Whiskey Issues Kentucky
Issue 161 | Whisky Magazine 31R
ipples from the
Bourbon boom have
reached far outside
the Commonwealth
of Kentucky, but the
epicenter of Bourbon growth remains
strong. A January 2019 Economic
Impact Study prepared for the Kentucky
Distillers’ Association shows that
the Kentucky Bourbon industry has
doubled its economic impact in the
Commonwealth in just a decade. More
than 20,000 people in Kentucky are
employed by the Bourbon industry and
its auxiliary industries, $1 billion in
payroll, double that of a decade ago. This
boom has brought about a golden age in
Bourbon tourism on top of the growth
in research and innovation within the
industry. In short, the Bourbon industry
is leveraging its own popularity to
ensure this golden age continues as
long as possible and leaves the industry
as strong as possible when the growth
begins to level off.Louisville has positioned itself as a
Bourbon tourism powerhouse
In Louisville, arguably the hottest spot
in the Commonwealth for Bourbon
tourism, the already developed Bourbon
tourism scene has grown to include fully
operational distilleries, a major museum
exhibit and welcome centre, tuk tukBourbon tours and more.
“We have had around 74,000
guests into the Kentucky Bourbon
Trail Welcome Center since it opened
August 30, 2018,” says Andy Treinen
of the Frazier History Museum. “Most
are looking for information, guidance,
events and experiences. Others are just
looking for great Kentucky Bourbon and
they’ve heard about our selection and
vintage offerings.”
“The Spirit of Kentucky Bourbon
Exhibition and the Kentucky Bourbon
Trail Welcome Center were built to add
to the experience tourists were enjoying
before the Frazier was named the official
starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon
Trail,” Treinen explains. “Guests not only
leave armed with a better understanding
about Kentucky’s signature industry,
they leave with a plan of attack and
tools that will make their time on
the Kentucky Bourbon Trail more
enjoyable. These tools can include
sensory kits which guest can take with
them for future tastings, itineraries,
and discounts, or upgraded experiences
on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail which
were opened by visiting the Frazier.
More importantly, our guests grow from
Bourbon followers to Bourbon leaders.”
Those Bourbon leaders wanted more
options to get around the city, and Mint
Julep Experiences was happy to oblige.The
Commonwealth
address
WORDS
MAGGIE KIMBERLBoom time in the heartland of Bourbon
030-035-StateoftheUnion-WM161.indd 31 27/06/2019 16:59