It’s not super easy to figure out what distilleries and brand tasting rooms are functioning in downtown Louisville as well as what other Bourbon experiences await visitors. Here’s a list I compiled.

Tours And Tastings

On Main Street alone, there are more than ten places to visit, and going even one block off of Main Street in either direction yields well more than a dozen great stops. Options include The Frazier History Museum, which features a permanent Bourbon exhibit that takes visitors from water to bottle, the Barrel on Main, a great spot for a photo op right on the sidewalk at 6th and Main, and even a Bourbon tasting experience at the Louisville Slugger Museum called Barrels and Billets where guests can craft their own blend. 

Downtown Louisville Distillery Tours

• Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company: a family-owned generational brand founded in Henderson, Kentucky in 1889 still run by descendants making sweet mash Bourbon and rye whiskeys.
• Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery: a great spot for a quick, small-footprint tour in a meticulously restored historic building with an upstairs cocktail bar featuring recipes from David Wondrich.
• Evan Williams Bourbon Experience: the first of the Whiskey Row distilleries to open after Prohibition, featuring a fully working artisanal distillery, historical tour, speakeasy, bar, and gift shop. (The author has been paid for staff training for this brand.)
• Old Forester Distillery: a return to the company’s former pre-prohibition Whiskey Row space with a state-of-the-art full scale distilling operation as well as a fully functional cooperage.
• Angel’s Envy Distilling Company: this is the brand’s only distillery, spanning an entire city block and featuring bars, event spaces, and a unique option to choose your own barrel, not typically available to retail customers. (The author has been paid for staff training for this brand.)
• Rabbit Hole Distilling Company: an architectural marvel with stunning city views showcasing commissioned works of art with a tour that feels more art gallery than industrial.

Downtown Louisville Distillery Tasting Rooms

• Bardstown Bourbon Company: a satellite tasting room and visitor experience featuring a bottle-your-own option.
• Green River Distilling Company: another satellite with a horseshoe-shaped bar and a speakeasy surrounded by historic Green River ephemera.
• Pursuit Spirits: Kenny and Ryan have done it again! Be sure to check out Trial + Error, the speakeasy cocktail bar in the basement.
• Buzzard’s Roost: homeplace to a nondistiller producer that specializes in various wood and barrel finishes.
• Whiskey Thief: satellite tasting location to the Franklin County distillery featuring a live music venue.
• Castle & Key 502: shop for your favorite Castle & Key bottles and merch or enjoy a craft cocktail.
• Monk’s Road Boiler House: a chophouse-style steakhouse with tastings and cocktails by Log Still Distillery, good for dinner or just a whiskey tasting.
• Whistle Pig: I haven’t been since construction has finished, but the videos of the pneumatic cocktail shaker look really cool!
• Chicken Cock Circa 1856: This place has a fantastic speakeasy!

Additional Downtown Experiences coming soon

• Old Carter Whiskey Co.

Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl