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Kentucky Bourbon Tours

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Tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with our signature itineraries, Thursday through Sunday. These tour itineraries are designed to maximize your time at each distillery and along the trail for a 1-day bourbon tour.

THURSDAY BOURBON TOUR

— Rabbit Hole, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit — This Thursday bourbon tour includes guided transportation, 3 distillery stops for tours and tastings. Distilleries include: a tour & tasting and tasting at Rabbit Hole, a local lunch, a premium tasting at Buffalo Trace, and bourbon tour and tasting at Bulleit Bourbon.

Departs from the Omni Hotel in Downtown Louisville Departs at 8:45 a.m. | Returns at 6:15 p.m. $179

FRIDAY BOURBON TOUR

— Woodford Reserve, J. Mattingly, Angel’s Envy — This Friday bourbon tour includes guided transportation, 3 distillery stops for tours and tastings, and a local lunch. Guests will enjoy a tour and tasting at Woodford Reserve, a tasting at J. Mattingly, and a tour and tasting at Angel’s Envy.

Departs from the Omni Hotel in Downtown Louisville Departs at 7:30 a.m. | Returns at 4:15 p.m. $199

— Lux Row, Heaven Hill, James B. Beam — This Friday bourbon tour includes guided transportation, 3 distillery stops for tours and tastings, and a local lunch. Guests will enjoy a tour and tasting at Lux Row, a Connoisseur tasting at Heaven Hill, and a tour with tastings at James B. Beam Distilling Co..

Departs from the Omni Hotel in Downtown Louisville Departs at 8:15 a.m. | Returns at 5:00 p.m. $199

SATURDAY BOURBON TOUR

— Maker’s Mark, Heaven Hill, Bardstown Bourbon Co. — This Saturday bourbon tour includes guided transportation, 3 distillery stops for tours and tastings, and a local lunch. Guests will enjoy a tour and tasting at Bardstown Bourbon Co., a Connoisseur tasting at Heaven Hill, and a tour with tastings at Maker’s Mark distillery.

Departs from the Omni Hotel in Downtown Louisville Depart at 8:15 a.m. | Returns at 5:30 p.m. $199

— Stitzel-Weller, Angel’s Envy, KY Artisan/Jefferson’s Reserve — This Saturday bourbon tour includes guided transportation, 3 distillery stops for tours and tastings, and a local lunch. Guests will start the day with a tasting at Stitzel-Weller, enjoy a tour and tasting at Angel’s Envy after lunch, and a tour and tasting at KY Artisan/Jefferson’s Reserve.

Departs from the Omni Hotel in Downtown Louisville Depart at 9:15 a.m. | Returns at 5:30 p.m. $199

SUNDAY BOURBON TOUR

— Local Brunch, Kentucky Artisan/Jefferson’s Reserve, Buffalo Trace — Your Sunday brunch experience includes guided transportation, a local brunch that includes 1 breakfast cocktail at The Cafe in Louisville, a tour with tastings at KY Artisan/Jefferson’s Reserve and a tasting at Buffalo Trace distillery.

Departs from the Omni Hotel in Downtown Louisville Departs at 10:15 a.m. | Returns at 5:45 p.m. $179

Embark on the iconic Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and discover why it’s an enduring favorite among bourbon enthusiasts worldwide

Seamless coordination.

Welcome to Bourbon Tours, where we whisk you away on an immersive journey through Bourbon Country. From the vibrant streets of Louisville to the serene landscapes of Kentucky, our guides ensure a seamless experience from start to finish. Sit back, relax, and indulge in local culinary delights as we handle every detail, ensuring your bourbon tour is nothing short of unforgettable.

Dive Into Bourbon Tradition

The Bourbon Trail™ Passport & Field Guide is your essential companion, featuring all 18 KBT® distilleries and 23 KBT Craft Tour distilleries. Don’t forget to secure your tour bookings in advance to ensure availability and entrust your transportation needs to our trusted partners for a stress-free experience.

Elevate Your Experience

We understand that every journey is unique. That’s why we offer customizable experiences tailored to your preferences. From exclusive tastings to behind-the-scenes access, let us elevate your bourbon trail adventure with our VIP Bourbon Trail Tours and Transportation services, ensuring exceptional service and luxury vehicles every step of the way.

Tailor Your Own Bourbon Trail Experience

For those craving a deeper exploration, our Multi-Day Bourbon Tour packages offer the flexibility to craft your own bourbon trail itinerary. Whether it’s a two-day or three-day adventure, our Experience Coordinators work closely with you to personalize your tour. Select your favorite distilleries, and indulge in unique experiences like mixology classes and bourbon-infused culinary delights. The possibilities are endless, promising a bespoke journey tailored to your interests and schedule.

CONTACT AN EXPERIENCE COORDINATOR

Explore The Kentucky Distilleries

Nearly 100 different bourbon and whiskey brands are produced in Kentucky. The Bluegrass State is home to more barrels of bourbon than people and proudly creates 95% of the world’s bourbon. Learn more about the distilleries that make up the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Urban Bourbon Trail® and the greater Bourbon Country.

EXPLORE DISTILLERIES

13 Best Bourbon Trail Tours: A Regional Travel Guide to Kentucky’s Distilleries

Ready, Set, Bourbon! Check out this guide to the best bourbon trail tours in Kentucky including Maker's Mark, Evan Williams, Woodford Reserve, & more...

Ready to sip your way through the best bourbon trail tours in Kentucky?

This in-depth bourbon distillery tour guide will take you through the best Kentucky distillery tours like Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Evan Williams, Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, and more.

The Kentucky Bourbon distilleries listed below are grouped within each region and then ranked for their tour and bourbon quality.   The majority of the bourbon distilleries are spread throughout the regions of:

• Loretto, Clermont, & Bardstown
• Versailles, Lawrenceburg, & Franklin

Due to the distance between these regions and potentially conflicting tour times, it might be difficult to tour 2 to 3 of your favorite bourbon distilleries in one day. So here are my top three tips for planning your bourbon trail trip.

1. When you are planning, ask yourself: What is my favorite bourbon brand (or the one I’d like to know more about)?

Once you settle on those favorites, see what other distilleries are located nearby that you might enjoy touring and tasting then reserve those to fill in the rest of the day.

2. RESERVE IN ADVANCE.

As soon as you know that you’re taking this trip, start reserving bourbon distillery tours immediately . The best tours book up fast, particularly on the weekends. On my most recent trip in July of 2023, I had to adjust my trip to a day earlier because so many of the tours I wanted to take were already booked.

That being said, if there’s a distillery tour you would like to take that’s located on “Whiskey Row” in downtown Louisville but you can’t book it online, my advice is to go in person and talk to one of the guides at the reservation desk. They might not be able to get you in on a specialty tour, but they can typically get you a space on the regular tour.

*Also note that most distilleries in July (and for some in December as well) close their fermentation facilities for maintenance, meaning you won’t be able to tour those areas.

3. Base yourself in Louisville in a hotel on or near Whiskey Row.

From here, you can easily walk or Uber / Lyft to 4+ amazing distilleries, which is a great option if the time on your trip is limited. I most recently stayed at Hotel Distil on Whiskey Row, and I would gladly stay there again. It’s an ideal location for walking to all major downtown attractions and distilleries. Plus the Hotel Distil also houses one of Louisville’s best restaurants, Repeal .

Now, time to talk about the distilleries…

Region: Louisville Bourbon Distilleries

“whiskey row”, evan williams experience.

“Civilization begins with distillation.” William Faulkner

The  Evan Williams Experience  is located in downtown Louisville on historic “Whiskey Row.”

The seamless tour features state-of-the-art films and interactive elements to relay the history of Evan Williams and the art of distilling bourbon. All tours conclude with a bourbon tasting in one of the upstairs rooms on the recreated street of “Whiskey Row.”

One tasting room is a “speakeasy” that once stood on that site with Prohibition-era replica tables where the bourbon could be hidden inside. An easy lift on the tabletop in front of you reveals the inner compartment that contains pre-filled bourbon glasses.

Although it’s one of the lower-priced bourbons, Evan Williams  is remarkably good in its flavor profile, smoothness, and complexity, and Evan Williams Single Barrel is excellent. Whenever I’ve done a blind bourbon-tasting flight, their Single Barrel always ranks in my top 3.

General Tour Information

•  Traditional Tour & Tasting: $18

Evan Williams offers several more extensive tours as well as seasonal tasting experiences, so check their website for the most recent offerings.

Old Forester Distillery

“Always carry a flagon of whisky in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.” – W.C. Fields

The Old Forester Distillery Tour & Visitor Center opened on “Whiskey Row” in the summer of 2018. Although it’s a relative newcomer to Louisville’s historic downtown district, Old Forester is the only bourbon continuously sold by the same company before, during, and after Prohibition.

But that’s not the bourbon’s only claim to historic fame. In 1870, George Garvin Brown ensured his bourbon’s consistent quality by becoming the first distiller to sell the bourbon in a sealed glass bottle.

The general tour is a top-quality experience with one of the most memorable aspects being that you can see the meticulous barrel-making process first-hand. It’s one thing to look at a charred American white oak barrel stave, but it’s something else to see (and feel the heat) of that charring in person.

The Old Forester Distillery tour ends as most tours do in a private room with four bourbons to taste.

Paired with the tasting is Old Forester’s chocolate-dipped bourbon modjeskas, which are marshmallows wrapped in caramel and then dipped in bourbon dark chocolate, topped off with smoked sea salt. If you love them, you can buy a bag in the gift shop which is filled with loads of other great gifts.

If you’re in a hurry and can’t find the time to tour Old Forester, you can pay a visit to George’s Bar which is a cozy cocktail lounge offering cocktails and flights in the visitor center.

• Old Forester Tour: $32
• Nothing Better In The Market Tour: $70

Angel’s Envy Distillery Tour

“I wish to live to 150 years old, but the day I die, I wish it to be with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other.” – Ava Gardner

While I prefer both the Evan Williams Experience and Old Forester Distillery tours over this one, Angel’s Envy is still well worth the visit. The gift shop is large and well-stocked, and the facility is interesting to tour.

The standard tour is exactly that, “standard,” with not a lot of extras to experience, but you will learn the intricate process of making bourbon and why all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.

What makes Angel’s Envy a standout from other bourbons and ryes is their emphasis on “finishing” the bourbon.

In addition to meeting the bourbon standard aging process (a minimum of two years in a new charred American oak barrel), Angel’s Envy then places its bourbon in port barrels and its rye in rum barrels to finish, lending each one a more distinctive flavor profile which you’ll explore during the tasting at the end of the tour.

500 E Main St, Louisville, KY 40202

• The Signature Tour: $25
• Private Select Tour: $45

Angel’s Envy offers several experiences and classes, so check their website for the most up-to-date offerings.

Michter’s Distillery

“Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whisky, and a dog to eat the rare steak.” – Johnny Carson

Also located on Louisville’s historic “Whiskey Row,” Michter’s Distillery is a great option for those who prefer a tour that doesn’t involve a lot of walking, given that the entire tour takes place in one large room.

Situated across the street from the iconic Louisville Slugger Museum , Michter’s is a smaller facility with limited space, but the tasting is where the tour shines. The guide places an emphasis on tasting notes and the role that smell plays in how we perceive flavors.

801 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202

• The Discovery Tour: $25
• The Founder’s Tour: $50
• The Legacy Tour: $100

The 2nd floor features The Bar at Fort Nelson which is a relaxed space filled with leather club chairs where you can enjoy classic and creative cocktails. Click here for more information on the Bar at Fort Nelson.

Stitzel-Weller Distillery Tour

“It is true that whisky improves with age. The older I get, the more I like it.” Robert Black

The Stitzel-Weller Distillery is only a 20-minute drive from downtown Louisville, making it one of the most convenient and historic outlying distillery stops along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Originally opened on Derby Day in 1935 and reopened to the public in 2014, the Stitzel-Weller Distillery is one of the true cathedrals of the American whiskey industry. 

Bulleit Bourbon (and their Rye) has long been one of my favorite Kentucky bourbons. It’s hard to miss that orange label, tilted just slightly as it curves around the lower half of the bottle. 

In the past few years, I’ve enjoyed the Stitzel-Weller standard tour which guides you around the historic property and buildings, ending with a tasting of these four bourbons in a private tasting room:

• Bulleit Bourbon
• Bulleit 10 Year
• I.W. Harper
• Blade and Bow

Most recently, I booked their new progressive walking tour which combines the tasting with the tour. I really enjoyed this different take on the standard tour where periodically you pause, pull out the provided glass cairn (which is yours to keep as part of the tour), and sip the various bourbons and whiskeys offered along the way. The setting is also picturesque as you stroll from building to building.

3860 Fitzgerald Road, Louisville, KY 40216

• The Stitzel-Weller Experience: $25
• Progressive Walking Tour & Taste: $65

Stitzel-Weller offers a variety of additional classes and experiences, so check their website for the most up-to-date offerings.

Stitzel-Weller is also home to the Garden & Gun Club, located on the 2nd floor of their visitor’s center. Here you can rest your feet while enjoying a light bite and one of their curated cocktails. Click here for the Garden & Gun Club.

Region: Loretto, Clermont, & Bardstown

Maker’s mark distillery.

“Nothing is so musical as the sound of pouring bourbon for the first drink on a Sunday morning. Not Bach or Schubert or any of those masters.” Carson McCullers

The road to  Maker’s Mark bourbon distillery in Loretto, KY, can be a little confusing. On my first visit here, the route guidance told me that I had arrived, and there was nothing but fields, barns, and a small house or two scattered about. 

To avoid potential confusion and arrive in time for your tour, Maker’s Mark provides these instructions for getting to their distillery from Louisville:

Star Hill Farm is located at 3350 Burks Spring Rd., Loretto, KY, 40037. From Louisville: Driving time: Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes. 

• Take I-65 South from Louisville to exit #112, Clermont/Bernheim Forest exit. At ramp turn left onto Hwy. 245 South to Bardstown. 

• Take Hwy. 245 to intersection of Hwy. 62, turning right, and continue on Hwy. 62 east for approx. 2 miles. Hwy. 62 runs into Hwy. 150 where you will turn left and continue approx. 2 miles and drive past My Old Kentucky Home State Park. 

• At intersection of Hwy. 150 and 49, turn right onto Hwy. 49 South and follow the brown historical landmark signs to Holy Cross, which will direct you to go left onto Hwy. 49. 

• Follow Hwy. 49 where you will turn left onto Hwy. 52 East into Loretto. Continue on through Loretto. 

• Turn left onto Bill Samuels Jr. Rd. and historic Maker’s Mark® Distillery is straight ahead. 

Regardless of which tour you reserve (they offer a wide variety and actively update them), you’re in for a great experience. Plus, Maker’s Mark is just a beautiful place. The grounds, house, and distillery buildings are picture-perfect. 

At the end of each tour, you’ll have an opportunity to taste a selection of their bourbon.  

I’ve had the opportunity to experience 2 of Maker’s Mark Distillery Tours, and if you only have time to tour 1 Kentucky bourbon distillery, make it this one. It was the hands-down favorite (on currently my 3rd trip) along Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. 

General Distillery Tour Bourbon Tasting 

• Maker’s White (which is basically moonshine or “white dog”)
• Regular Maker’s Mark (the kind you can buy anywhere)
• Maker’s 46 (which is made by inserting seasoned French Oak staves into the bourbon barrels to add additional rich flavor)
• Maker’s Cask Strength (bourbon derived from a single barrel and my favorite of the 4).

After the tasting, you’re given a decadent bourbon chocolate to savor before you walk under the Chihuly glass ceiling of the hallway to the Maker’s Mark gift shop. 

If you like, you can dip your own bottle of Maker’s Mark in their iconic red wax or buy an exclusive bottle of the Maker’s Private Select.

The distillery address is technically: 3350 Burks Spring Road, Loretto, KY 40037.

GPS will try to take you to the Business Office, but the Historic Distillery is more directly accessed using Bill Samuels Jr Road.    

• General Distillery Tour: $ 24
• Behind the Bourbon: $65

Be sure to check the Maker’s Mark website for the most up-to-date tours and experiences.

James B. Beam Distilling Co. (Jim Beam)

“I have never in my life seen a Kentuckian who didn’t have a gun, a pack of cards, and a jug of whiskey.” – Andrew Jackson

It doesn’t get much more iconic than Jim Beam bourbon . With its instantly recognizable name and its best-selling brands including Booker’s, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Old Grandad, and, of course, Jim Beam, the distillery is an impressive one to visit.

Located 30 minutes from Louisville by car, it’s an accessible distillery to visit if you don’t want to drive too far afield. Due to the fermentation tanks, rickhouses, and bottling facility being situated fairly far apart, this tour involves riding a large comfortable bus to a couple of the locations, but it’s a quick trip each time.

Quite a lot of thought has been put into the design and aesthetics of the tour experience, with the first building of the tour featuring an indoor waterfall illustrating Kentucky’s natural limestone filtration which makes the whiskey taste better.

Towards the end of the distillery tour, you’ll walk the Knob Creek bottling line where you can hand pick and purchase a Single Barrel bottle and customize the warm wax seal with your thumbprint.

Finally, you return to the Visitor’s Center where you’ll be able to taste four of their most popular bourbons before being set loose in their two-story gift shop.

I really enjoyed this tour, and I would happily do it again. Due to the popularity of this bourbon brand, I feel it’s a great place to start, but the tours fill up fast.

568 Happy Hollow Rd. Clermont, KY 40110

• Bourbon The Beam Way – Distillery Tour & Tasting: $28

Jim Beam Distillery offers several more tasting options and experiences that you can book, so check the website for the most up-to-date listings.

Another great feature of Jim Beam Distillery is their onsite restaurant, The Kitchen Table. Here you can order appetizers, salads, burgers, pizzas, brisket, fried chicken, and even dessert. The large cocktail bar in the center shakes and stirs up some great bourbon cocktails, or just order your favorite bourbon to sip neat.

If you’d like to make a reservation for The Kitchen Table, it’s available on Resy.

Willett Distillery

“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.” Raymond Chandler

Located about 30 minutes from Maker’s Mark is the  Willett Distillery , perched on top of a hill overlooking the green valleys of Bardstown, KY.

One of the most recognizable aspects of Willett bourbon is their striking pot still bottle design.

This rustic family-owned distillery is beautiful and well-maintained from its photo-filled visitor waiting area to the final tasting room.

Because Willett Distillery functions on a smaller scale, only 1 tour experience is offered at this time, so if touring Willett Distillery is at the top of your wishlist, reserve early. They accept bookings 90 days in advance.

1869 Loretto Road, Bardstown, KY 40004.

• Distillery Production Tour with Tasting: $25

Willett Distillery also features “The Bar at Willett” where you can order up-scale small plates alongside classic and inventive cocktails. Reservations are required, so click this link if you’re interested in reserving The Bar at Willett.

Heaven Hill Distillery

“Whiskey is liquid sunshine” George Bernard Shaw

An official member of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail, Heaven Hill Distillery is also located in Bardstown near the Willett Distillery. 

While their gift shop and visitor center are top-notch with self-guided exhibits and an informative film in their 1935 Distillery Theatre, the actual general tour is not that exciting or enticing, especially when compared to the quality of tours offered by Maker’s Mark & Jim Beam. 

Heaven Hill might not be a familiar name to you, but most likely, you’ve heard of some of their bourbon brands:

• Rittenhouse Rye
• Elijah Craig
• Evan Williams

While the website calls it a “tour,” it’s actually an informed tasting inside a room with a guide. You won’t be walking through rickhouses or seeing yellow bubbling mash unless you pay more for their “Bottled & Bond Tour & Tasting” for $35.

If you’re looking to sample more varieties of bourbon while giving your feet a rest from touring distilleries, or if you’re looking for a more “indoor” experience, Heaven Hill is a great option. 

1311 Gilkey Run, Rd, Bardstown, KY 40004

• Magic of the Mashbill: $18
• Whiskey Connoisseur Experience: $25
• Bottled-in-Bond Tour and Tasting: $35

Heaven Hill also offers a bar experience on the 2nd floor of the visitor’s center called Five Brothers Bar which features bourbon flights and cocktails.

Dining Tip: Eat Lunch in Historic Bardstown

In between touring the many Kentucky distilleries, you’re going to want some lunch or dinner, and Bardstown has a lot to offer. 

Perfect for lunch or dinner,  Talbott Tavern , built in 1779, is a site steeped in history.

“The Talbott Tavern is a uniquely well-crafted early American stone building and as a young boy Abraham Lincoln and his family stayed here. .. There are noticeable bullet holes in the now faded paintings where legend Jesse James shot them.” | Dry Stone Masonry Institute of America

In keeping with the theme of the bourbon trail, Talbott Tavern offers a customized flight where you choose your tasting made up of the wide variety of bourbon and rye they serve sourced from the surrounding distilleries. 

Another great option is the Scout & Scholar Brewing Company offering classic pub food and plenty of beer on tap if you’re looking for a break from all that bourbon. But if you’re not, they also offer Private Select Bourbon flights to expand your tasting profile.

Region: Versailles, Lawrenceburg, Franklin

Woodford reserve distillery.

“A good gulp of hot whiskey at bedtime—it’s not very scientific, but it helps.” Alexander Fleming (Inventor of Penicillin)

The Woodford Reserve tour is charming in every aspect—from the old barrel railway used to move the freshly filled barrels to the rickhouse to the on-site bottling facility and visitor/tasting center. This tour was one of the most memorable I have ever been on over the years I’ve been touring Kentucky’s distilleries.

The Woodford tour ends, as all do, with the bourbon tasting. The tasting room is located on the other side of the fireplace wall of the visitor center, with a rectangular bar facing the fire. The guide stands in the middle, offering tasting note tips.

We were able to taste the  regular Woodford Reserve  and the Cask Strength  (or dessert bourbon as they call it) combined with a chocolate bourbon truffle. 

7785 McCracken Pike, Versailles, KY 40383

• Woodford Reserve’s Path To Flavor Tour: $32

Woodford Reserve offers several additional tours and specialty experiences, so click the link below to see their current offerings.

Four Roses Distillery

“Whiskey, like a beautiful woman, demands appreciation.” Haruki Murakami

Situated on top of a breezy hill is the most romantic of the Kentucky distilleries along the Bourbon Trail:  Four Roses .

Established in 1888 originally on “Whiskey Row” by Paul Jones, a Louisville businessman, the Four Roses label is rooted in the story of his proposal to a Southern belle named Mary. After courting her for a number of years, Jones asked Mary to respond to his “final” marriage proposal by wearing a corsage of four red roses to a cotillion dance.  This time she accepted and entered the ballroom wearing the corsage.

While Four Roses bourbon is smooth and the distillery, with its Spanish Mission style architecture, has a unique and interesting story from 1888 to the present, the tour itself can still use some work. It’s more of a “Cliff’s Notes” brief summary version of how they make their bourbon.

Their bottling facility is located at a different location as well, so that element of the process can’t be witnessed on-site. If you have the time, you can take your distillery tour ticket stub and visit the bottling facility for free if you’re interested.

You will be given four bourbons to taste:  The Standard Yellow Lable Four Roses, The Small Batch, Single Barrel, and The Cask Strength.

Before or after your tour, browse the large gift shop fittingly accented throughout with roses or you can enjoy a cocktail or bourbon tasting in Bar 1888.

1224 Bonds Mill Road, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342

• Distillery Legacy Tour: $22

Four Roses Distillery offers several additional tasting experiences as well as seasonal offerings, so check their website for the most up-to-date tours.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” Mark Twain

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a juggernaut in the world of bourbon.

Consider the brands they make; in addition to the standard Buffalo Trace Bourbon, they are also responsible for crafting Eagle Rare, Blanton’s (John Wick’s bourbon of choice), Pappy Van Winkle, E.H. Taylor, Stagg, Sazerac Rye, and Weller to name a few.   

What sets Buffalo Trace Distillery even further apart from the competition is that they never charge for their tours. They are always complementary. That being said, you still have to reserve in advance, particularly if you want to go on a specialty experience like: The Buffalo Trace Hard Hat Tour .

Even if you’re not overly into bourbon, the grounds are beautiful, not to mention they have one of the largest and most interesting gift shops of the distilleries. The tours are also highly detailed and informative.

That being said, the bourbon tasting experience at the end of the tour leaves a little to be desired. Due to limited quantities, Buffalo Trace only offers a few brands for tasting and purchasing in the Visitor Center. 

113 Great Buffalo Trace, Franklin County, Frankfort, KY 40601

• All Buffalo Trace tours are complimentary including tours for large groups or tours that require reservations.
• The Trace Tour
• The Hard Hat Tour
• The Expansion Tour
• Old Taylor Tour

Additional Tours are available focusing on the gardens and historic landmarks, so check their website for current offerings.

Wild Turkey Distillery

“There’s no app for a bourbon buzz on a warm day in a cool, dark bar. The world will always want a drink.” Gillian Flynn

The  Wild Turkey Tour  is as industrial as it gets. Not that it makes the tour less interesting, but I prefer the smaller distilleries along the Bourbon Trail as opposed to the mass conglomerate operations. 

The tour lasts about one hour, and you get to see where they make the bourbon as well as where they bottle the various vodka brands that they own. An impressive operation, to say the least. 

The Visitor Center is a fun place to look around and learn a bit more about the history of the distillery location and the origin of the name. Currently, Wild Turkey is closed to visitors and tours as they refresh the visitor’s center, so I’m looking forward to see what updates they have in store.

1417 Versailles Rd, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342

Final Thoughts

“My own experience has been that the tools I need for my trade are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whisky.” William Faulkner

Every year, I look forward to more Kentucky bourbon trail tours and tastes, so check back for updates.

The next two bourbon distilleries on my hit list include:

• Bulleit Distilling Company Visitor Experience
• Castle & Key Distillery

While I did a tour and tasting of Bulleit when it was located at the Stitzel-Weller facility, I have yet to visit their new Visitor Center experience that opened in 2019 in Shelbyville, KY. Click here for more information.

And finally, the distillery that is currently intriguing me the most is Castle & Key, which I saw from a distance when I was driving to Lexington. It actually looks like a castle, and in addition to their distillery and grounds tours, they offer a rotating calendar of events. Click here for more information.

Everyone’s taste is unique and preferences differ, but hopefully, this guide helps you discover your go-to bourbon as you forge your own path along Kentucky’s bourbon trail.

If you’re planning on staying in Louisville, then be sure to check out the Go-To Louisville KY Guide for Best Hotels, Attractions, & Dining .

Leave a Comment

7 thoughts on “13 best bourbon trail tours: a regional travel guide to kentucky’s distilleries”.

You’re welcome, and I’m glad you found the information helpful. Enjoy your trip this summer!

Thank you for posting all of the information with tour prices and your opinion. I am looking forward to visiting Kentucky this summer 2023.

Hi Terri, I would recommend checking out the Pegasus Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tour Packages. They are rated really well and offer several packages to choose from with a driver to take you to the distillery region of your choice for the tours. My personal favorite region is the South / Bardstown Distilleries which includes Maker’s Mark (my favorite tour).

https://www.takepegasusdistilled.com/distillery-packages

Hope this helps!

I want to find a package tour that goes to several distilleries/breweries, one inclusive price, and transportation. Is there such a thing?

I would recommend checking out the Pegasus Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tour Packages. They are rated really well and offer several packages to choose from with a driver to take you to the distillery region of your choice for the tours. My personal favorite region is the South / Bardstown Distilleries which includes Maker’s Mark (my favorite tour).

Here is the link: https://www.takepegasusdistilled.com/distillery-packages

If you’re staying in Louisville, The Brown Hotel is my favorite, but there are lots of great hotels along 3rd street between W Broadway and the Riverwalk which put you right in the middle of Louisville’s downtown scene where you can walk to restaurants and other attractions.

Hope these suggestions help, and I hope you have a great trip!

Want to schedule a tour for three and set up a driver to visit 2 top rated distillery’s Also will need accommodations for 2 nites. .any suggestions.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the post. I’ll be sure to check out your site as well!

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Experience Louisville through the creations of top Kentucky chefs. From progressive evening dining experiences to boozy brunches to behind-the-scenes viewing of Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs. This is Food + Bourbon country!

Personalized & Premium Custom Tours

Work with an Experience Coordinator to hand-craft a one-day or multi-day custom itinerary. Custom Tours may include behind-the-scenes exclusive access, straight-from-the-barrel tastings, cocktail mixology classes, cooking demos and more. Allow us to exceed your expectations with a luxury travel experience!

Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Tours & VIP Transportation

We combine deep expertise, long-term partnerships and complete hospitality services to help you experience the richness of Bourbon Country with distillery tours and premium tastings.

2024 Bourbon Tours Now Available for Booking

Explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® in 2024 on a guided tour, visiting three distilleries in the day. Transportation included so you can enjoy the experience!

Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs Elevated Experience

Secure your tickets to be part of a live TV audience as you watch a taping of “Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs” at the Kitchen Theater at Paristown. 2021 dates now available for booking through July, with limited tickets and seating capacity.

Progressive Dinners, Boozy Brunches and more

Experience Louisville through the creations of top Kentucky chefs. From progressive evening dining experiences to boozy brunches to behind-the-scenes viewing of Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs.

Work with an Experience Coordinator to craft a one-day or multi-day custom personalized itinerary. Custom Tours are available 7-days a week and give guests exclusive access not available on public tours.

Distillery tours, horse farm visits, Cooperage tours, food tours and more through the Bluegrass State.

2024 Bourbon Tours Now Available

Secure your tickets to be part of a live TV audience as you watch a taping of “Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs” at the Kitchen Theater at Paristown.

Custom Tours

Tailor made itineraries that take you to distilleries, horse farms and more with the help of our experience experts for any size group.

Public Tours

Pre-planned itineraries for crafted Kentucky tours to distilleries, horse farms, breweries, landmarks and foodie experiences.

A fleet of luxury vehicles with professional drivers to take you where you need to go. Transportation options for all group sizes.

Experiences

Distilleries

Tour bourbon distillers and taste a variety of craft spirits

Visit stud farms that are home to Derby winners, nurseries with foals, or training facilities

Discover the best local restaurants or go inside kitchens of artisan food makers

Barrel Selects

Select your own barrel, taste the notes and bottle to take home

See the State through historic landmarks, colorful murals and charming places

Breweries/ Wineries

Find your new favorite beer or wine, paired with tours and tastings

Immerse Yourself

Kentucky bourbon trail® tours and more.

From handcrafted custom tour itineraries to public tour offerings, Mint Julep Experiences is Kentucky’s premier destination management company for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, legendary horse farms, historic Kentucky landmarks and the Commonwealth’s rich culinary scene.

Based in Louisville, the Mint Julep Experiences team of bourbon experts, veteran tour guides and city concierges do it all to help you explore the living history of Kentucky in comfort and style. Regional transportation through Louisville, Bardstown, Lexington, Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati, Nashville, Franklin and more!

Southern Hospitality with a Twist of Mint

Kentucky’s Most Trusted Tour Provider

Best Guided Drinking Tours in America

As one of Conde Nast Traveler’s “Best Guided Drinking Tours in America,” the one-of-a-kind, family-owned tour company offers transportation and event planning services for hassle-free ventures for any group size, including corporate outings and V.I.P. excursions with transportation.

“Our tour with Mint Julep made our day so relaxing and carefree”

“I can’t imagine how our time could have been any better.”

“I did this for my husband but ended up loving every minute and learning to enjoy bourbon!”

“Every member of our group agrees that this was one of the best times we have ever had!!”

Similarly, in the realm of health and personal care, navigating the world of pharmaceuticals requires an expert touch. While Kentucky offers a deep dive into history and bourbon, medications like generic Viagra have their own intricacies. It’s important to approach such medications with knowledge and understanding, particularly when it comes to potential side effects. Just as one would trust a tour guide to show the hidden gems of a region, it’s imperative to consult medical professionals to guide one through the potential benefits and drawbacks of any medication.

“The Mint Julep KY Bourbon Trail Experience was one of the BEST vacations that our group of 10 have ever been on.”

“If you want to see the Bourbon Trail but don’t have to work about planning, coordinating, or driving, then go with Mint Julep!”

“This group should come with a warning label, something to tell that a person will lose a week of work being distracted by happy memories and planning future trips back.”

“I HIGHLY, highly recommend Mint Julep Tours when looking to book a bourbon trail trip.”

“Unreserved 5-star review for our experience with Mint Julep Tours. If a sixth star was possible Phil and his tour would deserve it.”

“Leaving the driving to someone else is the only way to go!”

“Informative, engaging and just plain FUN!”

15 Years of Excellence & Counting

Certificate of excellence hall of fame.

2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Showing our Local Pride & Support

Member of many fine kentucky organizations.

PRE-PACKAGED DEALS

You can’t go wrong with any of these options, bourbon tour packages.

CHECK OUT THESE PRE-PACKAGED DEALS

Most of our tours are custom built by you (click HERE to build your own excursion).  Sometimes though it’s just easier to choose a pre-arranged itinerary rather than pondering all your Bourbon tour options.  We’ve put together some fantastic packages for you to choose from right here.  These are all private tours, not public tours. Prices apply to groups of 6 or more but we can certainly accommodate smaller groups as well.  And be sure to stay at Louisville’s only waterfront hotel, the legendary Galt House Hotel where you can often receive a Bourbon Excursions exclusive discount off their normal rates. Just ask us for details. Our weekend tours can book up many weeks in advance so remember to consider touring Mondays through Thursdays for greater availability.

All excursions include tours, tastings, private transportation and a knowledgeable local guide. Lunch is a part of the day but is not included in the price.

“Bardstown Trifecta” $249 per person includes:

• Private transportation to/from your hotel, airbnb, etc
• Tasting or cocktail at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience
• Tour and a barrel-pull tasting at the Bardstown Bourbon Co
• Tour & tasting at Lux Row Distillers

“Thoroughbreds & Bourbon” $259 per person includes:

• Tour and/or tasting at Woodford Reserve *TBD by availability
• Tour a thoroughbred horse farm *TBD by availability
• Cocktails or flight at Castle & Key Distillery *Site of the old EH Taylor Distillery circa 1887

“Drink & Dip” $249 per person includes:

• Tour & tasting at Maker's Mark Distillery (red wax dipping not included)
• Tour & tasting at Limestone Branch Distillery
• Cocktails at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience

“Louisville Legends” $249 per person includes:

• Tour & tasting at Kentucky Peerless Distilling
• Tour & tasting at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
• Tour world-famous Churchill Downs and visit the Kentucky Derby Museum

CALL US TODAY AT 502-233-9903

You can also hop aboard an old time trolley and explore Louisville with our sister company Trolley de ‘Ville.  The 80 minute narrated tours are available April through October and will show you downtown, the waterfront, Old Louisville (America’s LARGEST Victorian home district) and the University of Louisville.  The trolley even makes a brief stop at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby!  Private trolley rentals are also available year ’round.  Click on the link below for all the details and ticket sales:

WWW.TROLLEYDEVILLE.COM

CONTACT US TODAY TO BOOK A CUSTOM TOUR

CALL 502-233-9903 OR FILL OUT OUR FORM BELOW

DuPont Mansion Historic Bed and Breakfast

Bourbon Trail Packages & Lodging

All-Inclusive Bourbon Trail Packages & Lodging from Louisville, KY

Bourbon Trail Packages from DuPont Mansion, Louisville, KY

Historic DuPont Mansion Bed & Breakfast is your accommodating Louisville, KY home base for planning and thoroughly enjoying a range of All-Inclusive and DIY Bourbon Trail package vacations or ‘stay-cations’. Options from the convenience of our “Old Louisville” location are complete with bourbon trail distillery tours, luxurious lodgings, fine and casual local dining arrangements, gourmet breakfasts, and our “outrageous hospitality”.

Whether local or visiting and wanting an

intimate or group bourbon experience, allow DuPont Mansion to do what we do best for you, and take care of all the details.

All Bourbon Trail packages (except Business & Bourbon) are for Two (2) people, and are subject to tax and availability.

Bourbon Distillery Tours & More

Enjoy historic DuPont Mansion’s full day of Guided Bourbon Distillery Tours, with transportation to Three  (3) Kentucky  Bourbon distilleries in KY. Included in this exceptional package is lunch at a bourbon-themed restaurant, dinner at nearby Buck’s, (a favorite on the Urban Bourbon Tour), an Urban Bourbon Tour Passport, and a copy of the book, “Feast for the Eyes”, featuring photos and recipes of the beautiful Historic Old Louisville neighborhood where you are staying.

Minimum Two (2) Night Stay, Plus Add-On Price: $925

Bourbon Trail Weekend Package

The very full Bourbon Distillery Tours package, described above, PLUS  prepaid admission to the nearby Kentucky Bourbon Trail Headquarters at Frasier History Museum, and admission to Three (3) outstanding Louisville distilleries, including the “Louisville Bourbon Experience (and speakeasy) at the downtown Heaven Hill distillery, PLUS dinner at  “The Tavern” a local favorite.   

Minimum Three (3) Nights Stay, Plus Add-on price $1,800

Bourbon Trail Immersion Experience

For bourbon-loving couples, individuals or groups desiring to elevate and broaden their knowledge and experience, set camp in Louisville at historic DuPont Mansion, for a four-day (5 night) Bourbon Trail Immersion Experience. Your Bourbon Trail Immersion includes everything in the “Bourbon Tours” package, and the “Bourbon Weekend” package, PLUS  personal consultation with the owner and arrangements for prepaid reservations and admission to three additional authentic Bourbon or historic venues of your choosing. 

Minimum Five (5) Night Stay plus Add-On Price: $2,500

Business & Bourbon (B&B)

For team meetings, employee rewards or events with 7-to-25 people, for 2, 3 or 4 days and nights, this package is everything you need to kickoff or wrap-up a memorable and impactful get-together. Whether celebrating individuals or a team success, or getting down to business in a fun way, this package, with multiple variations, is just what you need. The bourbon themes, with bourbon history, bourbon tastings, bourbon cocktails and bourbon-and-horse experiences, will delight your business team and employees.

• Bourbon cocktail reception with tasty appetizers on arrival
• Gourmet full service breakfast each morning
• Bourbon history discussion with DuPont Mansion owner at one breakfast
• Complementary wine, water, snacks available throughout stay
• Lunch onsite each day of business presentations

Arrangements:

• Dinner at Bucks, an Urban Bourbon Trail restaurant (walkable)
• Dinner at The Tavern, nearby local favorite
• Bourbon Experience tour and tasting
• Churchill Downs tour
• Arrangements for business presentations or discussions
• Additional tours for group as available

Price is published room rate at DuPont Mansion plus $195 per night and actual cost of outside tours, meals and equipment as desired. Must book entire Inn (7 rooms) at least two nights. Additional rooms available at nearby Inns, at rate of $249/night.

For B&B Reservations, please Contact the DuPont Mansion directly for arrangements.

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I've Lived in Kentucky for Decades and Finally Took a Road Trip on the Bourbon Trail — Here's Why It Was Worth It

A historian uncovers the complex story of her home state’s famous spirit, one strong sip at a time.

Ashley Camper

Growing up in Louisville,  I knew about bourbon. I played my first game of spin the bottle with a grade-school classmate who was named after his family’s brand, Very Old Barton. Yet, by the time I started drinking hard alcohol (too young), my idea of a delectable cocktail was a very strong vodka tonic with two wedges of lime.

It turned out I wasn’t alone. In the early 1970s, sales of vodka surpassed those of America’s native spirit for the first time. Facing a shrinking market, bourbon makers of the 1970s and 80s wandered into other industries. My friend’s family, along with many other distillers, cashed out to conglomerates. By the early 90s, the unimaginable had occurred. “Even Kentuckians had stopped drinking it,” Susan Reigler, who has authored six books on the spirit and has been called the “headmistress of bourbon,” told me.

Bourbon’s course through the body, from lips to throat to chest to belly, can feel like lava, an effect known as a “Kentucky hug.” Even Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker’s Mark, has conceded, “You almost had to work hard to like it.” And for many, the spirit’s classic cocktail — the aromatic and potent Old-Fashioned — came with too strong a whiff of the Old South. As a graduate student in history during the late 1980s, I watched white men use bourbon as a way of brandishing their power. At an academic conference, an eminent scholar informed his junior colleague — Catherine Clinton, now a prestigious historian in her own right — that to fit in she needed to drink bourbon. Not a fan? Not a problem, he said. She would get used to it if she brushed her teeth with the stuff for a week.

But tastes change. Today the bourbon business is booming. There are more than 11 million barrels aging across the state. Between 2009 and 2021, the number of whiskey-distilling operations in Kentucky soared from 19 to 95, and a new premium craft brand seems to crop up every few months. On weekends, a stream of bachelor and bachelorette parties pours into Lexington and Louisville; couples are even tying the knot at stylish distilleries.

Bourbon’s course through the body, from lips to throat to chest to belly, can feel like lava, an effect known as a “Kentucky hug.”

I’ve spent most of my life in the Bluegrass State, so tradition dictated that I drink mint juleps annually at Derby parties, when everybody else did. But even last year, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a mash bill and a duck bill. I’m a historian who has studied Southern writers and Southern families. I have even written a book about the troubling origins of the song “My Old Kentucky Home.” But I had virtually ignored the bourbon comeback. How did this spirit reverse its course? My historian’s bag in hand, I set off on a chilly winter ride along the bourbon trail.

At the start of my first full day as a bourbon tourist, I ducked out of Hotel Distil i n Louisville, where I’d spent the night, for a jog across the Big Four Bridge, a pedestrian walkway that spans the Ohio River and connects Kentucky to Indiana. I was almost back at the Distil when I fell in with a line of people stretching down a block of West Main Street known as Whiskey Row. Apparently, they were bourbon hunters waiting for a special release from the Old Forester Distillery. It was on this street that, in the years after the Civil War, bourbon was hauled from the countryside — where it was made as a means of using up surplus corn and grain — and then sold or stored.

I had my first official tasting later at Hermitage Farm , an easy 30-minute drive northeast of Louisville. This Thoroughbred horse farm combines bourbon tastings from distilleries around the state with hyperlocal food (cast-iron corn bread with sorghum brown butter; whole trout with butter beans), all in a single agritourism package. Seated at the Barn8 bar, bathed in whiskey-gold light, I sipped an Old-Fashioned made with foraged-hickory-nut syrup. I tasted more forest than fire, and my hesitation about the spirit began to fade.

Bourbon making is “gloriously inefficient,” Reid Mitenbuler noted in his seminal text,  Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey . The mixture must be at least 51 percent corn and should contain wheat, rye, and malted barley. It also takes time: for bourbon to be designated “straight bourbon whiskey,” it must have aged in new charred white-oak barrels for a period of at least two years. (Another thing to know: don’t believe anyone who tells you with certainty who invented the spirit or how it got its name. That much is lost to time.)

Variables like where in the warehouse a barrel is stored (hotter up high, cooler below) can also produce vastly different results. As the barrels expand and contract with the temperature, the charred-wood flavors press into the liquid, turning the clear “white dog” into a golden-brown mix. One of my guides called that microscopic motion “the heartbeat of Kentucky.”

That afternoon, heading south out of Louisville, I drove along Jefferson Memorial Forest and into the part of the state known as the “Knobs”: miles of undulating, isolated hills, which at that time of year bristled with winter trees like a stubbly beard. I passed by knob after knob until eventually I noticed a billboard informing me I’d entered Jim Beam Country — a reminder that I had four distilleries to visit in the next 36 hours.

I picked up the basics from my time at Heaven Hill Distillery , Bardstown Bourbon Co. , Castle & Key, and Log Still Distillery . I learned about “mash bills”: the proportion of corn, barley, and rye used in the bourbon. Brands used to hold these measurements closer than Colonel Sanders kept the fried-chicken recipe; now transparency is generally the rule, with percentages available on company websites.

Related: This Kentucky City Is the 'Horse Capital of the World'

At each distillery, I could smell before I saw the vats, or “cookers,” each one typically containing 12,000 gallons, burping with warm, yeasty fermenting grains. (This beery odor is affectionately known as “Kentucky cologne.”) The mash is pushed through stills, a process that extracts vaporized alcohol from the residue, which can then be fed to livestock. Aside from witnessing the processing and taking part in a tasting, visitors might get to peer into a fire-toasted barrel ready for filling, walk through barrel storage sheds called rickhouses, or peek at the bottling area. Some distilleries have hands-on experiences: a mixology class or the chance to “thieve” a taste, a term for sampling bourbon straight from a barrel.

The touring-tasting-dining trend may be most fully realized at Bardstown Bourbon Co. , founded in 2014. It appears almost like a campus, with a glass-walled visitors’ center, grain labs, a tasting lounge, a library with more than 400 bourbons and ryes dating back as far as 1892, and a thieving room. The airy and cheerful Bardstown Bourbon Kitchen & Bar attracts an industry crowd at lunchtime, though first-timers are welcome, too: the distillery offers 10 different tours and experiences, including a VIP fill-your-own-bottle tour and, on some summer Friday evenings, live music on the patio. BBC produces its own bourbon, as well as spirits on contract for more than 30 other brands. Though now almost a decade old, its sleek, multistory rickhouses don’t yet smell of “barrel candy,” the sticky drippings that accumulate from generations of stacked casks.

Age and masculinity have long characterized bourbon branding. It was right there in the names: Old Sport, Old Fitzgerald, Old Grand-Dad, Old Rip Van Winkle, Old Crow. A patina of longevity communicated stature. It all spoke of a troubling past that, in recent years, the industry has begun to reckon with. Rebel Yell, a brand that launched in the 1960s in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, took its name from the Confederate battle cry and was marketed only in Southern states. (The brand has since dropped the “Yell.”)

Many drinkers may not know that an enslaved Tennessean, Nathan “Nearest” Green, taught the biggest name in American whiskey, Jasper “Jack” Daniel, how to make the stuff. In 2016, Jack Daniel's began to embrace this story by offering tours highlighting Green’s contributions. Three years later, Fawn Weaver, the author who discovered Green’s story and decided to resurrect his legacy, opened the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Victoria Eady Butler, a descendant of Green’s, now holds the title of master blender there. That’s Tennessee whiskey , but who knows how many Uncle Nearests have been excluded from the Kentucky bourbon story?

Many drinkers may not know that an enslaved Tennessean, Nathan “Nearest” Green, taught the biggest name in American whiskey, Jasper “Jack” Daniels, how to make the stuff. In 2016, Jack Daniels began to embrace this story by offering tours highlighting Green’s contributions. Three years later, Fawn Weaver, the author who discovered Green’s story and decided to resurrect his legacy, opened the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Victoria Eady Butler, a descendant of Green’s, now holds the title of master blender there. That’s Tennessee whiskey, but who knows how many Uncle Nearests have been excluded from the Kentucky bourbon story?

The Frazier History Museum , in Louisville, offers a tour called “The Unfiltered Truth: Black Americans in Bourbon.” Visitors learn about Elmer Lucille Allen, the first African-American chemist at Brown-Forman distillery, and the contributions of other Black Kentuckians to the bourbon industry. Currently, however, Kentucky has only two Black-owned bourbon distilleries: Brough Brothers, founded in 2021, and Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co., founded in 2020.

Bourbon also has a reputation as being a man’s drink, but it was women who created the modern bourbon trail. One of them, Peggy Noe Stevens, was running Woodford Reserve’s visitors’ center in 1999 when she and two female peers from other distilleries proposed cross-marketing their tours. They produced a brochure that listed the seven places where visitors could see the spirit in the making (today there are 46). Now an author and consultant, Stevens also founded the Bourbon Women Association in 2011.

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One intriguing female-led brand is Pinhook , which produces ryes and bourbons in annual vintages, much like wine. “This gives it a natural crossover appeal for women who drink wine,” said Alice Peterson, Pinhook’s CEO. “I love that we no longer have to market solely to the leather-sofa-and-cigars crowd.”

I found a similar ethos at Trouble Bar , a tavern in Louisville’s Shelby Park neighborhood. I ordered the Galactic Diamond — bourbon, plum, green-tea syrup, and lime — and sat down with co-owner Kaitlyn Soligan Owens, who moved to Louisville from New York City in 2013. She founded a bourbon tour agency, Matson & Gilman, with her best friend, Nicole Stipp. By 2019 they wanted a brick-and-mortar place where they could hold tastings; eventually, a bar followed. Owens and Stipp aim to disrupt bourbon’s perceived “bro culture” by intentionally welcoming LGBTQ patrons and young, progressive customers. The bar’s music tends toward Sam Cooke and Lizzo, and photos of social-justice “troublemakers” — including Alberta Odell Jones, one of Kentucky’s first Black female lawyers, who was murdered in a still-unsolved case — cover one of the walls.

Trouble Bar offers special flights chosen by notable women in bourbon — Stevens and Weaver both contributed, as have female distillers around the state. Owens pointed out that one of the spirit’s greatest innovators was Margie Samuels, who cofounded Maker’s Mark with her husband, Bill, in 1953. Margie was responsible for both the name and the literal mark — she used her home fryer to melt red wax, into which she hand-dipped the bottles to seal them.

Some of the trees at Castle & Key distillery have a witchy look. That’s because they’re blackened with a fungus called  Baudoinia compniacensis,  which thrives on the “angel’s share” of ethanol that evaporates from the bourbon barrels (because the vapor floats away in the air, it’s described as being consumed by angels). Some distillers have been sued because the fungus discolored nearby homes, patios, and automobiles, though there is not sufficient evidence to say that the growth harms people or animals.

Reached by a narrow, steep road outside Frankfort, the state capital, Castle & Key shows how today’s bourbon tourism sometimes builds atop existing foundations. The “castle” is a crenellated 1887 showpiece built by whiskey maker Colonel E. H. Taylor Jr., who is often seen as the father of the modern bourbon industry. The train tracks that Taylor laid to move his product also carried Victorian-era visitors to what was perhaps the first bourbon-tourism experience: people could stroll and picnic in the gardens and admire the grounds and structures, like the “key,” a lock-shaped pool beneath an elaborate pergola. Prohibition forced the closing of the distillery in 1920, and the property fell into ruin as it passed through multiple owners, before finally reopening in 2018. While the bourbon products age — the inaugural small-batch Kentucky Straight wasn’t released until March 2022 — head blender Brett Connors uses juniper berries and other plants to flavor the four gins that are also on offer.

Bourbon also has a reputation as being a man’s drink, but it was women who created the modern bourbon trail.

Castle & Key has reenvisioned Taylor’s fairy-tale buildings and grounds as a place for locals and tourists to listen to live music, drink cocktails like a Bourbon Highball, with spiced honey, yuzu, and lemon, and eat pulled-pork sandwiches from food trucks like BubbyQ. “It’s about how you create a sense of place,” Connors said. “That’s what people remember more than tasting or even tours.”

Lately, bourbon seekers are also after something that has long eluded them: a place to stay after a day of tastings. One of the few places that make that possible is Dant Crossing , a 300-acre destination in Gethsemane, about an hour south of Louisville. There you’ll find 23 rooms spread across a handsome farmhouse building, a Georgian-style home, two cottages, and an exclusive-use lodge. (A farm-to-table restaurant is projected to open next year.) Next door is Log Still Distillery, which has a bar and tasting room, plus a 2,300-seat amphitheater for (mostly) country music performances.

Three cousins — Wally, Lynne, and Charles Dant — inspired by their forebear’s pre-Prohibition bourbon operation — reunited to create the new distillery. (The well-known J. W. Dant bourbon brand, owned by Heaven Hill, is separate.) For the Dants, the journey home has been long like a country mile, which was, fittingly, the name of the cocktail, made with wheated bourbon and dusted with fennel, that I sipped before dinner. Each course — my favorite was the fried game hen with compressed gin watermelon squares and hot honey — had its own cocktail pairing. When it was over I gladly accepted a golf-cart ride back to my room.

The story of bourbon, I found, does not end with the drink itself. The liquor has also become part of the arc of Kentucky’s cuisine. Chef Ouita Michel, who has racked up eight James Beard Award nominations and built a 10-restaurant mini empire throughout the state, uses the spirit as an ingredient, but even more as a narrative device. “Bourbon is a fantastic pillar for Kentucky,” she said, “but how do we enrich that story and make it about our people, our places?” She named one of her Lexington restaurants, Honeywood , after Honeywood Parrish Rouse, a legendary Southern hostess who paused at 4 p.m. every day to pour herself a glass of Old Fitzgerald. (I also think of the late Black feminist bell hooks, a Kentuckian who paired “brutal honesty with bourbon.”)

When Michel did her culinary training in the late 1980s and early 90s, she told me, bourbon was not on most people’s radar. Then, 20 years ago, she entered a cooking contest organized by Woodford Reserve and took home the prize for a sea-scallop dish with bourbon in the sauce. That led to 11 years as chef-in-residence at Woodford’s distillery in Versailles. Michel’s first restaurant, Holly Hill Inn, which opened in the town of Midway in 2001, is still one of the best places to get regional specialties like spoon-bread soufflé.

Thanks to the bourbon touring boom, Holly Hill is no longer under the radar. Michel has now counted license plates from all 50 states in the parking lot of Wallace Station , her sandwich shop on Old Frankfort Pike, a National Scenic Byway just outside Lexington. “It’s a sea change,” she said.

I could never distill the essence of Kentucky, a name with a rough beauty that conjures images of green grass and mountain hollers, of icons like Muhammad Ali and Loretta Lynn. Our spirit makers would like you to think that essence is bourbon. I was reminded time and again of its hold.

Journeying along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail showed me just how big a business my state’s signature spirit has become. To experience it fully, go slowly and trace the path of history, knowing that myth is always close behind. Along the way, be sure to stop often for the surprises. Bourbon itself was mine. The heat that comes with each sip is a reminder of Kentucky’s complexity and depth. Give it to me straight, with a single cube of clarifying ice.

Where to Stay

Bardstown Motor Lodge: A restored 1950s property with retro rooms and a poolside bar serving bourbon slushies.

Dant Crossing: Lodgings at this pastoral escape near Log Still Distillery in Gethsemane range from single rooms to a four-bedroom home. Breakfast is delivered to your door.

Hotel Distil, Autograph Collection : An urban Louisville retreat that leans in to bourbon history: its lobby features stoneware jugs once used for whiskey storage, and every night at 7:33 p.m. there’s a toast to the 1933 repeal of Prohibition.  

Origin Lexington: A sophisticated stay in the heart of the city. The hotel also partners with Knob Creek Distillery on a private-label bourbon, available at its restaurant, 33 Staves.

Where to Eat and Drink

Holly Hill Inn: Chef Ouita Michel’s original Midway restaurant remains the region’s most elegant night out.

Honeywood: For a more casual meal, Michel also operates this Lexington hot spot with inventive dishes like sweet-potato beignets and smoked-catfish dip.

Nami: Tired of fried chicken? Celebrity chef Ed Lee’s new Louisville restaurant serves bibimbap, hand-cut noodles, and Korean barbecue with all the fixings.

Trouble Bar: Try bourbon you’ve never heard of at this cheeky Louisville watering hole, where the 17-page menu is an education in itself.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. : A modern, Napa Valley–style approach to bourbon tourism, with sleek tasting facilities and a fantastic restaurant and bar.

Castle & Key: This distillery’s serene gardens are perfect for a midday stroll between tastings.

Frazier History Museum: A Louisville institution with comprehensive exhibits on Kentucky history, the Civil War, and the bourbon industry.

Heaven Hill: Founded in 1935, this remains America’s largest independent family-owned bourbon distillery.

Hermitage Farm: The best of Kentucky in one 700-acre package: bourbon from around the state, horses, and country cooking.

A version of this story first appeared in the October 2023 issue of  Travel + Leisure  under the headline "Still Life ."

Two days on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (local itinerary)

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a great destination I think everyone should visit at least once. With so many amazing distilleries in the region it’s no wonder it can be overwhelming to decide how to spend your time on the trail. And as someone who grew up in Kentucky and was even married at Buffalo Trace, I know a thing or two about visiting the Bourbon Trail. Here’s my guide complete Kentucky Bourbon Trail 2-day itinerary:

Where should I stay?

The Bourbon Trail is spread out mostly between the Louisville, Bardstown, and Frankfurt areas with most distilleries nestled within 30 miles of each of these towns. But with just a few days on the trail I recommend staying in Louisville. You’ll have easy access to Whiskey Row while also being close to both Bardstown and Frankfurt.

For more on where to stay on the Bourbon Trail be sure to check out my complete guide ! 

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tips

• The Bourbon Trail is more than the official trail, so it’s important to do your research beyond the Kentucky Bourbon Trail website since they only partner with a small percentage of distilleries in Kentucky
• Bourbon Trail tour reservations usually open about 3 months in advance… and they book up fast. Be sure to mark your calendar to reserve your spots as soon as the calendar opens
• Don’t overbook yourself with tours – most tours last 60-90 minutes, so you’ll likely only be able to do 3-4 in a day
• Kentucky’s law only allows 1.75 ounces of bourbon at each tasting and it’s likely someone in your group can easily be a designated driver after a tasting
• Most distilleries are closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly for your itinerary

Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2-Days: Complete Itinerary

Table of Contents

Day 1: Visiting Louisville’s Best Distilleries

Starting in Louisville it makes sense to spend Day 1 visiting distilleries in the area. Most of the distilleries now operate at least visitor experiences on Whiskey Row downtown, but there is so much more than Whiskey Row to discover!

Breakfast at a local favorite

Start your day with breakfast at Wild Eggs . This local chain is popular for breakfast and brunch with dishes like Kelsey’s KY Brown (a breakfast twist on the Kentucky Hot Brown) worth the visit. Take it from my own experience, breakfast before a full day of distillery tours and tastings is a must.

Your first distillery: Stitzel-Weller Experience

I love Stitzel-Weller because it’s a working bourbon distillery with rickhouses in urban Louisville, and it’s the only place to see such operations without venturing at least 30 minutes outside of town. Join the Stitzel-Weller’s Experience tour and learn about the history of bourbon within Louisville. The tour takes you through some incredible history that will set you up for the rest of your Bourbon Trail journey.

Next Stop: Rabbit Hole

Contrasting Stitzel-Weller, Rabbit Hole is a modern distillery looking at innovative ways to craft bourbon. Their facilities are modern, they offer a cocktail at the start of your tour (what a perk!), and they have the best gift shop of any of the distilleries. The Rabbit Hole Distillery Tour is well worth your time. 

Lunch in Louisville

With two distilleries down, take a rest and load up with lunch at one of the many downtown favorites . Against the Grain (within walking distance of Rabbit Hole!) has a great selection of pub food and local beers on draft. If you want something a little more upscale, Porch Kitchen and Bar creates unique Kentucky southern food with favorites like shrimp and grits and fried chicken.

Distillery Continues: Old Forester on Whiskey Row

Of all the tours to do on Whiskey Row, Old Forester is the best. Their Old Forester Tour provides a glimpse at the entire bourbon making process, has a great tasting experience, and gives you access to products you can’t find on the shelves. 

Try a different Bourbon Trail experience

By now, if you’re like me, you’re probably toured out. So spend the last part of your day doing something else. Some options include: Bourbon & Billets offers unique blending experiences to give you the ability to literally craft your own bourbon . Or if you’re a foodie consider booking a NULU food tour . Louisville is also home to some incredible museums, like the Muhammad Ali Center and Slugger Museum & Factory

Travel Tip! If you want to bring home some special bourbons, visit Justins’ House of Bourbon for the best selection in Louisville. You’ll likely pay a premium here but if you want hard-to-find items, this is the place. Liquor Barn, however, also has a great selection of bourbons too! (Just not the super rare stuff.)

Try Kentucky’s Signature Dish

If you want a truly Louisville dinner experience, reserve a table at the Brown Hotel and try the original Kentucky Hot Brown . It’s a classic dish that everyone needs to try when visiting Kentucky. After dinner if you’re up for another bourbon experience (you’re on the trail so of course you are) visit the legendary Watch Hill Proper for a drink . This restaurant and bar is where master distillers, distillery owners, and other industry leaders snag pours of exclusive bourbons (but also great cocktails). 

Day 2: Exploring Kentucky’s rural distilleries

I don’t think you can fully get the entire Bourbon Trail experience by just visiting Whiskey Row and the Louisville distilleries. What I think really sets the trail apart from other experiences is seeing and experiencing bourbon where it’s done: rural areas, mostly on the Kentucky River. 

So today we’re headed out of town! Renting a car (if you don’t have one) is the easiest way to get around but you can book a tour instead. Personally, I think going with a tour group is super expensive and doesn’t add to your experience. The DIY method is what works best (and will save you hundreds of dollars).

Drive to Bardstown

Take the 55 minute drive from downtown Louisville to Bardstown, Kentucky. Bardstown is home to many of the best distilleries, including Lux Row, Willet, Heaven Hill, and Bardstown Bourbon Co. 

Start your day at Heaven Hill

Heaven Hill has some of the most unique tours on the market. I recommend exploring their list and picking what sounds most interesting to you. The You Do Bourbon experience, where you can taste premium products and bottle your own, and Bottled-in-Bond tours are both excellent choices. 

Bardstown Bourbon Company (join a tour + have lunch)

Bardstown Bourbon Company is one of the coolest experiences you can have in bourbon. I recommend their Rickhouse Barrel Thieving experience , for only $30 it’s a steal and so unique.

After your thieving tour be sure to snag lunch reservations in their amazing restaurant and bar. They serve upscale Kentucky classics like a fried chicken sandwich and bread pudding.

Drive to Woodford Reserve 

About an hour from Bardstown you’ll find my favorite distillery that is worthy of any 2-day trip on the Bourbon Trail. Woodford Reserve is the most beautiful of all the distilleries on the trail. Their Path to Flavor Tour will give you an appreciation for the beauty in bourbon and some amazing pictures to show your friends, too.

Dinner in Louisville

From Woodford Reserve to Louisville is about an hour driving. Make yourself dinner reservations at one of my more recent favorite restaurants, The Village Anchor . This local establishment is a bit off-the-beaten-path and will be a uniquely local experience.

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Bardstown – Gateway Itinerary

Nestled in the rolling Kentucky hills lies the Bourbon Capital of the World ® and an Official Gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail ® journey. The tradition of distilling runs deep in historic  Bardstown , a vibrant community with all the small-town charm you’d expect in any Southern city. Bourbon, history, and mouth watering meals are calling – what are you waiting for?

Want to leave the driving and planning to someone else? Book your tours and transportation in advance with  Pegasus Distillery Experiences,   Mint Julep Experiences, or Kentucky Bourbon Boys and all you have to do is enjoy your time Kentucky!

We have overhauled the passport you know and love and turned it into a beautiful, 150+ page booklet that will help you on your journey! The new Bourbon Trail ™ Passport & Field Guide includes all 18 KBT ® distilleries as well as all 23 KBT Craft Tour distilleries. Books can be purchased at all participating distilleries or in advance  here  (all proceeds go towards furthering responsibility and sustainability efforts across the Commonwealth). Click  here  to learn more about the Bourbon Trail ™  Passport & Field Guide.

When planning your trip, keep in mind that Bardstown is more rural than Louisville and Lexington, and on-demand ride services may not be available.  Click here  to see your transportation options in and around Bardstown…planning ahead is key!

Heaven Hill is the nation’s largest family-owned spirits producer, making brands such as Elijah Craig, Larceny, Henry McKenna and many others. The Shapira’s have been operating in Bardstown since 1935, and they love having visitors. At the  Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience , you can choose from their tour options and even bottle your own Bourbon!

Take a distillery tour, book a cocktail class, eat your heart out…you can do it all at Bardstown Bourbon Company . Don’t miss a chance to dine at their onsite Kitchen & Bar. Enjoy a delicious meal and cocktail in this gorgeous ultra-modern distillery, and make sure to peek at the vintage whiskey offerings in their extended menu (don’t forget to order a boozy milkshake).  Click here for reservations.

With a perfect blend of timeless craft and innovation,  Lux Row Distillers  calls home some of Kentucky’s most iconic Bourbon brands such as Ezra Brooks and Rebel.  Enjoy their chocolate and whiskey tastings and try to see their famous peacocks roaming the grounds.

One of Kentucky’s most remote and charming distillery properties is well-worth the trek. While at  Maker’s Mark  see the barrels aging sweetly beneath the Chihuly blown-glass installment, and don’t forget to dip your own bottle in the gift shop. Settle in for a delicious, southern meal at  Star Hill Provisions , and get a cocktail or alcoholic  Ale-8-One  slushy – trust us.

Head north of Bardstown to the home of one of the world’s most noted whiskeys – the  James B. Beam Distilling Co . After seeing every step of the process, you’ll have the chance to dip your own bottle of Knob Creek right off the bottling line. After the interactive, multi-sensory tour, make sure to grab some a delicious meal and sip a cocktail at The Kitchen Table Restaurant. Stay tuned to their events calendar for any special happenings throughout the year.

On your way back into town, stop by the  Four Roses Warehouse & Bottling Facility in Cox’s Creek. Four Roses is one of the few distilleries that ages their barrels in single story warehouses. Save on admission fees if you tour both the Distillery and Bottling Facility within 60 days. (You may choose to get your passport stamped at either location.)

Start your experience in Bardstown at another historic distillery rich in family history. Tour the grounds at  Willett Distillery  and make reservations at  The Bar at Willett  for an unforgettable cocktail and dining experience.

Less than 2 miles from the center of enchanting Bardstown on an old tobacco farm you’ll find  Preservation Distillery + Farm , a small operating farm and distillery making 100% pot distilled Bourbon and whiskey in 1-3 barrel batches.  Longhorn cattle roam the property, and with itty bitty releases of their Olde St Nick, Wattie Boone, Cowboy Little Barrel and Preservation you’re sure to have a worthwhile visit.

Head out to the county for this stunner of a destination, Log Still Distillery . Founded by three members of the Joseph Washington Dant family, these are distillery grounds like you’ve never seen before. Complete with an amphitheatre that draws artists like the Gin Blossoms and Little Big Town, The Legacy a gorgeous wedding and events venue inspired by rickhouses, a full-service farm to table restaurant, working train depot and beautiful onsite lodging, you’ll never want to leave.

There is no shortage of Things To Do in Bardstown and the surrounding areas. Start your day right with a steaming cup of coffee at Fresh, and take a quick jaunt to Hadorn’s for the local’s secret doughnut spot. Stock your home bar at Toddy’s Liquors and find unique gifts at the Blind Pig Bourbon Market. Did someone say “ shopping ?” You know we did. Don’t feel like walking? Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the historic streets of Bardstown. Speaking of history, Bardstown has it in spades! Take a stroll through Kentucky Bourbon’s past at the newly renovated  Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History . Tour the mansion at My Old Kentucky Home State Historic Site, and catch a showing of the Stephen Foster Story in the summer months (ask about their group culinary/cocktail tours!). Since 1848, the monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani have been welcoming visitors to learn about their lives and enjoy their fine, handmade treats such as fudge, fruitcake and preserves. Feeling adventurous? Book an excursion on My Old Kentucky Dinner Train for a meal, a drink and even a murder mystery in a 1940’s dining car as it rolls through the Bluegrass.

You’ve seen how the whiskey is made. You’ve learned how to mix it in a cocktail. But have you ever seen the skilled craftsmen bending the staves to make the barrels, hammering on the rings, and charring the insides with a big burst of flame? Now you can! Book a Kentucky Cooperage Tour at the Independent Stave Company and leave smelling like our favorite perfume – charred oak. (close-toed shoes required)

If you’re feeling outdoorsy, spend some time at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. Extensive hiking trails, the canopy tree walk, multiple public art displays, and an edible garden are just some of our many must-sees at Bernheim. Grab a bite in their cafe before hitting the road.

Bardstown is home to three golf courses and several cozy campgrounds , if you have an rv in tow.

Kentucky’s ultimate Bourbon celebration happens every year in September – Bourbon Heritage month! Join us at the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival for special events, bottle auctions, facetime with Master Distillers and even a barrel rolling competition. Check here for other local events .

Wind down in Bardstown as you peruse the shops and start planning your nightcap destination. Between the hometown diners, BBQ joint, pizzeria, soda fountain, upscale cafes and all the other dining offerings , there will be no shortage of options to fill your belly. Don’t miss an opportunity to dine on classic Kentucky fare in the  Old Talbott Tavern (try the fried green tomatoes).  Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s Kitchen & Bar is topnotch for lunch, dinner, cocktails and vintage pours. There’s a seat (and a cocktail) with your name on it at The Bar at Willett   – I bet you didn’t know you liked egg salad until you try this ! If you wind up at Maker’s Mark, we definitely recommend sticking around for a meal at Star Hill Provisions , and make sure to visit their adjacent bar. No visit to Jim Beam is complete without a big plate of BBQ and a crisp Ale-8-One at Fred’s Smokehouse. One of our favorite grab-n-go stops is On the Go Foods – a non-profit serving people with developmental disabilities through job training, community employment, and more. For southern food at its finest, plan an exquisite private dinner for your group at the Harrison-Smith House (only open for private events). Have a nightcap in the “ world’s oldest Bourbon bar ” or ask the locals for directions to the speakeasy (shh).

You must be tired! Rest your head in one of the many historic B&B’s and cottages that Bardstown has to offer. Click here for a complete list of Bardstown accommodations . Need another unique and storied lodging option? Immerse yourself in Bourbon and American history when you stay at The Samuels House . This 250 year old home to eight generations of the family behind the iconic Maker’s Mark brand is packed with their personal collection of amazing whiskey memorabilia and is just waiting for you. Or you may opt to stay on the distillery grounds at Log Still distillery in one of their beautiful lodges, cottages and suites .

Established in 2016,  Distilled Living  is Kentucky’s premiere independent Bourbon events company offering private, luxury experiences including guided tastings & presentations, cocktail classes and exclusive-access tourism plus unique activations for conferences, conventions and large events. Elevate your Bourbon trip by having Distilled Living bring spirits industry professionals to you!

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