Whiskey Issues Kentucky
Issue 161 | Whisky Magazine 33Louisville history.”
In the last eight years nine distillery
visitor centres have opened up in
Louisville. Michter’s announced plans
in 2011 but was the last to open in
2019, and during that time frame Evan
Williams, Copper & Kings, Kentucky
Peerless, the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse,
Angel’s Envy, Rabbit Hole, and Old
Forester opened, creating a higher level
of Bourbon and distilled spirits tourism
than had ever been seen before.
“Visitor numbers continue to
increase at our distillery in great part
to the revitalisation of the Bourbon
industry,” says Angel’s Envy production
manager Kyle Henderson. “In addition
to the distillery tours we offer, we also
host cocktail classes and a ‘Bottle YourOwn’ programme both providing guests
with a hands-on experience and an
inside look into our process. Continued
growth and innovation is and always
will be our brands main focus. We will
be distributed in all 50 states by the
end of the year and we also recently
purchased 354 acres in Henry County,
which is about 45 minutes northeast
of our downtown distillery. We’ll be
constructing a 45,000 barrel warehouse
on the property which is set to open
in November. We plan on starting
construction on a second warehouse by
late summer.”
Just down Main Street is the new Old
Forester Distillery.
“Visitors are stunned by the design
and flow of the experience,” says Old
Forester master taster Jackie Zykan.
“I have yet to come across a group
that hasn't been impressed by the
modern design perfectly integrated
into the genuinely historic bones of the
brand. So far, we have welcomed more
than 67,000 guests into our Whiskey
Row home. Old Forester on Whiskey
Row is the only distillery experience
where guests can witness the full
production of a product, including a
fully operational cooperage. The space
Old Forester is housed in is its historic
headquarters from the late 1800s.
Being able to experience the brand
today within the same walls it was
founded in is an incredibly unique point
of pride for us as a team.”
One of the most unique things about
the Bourbon industry is the fact brands
want visitors to be brand loyal to
Bourbon as a category, rather than just
their own brands.
“We actually encourage everyone
to go explore the other distilleries
in downtown Louisville,” says
Zykan. “Every facility offers a unique
experience and story, and seeing them
all really is key to understanding the
category holistically.”
Louisville’s ‘Bourbon Brand’ is so
strong, even newer iterations of old
distilleries are receiving international
acclaim. Kentucky Peerless, just a030-035-StateoftheUnion-WM161.indd 33 27/06/2019 16:59