Established in 1912 by T.W. Boswell to produce staves for barrel makers, Independent Stave Company expanded to include the production of white oak barrels for bourbon producers in 1951.The company later expanded to include cooperages that produce barrels for making wine and whiskey throughout the world. The company's Kentucky Cooperage offers public tours that last just under an hour and demonstrate the art of barrel making.
Makers Mark Distillery established its first bottle in 1959. Bill Samuels Sr. envisioned a whole new name for bourbon when he purchased what was Burks Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. The once "blue collar drink" became an overnight sensation. The sweet taste and the iconic red wax seal became world-renowned. The popularity made Makers Mark the only operating distillery in America ever to be titled a National Landmark. Makers Mark began as a low-status beverage, but now that red wax seal represents the sophistication its founders envisioned. Now 57 years later, Bill Samuels Jr. still stands true to the slogan "it tastes expensive...it is".
The award-winning Bourbon Heritage Center at Haven Hill Distilleries in Bardstown, Kentucky offers visitors a unique educational and entertaining experience. Bourbon Hosts guide visitors through the history of Bourbon making. Yes, you do get an educational Bourbon tasting at the end of each of tour. You can tour a working rickhouse and have your tasting in a barrel-shaped room.
The Bardstown Historical Museum and the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History are located on the first floor of Spalding Hall in Bardstown, KY. Exhibits at the Getz Whiskey Museum include articles and documents that detail the history of whiskey production and distribution in America. Visitors to the museum will see authentic moonshine stills, advertising memorabilia, vintage jugs and bottles, and much more. Items included in the museum's collection date from the pre-colonial period through the end of prohibition. The Bardstown Historical Museum features an array of artifacts related to the settlement and development of Bardstown and the surrounding area. Pieces within the museum's collection include Native American relics, land grants, various documents related to the Lincoln presidency, pioneer travel accounts, and more.
Barton 1792 Distillery opened in 1879 and is the oldest fully-operating distillery in Bardstown. The facility sits on 196 acres and features 29 barrel aging warehouses and 22 other buildings. It gets its name from the year that Kentucky joined the United States. Barton 1792 Distillery includes a visitors center and offers guests the choice of three different interpretive tours that end with the opportunity to taste some bourbon for those of legal drinking age.
Four Roses Distillery was built in 1910. It has Spanish Mission-style architecture. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It operates continuously except for a couple months in the summer. Its warehouses uses a single-story rack to minimize temperature variations. Guests can participate in tours and tastings.
The Jim Beam Family has been making bourbon in Kentucky for more than 200 years. They have famously passed the recipes from generation to generation – seven of them actually. In fact, the same bourbon yeast strain that was started after Prohibition is still active today. Visitors can tour the facility and taste premium bourbons in the American Stillhouse tasting room. You must arrive by 3:30 for the last tour. You can also make reservations. The tour will take you through the entire process of making a bottle of Jim Beam, and includes a tasting at the end.
This distillery opened in 1935, two years after the passage and ratification of the 21st Amendment which ended prohibition. The distillery was the result of a merger between W. L. Weller & Sons, and the Stitzel Distillery, and operated until 1992. The distillery produced a variety of bourbons, including Bulleit and the now-legendary Old Rip Van Winkle. After 1992, the former distillery was utilized as warehousing space for aging whiskey. In response to the growing popularity of bourbing, the property was converted into a heritage tourism site and reopened to the public in 2014. The historic distillery is once again utilized for large scale aging and is now one of the stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Visitors to the site can learn about the history of the bourbon industry and taste Bulleit and some of the other bourbons produced by Diageo, the global company that owns the facility and produces a variety of spirits.
Whiskey Row refers to the stretch of Main Street that once built its reputation from the unique whiskey and bourbon it produced. Most of the buildings were built in the Revivalist and Chicago School style buildings with cast-iron storefronts between 1852 and 1905. Main Street was only a block from the waterfront, and distillers such as the Brown-Forman Company and John T. Barbee and Company maintained offices on this street. After a decline in production, bourbon distilleries moved to other locations and many of the buildings were demolished. In recent years, Main Street revitalization projects led to the restoration of some of the remaining buildings. Brown-Forman once again intends to distil whiskey at this location while a host of other bourbon producers and retailers are returning to Whiskey Row.
Founded by Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson, this is one of several distilleries that produce small batch whiskey near Louisville's Bourbon Row. Demonstrating the outside investment that has led to a rapid growth of development in this formerly blighted neighborhood that was once home to many distillers and is now an entertainment district, the distillery is owned by Louisville Distilling Company, a subsidiary of Bacardi Limited.
Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, the Buffalo Trace Distillery was built in 1920, although distilling has occurred on the site since 1775. According to the Sazerac Company, owners of the award-winning Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey, it is the oldest continuously-operating distillery in the United States. As the George T. Stagg Distillery, this property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. The production capacity of the Buffalo Trace Distillery is estimated to be approximately 2,650,000 US gallons of whiskey per year.
Constructed in 1895, the historic Frankfort home is commonly referred to as the Gooch House in honor of the family that acquired the property in 1919 and lived here until 1978. George R. and Sarah Elizabeth Gooch purchased the house in 1919, and George died one year later, and Sarah operated the home as a boarding house to support herself. Rebecca Gooch also lived in this home and was one of the founders of Rebecca-Ruth Candies in 1919, a company that is still in business today. The candy company gained fame for its bourbon-flavored candy, so it's appropriate that as of 2019, the house is owned by the Kentucky Distillers Association.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is synonymous with the bourbon whiskey industry. The location of the Old Taylor Distillery just south of the Kentucky Capital in Frankfort is a reminder of the role Kentucky statesmen and businessmen played in the early years of the whiskey industry. Colonel E.H Taylor, Jr., a Kentucky politician and entrepreneur, oversaw the construction of this magnificent complex in 1887. The complex has seen a recent revitalization as Peristyle LLC has purposed to restore the 125-year-old facility as Castle and Key Distillery. Castle and Key has already begun bourbon production and has product currently in the aging process.
The Woodford Reserve Distillery is the smallest and oldest distillery in Kentucky. Dating back to 1812, it is located approximately 8 miles away from the town of Versailles off U.S. Route 60. This distillery produces Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, as well as the newer Double Oaked. It features the only copper pot still and triple distillation process used to handcraft Bourbon.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
Like bourbon itself, this tour starts with the art of barrel-making at the Kentucky Cooperage. Tour stops include numerous distilleries, a few museums, and several important historic sites related to the history and heritage of bourbon production in Kentucky. Like any tour in Clio, users can alter the itinerary to match their interests and schedule. Enjoy!
