Stitzel Weller Distillery. Tours include a stop at the warehouse where rickhousing was invented, a time capsule look at a 1935 barrel cooperate and a stop in bourbon legend Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle’s former office before a tasting.

THE LAST REFUGE

A new restaurant, whiskey bar and live music venue inside a renovated 150-year-old church led by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan to showcase his award-winning American whiskey, Heaven’s Door. In the next year, an accompanying art experience will be added showing some of Dylan’s artwork, multimedia displays and other curated works by Kentucky artists.

SPEAKEASY AND TASING ROOM OPTIONS

No time for distilleries this trip? Duck into a speakeasy or tasting room and grab a craft cocktail for a smooth finish to your day in Bourbon City. Some are even hidden behind secret doors and underground beneath some of the city's most historic streets.

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Louisville Tasting Room

The Louisville expansion of the Bardstown-based distiller offers a full-service bar and lounge, a bottle shop with limited releases and classroom space to educate guests on the company's “modern and technically advanced” approach to its spirits.

Barrels & Billets Bourbon Experience

The name “Barrels & Billets’” is a nod to Hillerich & Bradsby Co.’s history and connection with wood. Connected to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, guests can blend, create and bottle their own bourbons out of six WoodCraft bourbon choices, along with personalization of the bottle label.

Bourbon Artwork

Snap a selfie at some of the Bourbon-centric art around the city, including the Barrel sculpture at 4th and Main streets; the Wall Street of Whiskey mural at 3rd and Jefferson streets; or the Tom Bullock mural located outside Sway restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Louisville, which pays tribute to one of the city’s legendary pre-Prohibition bartenders.

Castle & Key 502

Located within the Fall City Market in the Omni Hotel, this satellite store lets guests enjoy Castle & Key signature cocktails, shop local retailers and take home a bottle of their renowned spirits.

Eat Your Bourbon

Between Art Eatables, Bourbon Barrel Foods, Louisville Cream and Muth’s Candies, there are a variety of candy makers, chocolatiers, culinary shops and gourmet foods produced with products that reflect the rich heritage of Kentucky's Bourbon Country. 

Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water is a discreet bar offering a vintage 1920’s vibe located below Whiskey Row. Focused on meticulously created cocktails and sporting an extensive bourbon list.

Number 15

A fresh five-story Whiskey Row social hall featuring live music on the main floor stage along with a balcony bar overlooking both the music and Louisville’s lively Main Street. With multiple breweries and distilleries under the same roof and an emphasis on free live music, Number 15 is a great Louisville entertainment experience.

Pin + Proof

Located inside the Omni hotel, this hidden speakeasy feels like a step back in time to the prohibition era. Find the entrance through an oversized portrait to reveal this 1920s-style cocktail lounge that also features a bowling alley.

The Lucky Penny at Hotel Genevieve

Hidden inside the Mini Marché at the Hotel Genevieve in NuLu, this hidden spot is an intimate speakeasy open for cocktails and bar snacks late into the night.

Urban Bourbon Trail® 

Louisville’s cocktail and culinary experiences centered around bourbon-forward restaurants and bars. Staff at each of the stops have a wide knowledge of whiskies, pouring from the city’s largest collections of bourbon and in most cases serving bourbon-infused cuisine. Download the app and hit at least six participating locations to earn yourself some bourbon swag from the Louisville Visitor Center.

Wild Swann in The Grady Hotel

Located in the basement of The Grady Hotel and named after J.B. Wilder who produced medicinal bourbon there in 1883 and the Swann-Abram hat company that occupied the space in the 1920s. Here you’ll find culinary pairings featuring Kentucky and Southern-inspired small plates, as well as cocktails highlighting local bourbons.