9 Must-Try Bourbon Tasting Experiences in Kentucky

December 1, 2024

Why simply raise a glass when you can elevate your entire vacation? Visit Covington, Frankfort, and Bardstown, Kentucky, to experience bourbon tastings that go well beyond the standard sip. Drench your palate and blow your mind at these stops along Kentucky’s authentic bourbon road trip.


COVINGTON BOURBON TASTING


Prohibition Bourbon Bar has the cozy vibe of a small Prohibition-era speakeasy, but don’t be fooled by its size: This gem of a bar tucked inside Newberry Bros. Coffee boasts the world’s largest collection of bourbon at 6,412 different labels and counting! Build your own tasting flight of four half-ounce pours, opt for a recommended flight, or better yet let co-owner Peter Newberry choose a mystery lineup. “Tasting totally blind allows you to appreciate what you’re drinking without the influence of all the marketing hype,” he says. “It’s the best way to discover what you really like.” Prices are dependent on selections.


Get There: 530 Washington Ave. in Newport; 859.261.9463.



Revival Vintage Spirits & Bottle Shop is a one-of-a-kind mecca for bourbon lovers and collectors. Its astonishing collection of rare and vintage bottles is available for tasting and purchase: Come sample from and stock up on bottles that will realize your bourbon-tasting fantasies, earn you some legit bragging rights, and wow your online fans. “We’re pouring tastings at prices that would be 10 to 20 times higher anywhere else,” says Brad Bonds, co-founder and curator. “This is my passion. I want old alcohol to be accessible to everyone.” Flights of four half-ounce pours are $25+ depending on selections.


Get There: 5 E. 8th St. in Covington; 859.479.2676


Tousey House Tavern, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2022, is a homey space bursting with gracious Southern hospitality. Sit in any of the cozy dining rooms—one has a hand-painted mural from 1822—or on the spacious outdoor patio to savor bourbon alongside Southern dishes like fried chicken and Kentucky hot brown. Tasting flights have been recently updated to showcase different flavor profiles, producers, ages, and/or styles. Of course, if you’d prefer to build your own flight of four half-ounce pours that’s an option, too. “Our goal is to give you the best experience possible,” says Eric Morehead, general manager. “Our list of about 120 bourbons includes classics, highly allocated bourbons, antique bourbons, and surprises.”


Get There: 5963 N. Jefferson St. in Burlington; 859.586.9900


FRANKFORT BOURBON TASTING


Buffalo Trace,  the nation’s longest-running and most award-winning distillery, offers eight different tours covering diverse topics like history, ghosts, architecture, and gardens. All tours are free and all include the same tasting experience—if so inclined, you can skip a tour and head straight to the complimentary tasting. The range of the product line is showcased: Wheatley Vodka, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare Bourbon, Bourbon Cream, and Freddie’s Root Beer are always included, while an additional bourbon pour varies daily. “There’s a one in four chance you’ll taste Blanton’s, E.H. Taylor, Weller Special Reserve, or Sazerac Rye,” says Matt Higgins, visitor services general manager. While tasting you’ll learn distillery history, product information, and interesting facts. A Rebecca Ruth bourbon ball is also included, a sweet pairing that’s especially fitting since bourbon balls were created by that Frankfort-based candy company.


Get There: 113 Great Buffalo Trace in Frankfort; 502.783.1000.


Kentucky River Tours,  the nation’s only boat-based bourbon tour company, offers eight different themed tours as well as custom private tours. Among the options, the two-hour Bourbon & Boats experience includes a river tour and a premium bourbon tasting. Each tour is ultimately a unique way to discover Kentucky River’s role in bourbon history.


Get There: 701 Wilkinson Blvd. in River View Park in Frankfort; 502.219.3318.


Whiskey Thief Distilling Co., which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, is located on a 127-acre working farm growing the corn and other grains used in its pot-still single distillation process. The 30-minute Whiskey Thief Tour includes the opportunity to taste five different bourbons straight out of the barrels. Tickets are $30 per person and include a keepsake tasting glass. Love a particular sample? Fill a bottle yourself using a whiskey thief right there in the barn for an additional charge that varies based on the size of bottle and bourbon you select. Want to taste more? Head to the gift shop to sample flavored whiskeys and rums.


Get There: 283 Crab Orchard Rd. in Frankfort; 502.552.1001


BARDSTOWN BOURBON TASTING


Preservation Distillery + Farm is Nelson County’s first official craft bourbon operation and only pot-still distillery. Tours and tastings cover product history, production methods, and fascinating tips. The most gob-smacking option is the Premium Cask Overproof Whiskey Experience ($55/person) which includes a full distillery tour and tasting flight of five products, all from the vintage barrel collection and all cask strength over 100 proof. Featured vintage bourbons like Very Olde St. Nick and Rare Perfection are available in the gift shop and the tour’s tasting list changes as products sell out. The gift shop typically also stocks at least one bourbon so rare it’s not available for tasting.


Get There: 426 Sutherland Rd. in Bardstown; 502.348.7779


Lux Row Distillers, one of Bardstown’s newest distilleries, is capable of producing 3 million gallons of spirit each year. Multiple tours showcase its six barrel warehouse and 43-foot custom copper still, but the Guided Tasting Experience really impresses palates with premium brands. Offered Monday through Saturday, the 45-minute guided tasting features a rotating lineup of four quarter-ounce pours of top-shelf brands, exclusive single barrels, and the limited-release 12-year double barrel bourbon that ranks as Lux Row’s most premium product. Chocolate pairings sweeten the experience.


Get There: 1 Lux Row in Bardstown; 502.337.7420


Bardstown Bourbon Company is a state-of-the-art distillery set on 100 acres of rolling farmland. Among its many compelling tours and experiences, Taste of Whiskey History is the most jaw-dropping. Hosted in the vintage whiskey library that houses over 400 bourbons and ryes dating back to 1892, the guided tasting features an exclusive flight of three one-ounce vintage pours. “It’s a deep dive into history,” says Dan Callaway, vice president of hospitality and product development. “We’re a modern distillery in the Bourbon Capital of the World and tasting whiskey history is part of understanding where we come from. You never know what will pop up—a pour from 1909, 1969, 1970s? The library is filled with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, some of the best bourbons ever made.” Tickets are $250 per person to sample whiskeys that routinely sell for thousands of dollars an ounce.


Get There: 1500 Parkway Dr. in Bardstown; 502.694.7212



Reservations recommended for each of these mind-blowing bourbon tasting experiences. Must be 21 to participate. Always enjoy your bourbon like a true Kentuckian, responsibly.

Come Find Bourbon

Breaking Barriers: Women Leading the Bourbon Industry in Bardstown

May 22, 2025
In 1818, Catherine Spears Carpenter Frye made bourbon history as the first person to write down the recipe for sour mash. A century later, Margie Samuels made her own historic contribution when, in the 1950s, she created the most iconic whiskey packaging in the industry with Maker’s Mark’s hand-dipped red wax seal. In 2016, Joyce and Autumn Netherly made headlines as Kentucky’s only mother/daughter bourbon distillery owners. As far back as the early 1800s, Kentucky women have been leaving their mark on the bourbon landscape. “The bourbon industry isn’t just for the boys,” said Stacy Prichard, vice president of distillery relations at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival , held every September on the grounds of Spalding Hall in Bardstown. “There are a lot of women in bourbon—many with chemical and engineering degrees. There are lots of women in leadership roles. Pretty much anything women want to do, they’re doing it.” 

Sip and Stroll: Combining Bourbon Tasting with Outdoor Adventure in Northern Kentucky

May 14, 2025
Bourbon and chocolate. Bourbon and bacon. Bourbon and the Great Outdoors. Bourbon is the ultimate pairing partner. And in Northern Kentucky , bourbon sipping and strolling, tasting and touring go hand in hand—especially when the neighborhoods explored are architectural beauties with lots of character and independently owned shops and restaurants, like in Covington and Newport, or countryside charmers surrounded by gorgeous scenery, like Florence. Whether walking, shuttling, or ridesharing, these communities seamlessly blend bourbon adventuring and outdoor fun while also supporting safe and responsible exploration. COVINGTON: A WALKABLE BOURBON HUB Bourbon Experience: Stroll MainStrasse Village, a German-inspired, pedestrian-friendly, National Register of Historic Places neighborhood. Pop into Stoney’s Etc. toy shop, Hail Records & Oddities, and other unique shops, or take a snap of the Goose Girl Fountain, and relax at Goebel Park with its historic glockenspiel clock tower. Pop into B-Line ® stop, the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar , and let the staff guide you to your perfect cocktail, mixed with one of a selection of more than 800 bourbons. Sip inside or enjoy on the patio. Alternatively, ride-share to Ludlow to experience one of NKY’s most original distilleries, Second Sight Spirits , with its Las Vegas show-inspired Swami still, crystal balls, and tours that include a tasting of the distillery’s Oak Eye Kentucky Bourbon, fine rums, moonshine, and fan-favorite hazelnut liqueur. Outdoor Adventure: Walk the Roebling Suspension Bridge for sweeping views of the Ohio River unwinding between Cincinnati’s stunning skyline and Northern Kentucky’s church-steepled landscape. At night, when illuminated, the experience is magical. Play a round of disc golf at Devou Park, a 700-acre playground with one of the most photogenic views in the region at its iconic city overlook. Follow the outdoor art on foot with walking tours in Covington’s Central Business District with its mid-1800s architecture to see murals, mosaics, statues, and sculptures, including Clive the Alien, a 50-foot green space invader hanging out—or over—the Midtown Parking Garage and keeping a watchful eye on the earthlings below. 
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