The Kentucky bourbon trail

Unique among the trails I list, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is defined, not by a historical road, but by the distilleries instead.  Whild many of them may have changed ownership or name, most date their origins into the 1800s and some into the late 1700s.

The Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) launched the Bourbon Trail in 1999.  The main course extends between Lexington in the East and Elizabethtown in the west, along the Bluegrass Parkway.

*    The seven founding members

**  Former members now marketing themselves independently

The Frazier History Museum in Louisville is the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  Many begin elswhere in Kentucky, some starting in the east and travel west, vice versa, or visit distilleries on different visits.  

            🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

Starting from east to west, the following distilleries belong to the KDA Bourbon Trail:

Town Branch Distillery is located in the heart of Lexington.  401 Cross St, KY 40508

Woodford Reserve Distillery * is located in Versailles.  7785 McCracken Pike, 40383

Four Roses Distillery * is located in Lawrenceburg.  Exit the Bluegrass Parkway at US127 and head toward Frankfort.  Turn left onto Bonds Mill Rd (KY513) from US127 in less than one mile, follow it about 1.2 miles, and the visitors' entrance is on the left side.  1224 Hickory Grove Rd

Wild Turkey Distilling Company * is located in Lawrenceburg.  1417 Versailles Rd, 40342

Bardstown Bourbon Company is located east of Bardstown.  Exit the Bluegrass Parkway at US150 and head toward Springfield.  Turn left onto Parkway Dr from US150, follow it about 1.1 miles, and the visitors' entrance is on the left side.  1500 Parkway Dr 40004

Lux Row Distillers is located east of Bardstown.  Exit the Bluegrass Parkway at US150 and head toward Bardstown.  Turn right onto John Rowan Blvd (KY245) from US150 in less than 1/4 mile.  Follow John Rowan Blvd about 0.9 mile, turn right onto Lux Row, and the entrance is less than a 1/2 mile on the left.  1 Lux Row, 3050 E John Rowan Blvd, 40004 

Heaven Hill Distillery * is headquartered in Bardstown.   Established in 1935, this is the largest family-owned producer of distilled spirits.  A couple years after a devastating fire in 1996, the company bought and adapted the Bernheim distilllery in downtown Louisville.  In addition to the original Heaven Hill Bourbon,  the distillery produces bourbons under the name of Larceny, Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Old Fitzgerald, in addition to many other spirits.  

Exit the Bluegrass Parkway at US150 and head toward Bardstown.  Turn left onto Parkview Ave (KY49) from US150 in about 1.4 miles.  Parkview Ave soon becomes Loretto Rd.  Follow this road about 1.1 miles from US150, bear right onto Gilkey Run Rd, and the visitors' entrance is on the right side.  1131 Gilkey Run Rd 40004  

Barton 1792 Distillery ** is located in Bardstown.  501 Cathedral Manor, 40004

Wilderness Trail Distillery is located in Danville.  4095 Lebanon Rd, 40422

Buffalo Trace Distillery *  ** is located in Frankfort.  113 Great Buffalo Trce, 40601

Bulleit Distilling Company is located east of Shelbyville.  3900 Benson Pike 40065

Makers Mark Distillery * is located east of Loretto.  3350 Burks Spring Rd, 40037

Jim Beam American Stillhouse * is located in Clermont.  568 Happy Hollow Rd 40110

Rabbit Hole Distillery is located in the center of Louisville.  711 E Jefferson St, Louisville, KY 40202

Angel's Envy Distillery is located in center of Louisville.  500 E Main St 40202

Old Forester Distilling Company is located in the center of Louisville.  119 W Main St, 40202

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is located in the center of Louisville.  528 W Main St, 40202

Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery is located in the center of Louisville.  801 W Main St, 40202

Stitzel-Weller Distillery is located in Shively (southwest Louisville).  3860 Fitzgerald Rd, 40216

Green River Distillery is the westernmost distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, located in Owensboro, and almost two hours west of others in Louisville.  2252 Grain Alley, 42301

            🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

Other Kentucky distilleries that have not participated in the KDA Bourbon Trail:

Barrel House Distilling Company (2006) is located in the barreling house of the old Pepper Distillery in Lexington.  1200 Manchester St, 40504

James E Pepper Distilling Company is located in Lexington.  With its 1780 origin in Virginia, this whiskey label establishes itself as the oldest in the US.  1228 Manchester St, 40504

Willett Distillery (1940) is located immediately south of Bardstown.  It converted from production of whiskey to ethanol during the 1970s energy crisis, but returned to whiskey production in 1984 under the name of Kentucky Bourbon Distillers.  1869 Loretto Rd, 40004   

Boundary Oak Distillery is located north of Elizabethtown in Radcliff.  2000 Boundary Oak Dr, 40160

This page is under construction.