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7 tips for visiting bourbon distilleries and traveling the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

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7 tips for visiting bourbon distilleries and traveling the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

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So you’ve caught the bourbon itch, and you’re eager to travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Cool — but so have hundreds of thousands of other people, too.

The Kentucky Distillers Association reported 2.55 million visits to Kentucky’s distilleries in 2023, and visitors came from 48 states, 20 countries, and six continents. Kentucky bourbon’s popularity has boomed over the past decade, and craft distilling and the tourism industry has blossomed alongside it. The demand means walk-in tours and tastings aren’t always available and reservations for lodging, experiences, and dining are often encouraged.

If you plan to travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, come prepared.

Ahead of the summer travel season, The Courier Journal reached out to tourism officials in Louisville, Bardstown and Frankfort to distill down just how far in advance you should hammer down your plans.

Ready to hit the trail? Here’s what to know about planning a Kentucky bourbon adventure.

Is there a time of year when Kentucky Bourbon Trail is less busy?

The end of winter, generally, tends to be the least busy time to visit Kentucky, but in recent years, many distilleries have seen an uptick around the winter holiday season and even in January, February and early March.

When should you book a tour at a Kentucky bourbon distillery?

Tourism officials recommend booking tours at least a month in advance, but this largely depends on the distillery you want to go to. Distilleries individually release calendars for booking dates, some distilleries, like the ever-popular Buffalo Trace Distillery (which is not on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail), opens bookings two months in advance and offer a waitlist. Other distilleries have calendars that extend out three months or more in advance.

Officials suggest researching the distilleries you know you want to visit first, figuring out when those calendars will be released, and booking those must-see experiences as soon as possible. Set calendar reminders in your phone, so that you can circle back when the time comes.

When should I book a hotel or Airbnb for a trip along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?

If you’re planning a trip for a weekend in April, early May, September, or October book ahead as much as possible. In most cases, you can find accommodations in Frankfort with about two weeks’ advanced notice. Bardstown officials recommended booking at least 1-2 months in advance. For major events, such as Bardstown’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival in September, some people secure rooms a full year ahead of time.

When should I make a reservation at a Kentucky bourbon distillery restaurant?

In general, officials recommend booking a dining reservation at least two weeks ahead of time. Distillery restaurants, typically, operate fewer hours than traditional restaurants, so their reservations will be scarcer. If you’ve already secured a bourbon experience at a distillery, try to book a reservation that coincides with it.

When should I book a tour company to help me travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?

Again, officials recommend locking this down as soon as possible. Many tour companies open up their calendars for booking as much as a year in advance.

How many Kentucky bourbon distilleries can you visit in a single day?

Tours typically range from 30 to 90 minutes. As you’re planning your calendar, make sure you’re watching how closely you stack them and what your travel time between distilleries may be. Many distilleries have cocktail bars and gift shops, so even if you have some lag time in between, you will almost certainly have somewhere interesting to linger.

The closer the distilleries are to each other, the more you can visit in a day. Louisville, for example, has several distilleries within walking distance of each other, and in Lexington, you can hit three distilleries back-to-back at the Distillery District. Travelers will need a car or tour bus to get around distilleries in Bardstown or Frankfort. 

A leisurely traveler can hit about three in a single day, whereas a more thorough planner might go to five.

What are the hidden gems along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?

Smaller craft distilleries tend to be easier to book a tour with than internationally known brands. Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour may have more availability than the traditional Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

For example, Whiskey Thief Distilling Company in Frankfort still offers walk-in tours, but they recommend you call ahead.

Many newer or smaller distilleries are not on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail such as J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery in Frankfort as well as Louisville’s Buzzards Roost and NuLu Whiskey Company.

Bardstown Bourbon Company and Castle & Key also operate tasting rooms in downtown Louisville.

Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you’ve got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Sometimes she writes about bourbon, too. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com. Follow along on Instagram @MaggieMenderski.

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