Louisville Holiday Bourbon Tourism
an Old Fashioned at the Brown Hotel
Things to do in Louisville and Bourbon Country this season
All photos by Maggie Kimberl
You know it’s going to happen. You will have a house full of out-of-town guests and after the shiny newness of catching up wears off you’ll all be looking for something to do. In Louisville, Kentucky the answer is simple—it’s time to take your guests to one of the many bourbon attractions in the area. If you’re in or near Louisville, there’s no shortage of things to do that are bourbon-related and fabulously entertaining for your guests (even if they’re merely whiskey curious).
Here are some options:
Distilleries
There are plenty of options for distillery tours in Louisville —NINE to be exact. You can make a full day of distillery hopping or just pick a strategic target or two. As always, make sure everyone in your group is wearing closed-toe shoes without heels, call ahead to reserve a spot or make a reservation (it’s required in most places, especially this time of year), and ask about age restrictions if anyone in your group is underage. There are also many that offer military discounts, as well.
Frazier Museum welcomes next door neighbors Michter’s
Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery is a fully functioning small-scale distillery with an amazing with drinks curated by cocktail historian David Wondrich. If you don’t want to do the tour here, sip a cocktail upstairs and look down into the distillery through the open atrium. (Learn about their heat-cycled warehouses here.)
Old Forester Distillery is a homecoming for the Brown-Forman company, which once called Whiskey Row its home. This is a larger-scale distillery considering its downtown location, but it’s designed for learning. There’s also a working cooperage on the tour!
Angel’s Envy Distillery is a great place to take a cocktail class or have a tour that includes a bit of Louisville history, as well. (See our coverage of the opening here.)
Copper & Kings is a brandy distillery for bourbon lovers that also includes the option to bottle your own. Skip the tour if you’re toured-out and have an excellent meal and cocktail at ALEX&NDER, their rooftop bar and restaurant with a spectacular view of the city.
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. was originally located in Henderson, Kentucky, but the original digs unfortunately succumbed to the effects of Prohibition and the war efforts in the 1920s through ‘30s. The Taylor family decided to bring the family business back to life in Louisville.
The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is the best distillery to take people to who are on the fence about bourbon, because the interactive experience features a lot of details about Louisville history that are interesting even if you’re not that into in the whiskey itself.
Rabbit Hole Distillery offers an immersive tour that explains everything from the process to the distillery’s architecture.
The Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse is a tiny microdistillery where you can take a cocktail class or enjoy a craft cocktail on select evenings. (Read about the cocktail class here.)
Stitzel-Weller Distillery is the same distillery opened by Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle on Derby Day 1935. Today it is operated by Diageo as a homeplace for whiskeys such as the Orphan Barrel Series, I.W. Harper, and Blade & Bow brands.
Attractions
There’s a lot to learn about the bourbon business and its legacy in Kentucky, and there are more places to learn about it than by distilleries alone. And yes, that’s really a cemetery I’m recommending below!
Locust Grove is an historic home where you can experience a period-accurate replica farm distillery and learn all about historic farm distilling from re-enactors.
The Frazier History Museum is the homeplace of the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, and there’s also a massive exhibit all about Kentucky’s Native Spirit. (Read about the opening here.)
Justins’ House of Bourbon is part museum, part bottle shop, part bourbon and cocktail bar. Stop in to see rare and vintage whiskeys and perhaps enjoy a pour of something even older than you are.
Mint Julep Experiences offers bourbon tours all over the Commonwealth, but they are also the only way in to the Brown-Forman Cooperage if you want to learn how barrels are raised. (Read about some of their popular options here.)
Cave Hill Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the famous names of bourbon days gone by, from J.T.S. Brown (of Heaven Hill) to Paul Jones (of Four Roses) to Julian P. ‘Pappy’ Van Winkle to W.L. Weller and more.
Stores
Many of the liquor stores feature tasting bars, including several of the Liquor Barn locations as well as Westport Whiskey & Wine. These are great places to start, and they also offer many of their own deals on private barrel selections. But if you want something a little different, check out these unique spots:
Art Eatables is a bourbon chocolatier specializing in handmade bourbon truffles. Each truffle is made by artfully pairing specific cocoas with each individual whiskey.
Bourbon Barrel Foods was the first soy sauce microbrewery in the United States, crafting soy sauce in used bourbon barrels. Now their offerings include all manner of barrel aged and smoked salt, sugar, spices, and more.
A Taste of Kentucky is a one-stop shop for all things Kentucky, from books and Derby stuff to local products, including plenty of bourbon edibles, crafts, and more.
Bourbon Bars
If you walk into a Kentucky bar and they don’t have at least 20 bourbons, are you really in Kentucky? Louisville is blessed with great whiskey bars filled with knowledgeable bartenders and mixologists.
The Urban Bourbon Trail features 40+ bourbon bars and restaurants where the minimum number of bottles on the back bar exceeds 50, and some have bourbons in the hundreds. Some of the best places to check out include Bourbons Bistro, The Brown Hotel Bar, Lilly’s, Doc Crow’s, and Proof on Main in the 21C Hotel (which is also a fine place to stay), but all feature knowledgeable staff and great selections.
Trouble Bar is a new bar that excels at handcrafted cocktails and a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Click through View Master slides of Kentucky’s Bourbon Country as you sip your drink!
Vines Fine Wines & Spirits Shop is a dog-friendly wine bar that also has a solid selection of whiskeys and great craft cocktails. Great spot for a low-key, neighborhood vibe in the Highlands.
The Silver Dollar is a Louisville original set in a repurposed fire station with old school country music playing on a turntable. And if you’re a fan of dive bars, sister bar The Pearl is a comfortable, casual spot that also just happens to carry a terrific whiskey list.
Places to Stay
Louisville is home to some of the best classic hotels in the country, including the Seelbach and the Brown, as well as the artsy 21 C mentioned above. New this season is also Hotel Distill, right in the heart of whiskey row. Rooms will likely fill up, but there might still be some deals left. It’s worth checking availability if you don’t feel like sleeping on floors or a tiny child’s bed at your friend or relative’s house.
See y’all in Louisville!