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Kentucky Bourbon Trail

{{short description|Program to promote Kentucky Bourbon industry}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}

File:Destileria fourroses usa.jpg Distillery]]

File:Woodford Reserve Distillery-27527-8.jpg bourbon outside of the rickhouse, where they will be stacked and stored during the aging process]]

File:Jim Beam distillery.jpg Distillery]]

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, sometimes informally referred to as "the Bourbon Trail", is a program sponsored by the Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) to promote the Bourbon whiskey industry in Kentucky. The KDA has registered the phrase "Kentucky Bourbon Trail" as a protected trademark.

History

The KDA launched the Kentucky Bourbon Trail program in 1999. At the time, it included seven of the eight distilleries in the region.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2004-04-29-kentucky-bourbon_x.htm|title=Sun shines bright on Kentucky bourbon|last=Clark|first=Jayne|date=April 29, 2004|work=USA Today|access-date=November 14, 2008}}

{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/in-search-of-bourbon-in-kentucky-107214.html|title=In search of... Bourbon in Kentucky|work=The Independent|access-date=October 7, 2018|language=en-GB}}

In 2008, an eighth distillery, the Barton 1792 Distillery, joined the Trail program.{{cite news|url=https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article43973178.html|title=Distillery added to Bourbon Trail|last=Warren|first=Jim|date=August 28, 2008|work=Lexington Herald-Leader|access-date=November 14, 2008}} However, the distillery was purchased by the Sazerac Company the following year, and Sazerac withdrew both the Barton 1792 Distillery and the Buffalo Trace Distillery from the KDA at the beginning of 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.kentucky.com/2010/02/05/1124883/buffalo-trace-tom-moore-leave.html|title=Buffalo Trace, Tom Moore leave distillers' group, Bourbon Trail|last=Patton|first=Janet|date=February 5, 2010|access-date=March 4, 2010|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader}} The two Sazerac distilleries continue to host public tours, and a Sazerac spokesperson stated they still feel they are "very much a part of the Bourbon Trail", but Sazerac wishes to promote its distilleries independent of the KDA.

In August 2012, the Town Branch Distillery was added to the trail, bringing the number of distilleries back to seven.{{cite news|url=http://www.aceweekly.com/2012/08/alltechs-town-branch-distillery-in-lexington-added-to-kentucky-bourbon-trail/|title=Alltech's Town Branch Distillery in Lexington added to Kentucky Bourbon Trail|author=Snyder, Chris|date=August 16, 2012|newspaper=Lexington Ace}} The Heaven Hill Evan Williams distillery in Louisville was added in May 2013, expanding the primary tour program to include eight destinations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lanereport.com/21156/2013/05/evan-williams-bourbon-experience-joining-the-kentucky-bourbon-trail-tour/|title=Evan Williams Bourbon Experience joining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tour |website= Lane Report |date=May 9, 2013 |language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2018}} In 2014, The Bulleit Experience at Stitzel-Weller Distillery joined the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, raising the number to nine destinations. In June 2018, Old Forester opened an urban distillery in downtown Louisville and became a member of the Bourbon Trail.{{Cite news|url=http://whiskyadvocate.com/old-forester-distillery-kentucky-bourbon-trail/|title=Old Forester Makes Triumphant Return to Kentucky Bourbon Trail|date=June 14, 2018|work=Whisky Advocate |access-date=August 21, 2018|language=en-US}} O.Z. Tyler Distillery in Owensboro joined the same month.{{Cite web|url=https://www.owensboroliving.com/the-buzz/o-z-tyler-joins-the-kentucky-bourbon-trail/|title=O.Z. Tyler Joins the Kentucky Bourbon Trail - Owensboro Living|website=www.owensboroliving.com|date=June 4, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=August 21, 2018}} In July 2018, the KDA announced that Lux Row Distillers would be added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.{{Cite web|url=https://kybourbontrail.com/lux-row-distillers-joins-the-kentucky-bourbon-trail-tour/|title=Lux Row Distillers Joins the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tour |website= Kentucky Bourbon Trail official website |date=July 2, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=August 21, 2018}}

In October 2012, the KDA announced that it would expand the Kentucky Bourbon Trail program to include a new "Craft Tour" of seven artisan distilleries.{{cite news|url=http://www.kentucky.com/2012/10/12/2369634/bourbon-trail-launches-craft-distillery.html|title=Bourbon Trail launches new tour of artisan distilleries|date=October 12, 2012|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader}} 2012 had the highest-ever rate of completion for participation in the trail.{{cite web|url=http://www.lanereport.com/12364/2012/10/kentucky-bourbon-trail/|title=Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour shatters completion record — with three months left to go|date=October 9, 2012|website=The Lane Report}} In December 2013, the Craft Tour added Danville's Wilderness Trail Distillery, thereby expanding to eight destinations.{{cite web|url=https://www.aceweekly.com/2013/04/kentuckys-next-craft-distillery-wilderness-trace-in-danville/|title=Kentucky's Next Craft Distillery: Wilderness Trace in Danville|date=December 5, 2013|website=Ace|access-date=October 7, 2018}} Several other distilleries have been added and the Bowling Green branch of Corsair Artisan Distillery closed on August 30, 2018, bringing the current number to 13 destinations on the Craft Tour.{{Cite web|url=https://kybourbontrail.com/distilleries/kentucky-bourbon-trail-craft-tour/|title=Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour – Kentucky Bourbon Trail|website=kybourbontrail.com|language=en-US|access-date=August 21, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.wkms.org/post/bowling-green-distillery-closing-after-decade-business|title=Bowling Green Distillery Closing After a Decade in Business|last=Autry|first=Lisa|access-date=October 7, 2018 |language=en}}

The KDA opened an official welcome center for the Bourbon Trail in August 2018 at the Frazier History Museum in downtown Louisville.{{cite news|url=http://www.wdrb.com/story/38997088/kentucky-bourbon-trail-welcome-center-opens-at-the-frazier-history-museum|title=Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center opens at the Frazier History Museum|date=August 30, 2018|access-date=September 2, 2018|website=WDRB|location=Louisville, KY}}

Trail stops

{{OSM Location map

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| mark-title1 = Michter's Distillery

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| mark-title2 = Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

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| mark-title3 = Old Forester Distilling Co.

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| mark-title4 = Angel’s Envy Distilling

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| mark-title5 = Rabbit Hole Distillery

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| mark-title6 = Bulleit Distilling Co.

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| mark-title7 = Stitzel-Weller Distillery

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| mark-title8 = Green River Distilling

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| mark-title9 = Heaven Hill

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| mark-title10 = Lux Row

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| mark-title11 = Bardstown Bourbon Company

| mark-coord12 = {{coord|37.6470625836952|-85.34892567250152|}}

| mark-title12 = Maker’s Mark Distillery

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| mark-title13 = Jim Beam American Stillhouse

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| mark-title14 = Wilderness Trail Distillery

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| mark-title15 = Four Roses Distillery

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| mark-title16 = Wild Turkey Distillery

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| mark-title17 = Woodford Reserve Distillery

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| mark-title18 = Town Branch Distillery

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| mark-title19 = New Riff Distillery

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| mark-title20 = Pensive Distilling Co

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| mark-title21 = Second Sight Spirits

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| mark-title22 = Augusta Distillery

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| mark-title23 = Old Pogue Distillery

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| mark-title24 = Boone County Distillery

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| mark-title25 = Neeley Family Distillery

| mark-coord26 = {{coord|38.33634999355682|-85.46311413991714|}}

| mark-title26 = Kentucky Artisan Distillery

| mark-coord27 = {{coord|38.25865168951654|-85.76645522611854|}}

| mark-title27 = Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company

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| mark-title28 = Cooper & Kings

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| mark-title29 = Jeptha Creed Distillery

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| mark-title30 = Willett Distillery

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| mark-title31 = Preservation Distillery

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| mark-title32 = Log Still Distillery

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| mark-title33 = Limestone Branch Distillery

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| mark-title34 = Boundary Oak

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| mark-title35 = The Bard

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| mark-title36 = Casey Jones

| mark-coord37 = {{coord|36.698420900829994|-87.39171504045028|}}

| mark-title37 = MB Roland Distillery

| mark-coord38 = {{coord|36.70648727730042|-86.57248886729563|}}

| mark-title38 = Dueling Grounds Distillery

| mark-coord39 = {{coord|38.149192563899156|-84.99918335154078|}}

| mark-title39 = Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.

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| mark-title40 = Castle & Key Distillery

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| mark-title41 = Barrel House Distilling Co.

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| mark-title42 = RD1 Spirits

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| mark-title43 = Fresh Bourbon

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| mark-title44 = James E. Pepper

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| mark-title45 = Bluegrass Distillers

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| mark-title46 = Hartfield & Co.

| caption = Kentucky Bourbon Trail

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}}

File:Michter's, Louisville.jpg

{{As of|2024}}, there are 46 stops on the Bourbon Trail.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

There are 18 stops on the main Bourbon Trail, broken down into 4 "gateway cities": Bardstown Gateway, Lexington Gateway, Louisville Gateway, and Northern Kentucky Gateway.{{Cite web| url= https://kybourbontrail.com/map/|title=Map |website= Kybourbontrail.com |language= en-US|access-date=October 7, 2018}} The 18 stops are:

Louisville

  • Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery in Louisville
  • Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville{{cite news| last= Schreiner | first= Bruce | website= brandonsun.com| url= http://www.brandonsun.com/business/breaking-news/kentucky-bourbon-trail-expands-to-include-stop-in-downtown-louisville-206820581.html?thx=y | title= Kentucky Bourbon Trail Expands to Include Stop in Downtown Louisville| agency=Associated Press | date= May 9, 2013}} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/862865347 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/862067051 cite #6 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC bot/Job 18}}
  • Old Forester Distilling Co. in Louisville
  • Angel's Envy Distillery in Louisville
  • Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisville
  • Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville
  • Bulleit Frontier Experience at the Stitzel–Weller Distillery in Louisville
  • Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, formerly known as O.Z. Tyler Distillery

Bardstown

Lexington

There are 28 stops on the Bourbon Trail "Craft Tour", broken down into 4 regions: Northern, Central, Western, and Bluegrass. The 28 stops are:{{Cite web| url= https://kybourbontrail.com/distilleries/kentucky-bourbon-trail-craft-tour/ |title= Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour |website=kybourbontrail.com |language= en-US|access-date=October 7, 2018}}

Northern Craft Tour

Central Craft Tour

Western Craft Tour

Bluegrass Craft Tour

= Other stops =

The B-Line,{{Cite web | date= January 20, 2024 |title= The B Line|url= https://thebline.com |access-date=January 20, 2024 |website=The B Line |language=en }} an official partner of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail,{{Cite web| url=https://kybourbontrail.com/map/#:~:text=Partners%20|title=Map |website= Kybourbontrail.com |language= en-US|access-date=October 7, 2018}} is another organization promoting distilleries, bars, and restaurants in the Bourbon Trail that are in the Northern Gateway area.{{Cite web | date= January 20, 2024 |title= Visit the B-Line in Northern Kentucky |url= https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/partner-insights/visit-the-b-line-in-northern-kentucky |access-date=January 20, 2024|website=Biz Journals |language=en }}

  • Revival Vintage Bottle Shop in Covington{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=June 20, 2023 |title=Five New Stops Added to The B-Line® |url=https://kybourbontrail.com/five-new-stops-added-to-the-b-line/ |access-date=July 3, 2023 |website=Kentucky Bourbon Trail |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Barrier |first=Katherine |title=The B-Line Celebrates National Bourbon Day By Adding Five New Stops Along The Trail |url=https://www.citybeat.com/food-drink/the-b-line-celebrates-national-bourbon-day-by-adding-five-new-stops-along-the-trail-15438256 |access-date=July 3, 2023 |website=Cincinnati CityBeat |language=en}}

See also

{{commons category|Bourbon whiskey}}

{{portal|Drink|Liquor}}

References

{{reflist|2}}

External links

{{Wikivoyage|Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries Tours}}

  • [https://www.kybourbontrail.com/ Kentucky Bourbon Trail] official website from the Kentucky Distillers' Association

{{KYBourbonTrail}}

Category:Bourbon whiskey

Category:Tourism in Kentucky

Category:1999 establishments in Kentucky

Category:Heritage trails

Category:Whisky trails