20+ NEW Spots to Come Find Bourbon
Discover what’s new along Kentucky’s Authentic Bourbon Road Trip.
Bourbon may be the only word you need to hear to start packing your bags for an epic getaway along Kentucky’s authentic bourbon road trip. Great! And there’s more! Our list of great places to see, things to do, and things to taste is already jam-packed, and it keeps growing with even more bourbon-related fun. Here’s a peek at some of the newest developments in Covington, Frankfort, and Bardstown, Kentucky.
Covington
The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s self-guided bourbon tour, has delighted bourbon enthusiasts for five years with its collection of distilleries, bars, and restaurants. Seven new stops give it even more to brag about:
- Augusta Distillery, winner of “World’s Best Bourbon” at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is located in Augusta along the Ohio River about a 40-minute scenic drive from downtown Covington. Housed in a historic building that was once a carriage manufacturer, it currently offers a one-hour “Pardon Our Dust” distillery tour.
- Caproni’s Restaurant and Bar in Maysville is an off-the-beaten-path culinary gem, just a scenic 45-minute drive along the Ohio River from downtown Covington. An OpenTable Diners’ Choice award-winner in 2023, it serves traditional Italian fare, Kentucky classics, steaks and seafood, plus boasts an extensive bourbon selection.
- Knowledge Bar & Social Room in Covington at North by Hotel Covington is an elegant space with a relaxed yet energetic vibe. Get comfy and savor cocktails crafted by master bartenders alongside chef-crafted light bites. Don’t miss the one-of-a-kind lighted art display.
- Lisse Steakhuis in Covington opened in 2016 as a tribute to the owner’s hometown of Lisse, Holland. The menu features traditional American steakhouse favorites as well as authentic Dutch cuisine and off-menu specials. The bar menu offers over 100 top-shelf premium bourbons plus seasonal handcrafted cocktails. Check out the cigar lounge on the third floor.
- Pensive Distilling Co. & Kitchen in Newport distills and bottles spirits in a historic building, combining tradition with modern recipes. It currently has 100- and 80-proof Bourbon, apple pie moonshine, and vodka available for purchase. A “Speakeasy Bourbon Tour” and unique one-on-one, behind-the-scenes “Spirits 101” experience are currently offered.
- Pompilio’s Restaurant in Newport is a local gem that’s been serving classic Italian fare for over 90 years! The award-winning restaurant is known for its homemade pasta, scrumptious sauces, and pretty bar with an impressive bourbon collection. Love history? It’s rich here! The restaurant opened in 1933 but before that in 1902 the building housed a small saloon that was subjected to a Prohibition raid in 1922.
- Revival Vintage Spirits and Bottle Shop in Covington offers unprecedented opportunities to taste and purchase vintage libations. Whether there’s a specific brand, style, or year that you’ve always wanted to sip, this the dream can come true. Knowledgeable staff members can guide your journey and recommend sips to suit your palate.
Do The B-Line® and have fun while earning a free prize. As part of its anniversary celebration, four new free T-shirt designs have been introduced to the prize option line-up, all with snarky bourbon jokes on the back. You can earn a new free prize every time you complete The B-Line®! Just check in with your Line Guide at two bars, two distilleries, and two restaurants that are members.
Another great stop isn’t on The B-Line® (at least not yet), but still well worth a visit:
Wenzel Whiskey in Covington offers a whiskey blending experience. Come tap from the finest barrels and make your own one-of-a-kind blend. Find DIY more intimidating than thrilling? Limited releases like “The Proprietors’ Blend” are also available for purchase while supplies last.
Frankfort
Castle & Key offers several tasting and tour opportunities in Frankfort. Plus now you can also stay with Castle & Key at your pick among three stunningly restored and appointed properties located within a few miles of the distillery. “The Shanklin House” is a four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom 19th century farmhouse with Gothic architecture and picturesque views of rolling hills; it neighbors a working thoroughbred horse farm. “The Field House” is a recently renovated 1917 home with five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a sunken living room with a wet bar, and a large patio space. “The Stone House” located on Main Street in downtown Frankfort offers three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and views of the Kentucky River.
The Bourbon Library on West Main Street in downtown Frankfort launched late July 2023 and offers two luxury VRBO spaces in the historic Mason & Hoge building, which is walking distance from shops, restaurants, and even the Buffalo Trace Distillery. “The Bourbon Trail Luxury Loft” is a five bedroom, five bathroom space with themed décor including Hollywood lights, a ropes room, palms room, and several eye-popping surprises. The “Penthouse Overlooking Downtown Frankfort” is a six-bedroom, five-bathroom penthouse designed to impress with a bunk room, wallpapered lips room, snake room, monochromatic room, balcony room, and more. To raise the wow-factor of your stay in either space, you can arrange for private chauffeured transportation and/or a private chef.
Glenns Creek Distilling offers several new experiences at its Frankfort distillery. Tap into your talents to create your own bourbon with the new “10 Gallon Bourbon Barrel Experience.” You’ll choose the mashbill and two years later get to design a label for your approximately 40 bottles, plus keep the barrel. To enjoy more immediate rewards, opt for the one-hour “Visitor Experience” tasting or the 90-minute “Distiller Experience” private tasting with the distiller and up to eight of your friends.
Kentucky River Tours, the nation’s only boat-based bourbon tour, now boasts new and improved boats plus some new tours. The Bourbon Belle offers a four-hour “Old Taylor Tour” as a package with Buffalo Trace Distillery; tour the Kentucky River and the storied distillery plus enjoy a bourbon tasting. The 2.5-hour “Bourbon and Boats” tour passes the Old Hermitage Distillery, shares stories about bourbon tycoons like Col. Albert Blanton and E. Taylor, Jr., Kentucky’s State Capitol, and other sites, plus during the trip, a Stave and Thief-certified bourbon concierge from Frankfort’s Bourbon on Main will guide a tasting of select barrel-pick bourbons.
Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. now has a bar that’s open daily. Plus, a food truck is on site every Friday and Saturday, and most weekends offer live musical entertainment.
Bardstown
Bardstown Motor Lodge is a new boutique hotel with a Mid-Century look and feel. The refreshing lounge pool, dubbed ‘Bardstown Swim Club’ by the hotel, offers sunny seating areas, a tanning deck, cabanas, and a poolside bar. You’ll also find fire pits and a retro-style rec room. All 30 guestrooms and five suites offer cozy comfort.
Brindiamo Penthouse, located on the third floor of Spalding Hall, is a multifunctional venue for the Bourbon Capital Alliance. It serves as a cutting-edge classroom for the Bourbon Academy and is designed to provide immersive bourbon education experiences with sensory components, interactive elements, the impressive Taste of Bardstown flight board that showcases bourbons from partner distilleries, and an exclusive cocktail “The Assaggio di Brindiamo.”
Toogie’s Table, located at the Bardstown Motor Lodge, is a farm-forward, modern-Americana eatery where seasonal ingredients drive the menu. Look for refined classics with regional flair, including dishes like fried chicken, house-made pasta, a 14 oz. Bardstown hog chop, and more. The bar menu offers classic cocktails as well as creative innovations.
My Old Kentucky Home offers two exclusive bourbon-related experiences. The 45-minute 1792 Guided Tasting, hosted by Whitney Rye of the bourbon podcast “The Mash Bill” and available for a limited time, shares the history of Barton’s 1792 brand, offers samples of four brand selections, and includes a smoked 1792 single barrel old-fashioned cocktail. The 40-minute Mint Julep Masterclass, offered during September’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival, reveals the how-tos and secrets of preparing the famed Derby drink. A rotating roster of summer cocktails is also featured.
Start planning your #CFBroadtrip here.
Come Find Bourbon
