Whiskey Row LOUISVILLE TOURISM
For American whiskey lovers, there’s no place quite like Louisville, Kentucky. A true whiskey playground, it offers distilleries and tasting rooms galore along Whiskey Row, a historic 12-block stretch in the heart of the city that has been revived over recent years and has come to symbolize Louisville’s whiskey-led renaissance.
The area’s past is rooted in the 1840s, when distilleries, warehouses, distributors, and sales agents all operated right on Main Street until Prohibition fractured the area’s economy. By the mid-20th century all the distillers were gone, and the area was just a shell of its former self. In 2013, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience opened its doors and sparked the revival of Whiskey Row. Today the area has exploded with whiskey makers, and is back bigger than it ever was in terms of brand representation. At last count, some 11 whiskey makers are in residence on Whiskey Row.
Modern-day Whiskey Row is more vibrant than ever, and it extends beyond the distilleries themselves, with bars, restaurants, hotels, museums, and shops offering plenty of reasons to visit.
WHERE TO TOUR
The number of working distilleries and brand experiences on Whiskey Row has bloomed in recent years; while some have deep roots in the area, there are new names in the mix as well. Take a walk with us from Whiskey Row’s east end to its western edge and get an idea of the can’t-miss spots along the way.
Angel’s Envy Distillery
500 E. Main Street
Angel’s Envy opened on the eastern edge of Whiskey Row back in 2016. The distillery was so popular that it soon was turning away thousands of prospective visitors each month, as it simply didn’t have the space to meet demand. That led to an $8.2 million, 13,000- square-foot expansion in 2022, doubling the distillery’s visitor capacity. The new space is airy and cathedral-esque in structure. There are multiple tours available, but the one-hour Signature Tour ($25) will take you through every step of the production process, and ends with a tasting. It’s here where you’ll get three pours of Angel’s Envy, each paired with decadent bites of locally made chocolate for the sweetest of endings.
Old Forester Distilling Co.
119 W. Main Street
Just ahead of Old Forester is an unofficial gateway to the Row: a Four Roses mural painted on the side of 118 E. Main St. that says “Welcome to Whiskey Row.” It’s a nice photo op, and now you know you’re on the Row for real. Old Forester first called Whiskey Row home from 1882 to 1919; it reopened at its original site, 119 W. Main Street, in 2018, this time with quite a few bells and whistles, including an on-site cooperage and charring operation. It’s the only location on Whiskey Row that will get you up close and personal with the barrel-making process, and the charring in particular is a visually striking and superbly aromatic experience to boot. There are two tours available, and Old Forester super fans will want to consider the Nothing Better in the Market tour ($70), which includes a tasting of Birthday Bourbon and other high-end, hard-to-find whiskeys.
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
528 W. Main Street
Heaven Hill’s Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is more museum than distillery, walking you through the history of Louisville, the brand, and the whiskey-making process. The place also distills whiskey—there are two Vendome copper pot stills that run five days a week, producing small amounts of Evan Williams Square 6 and single barrel whiskeys. There’s a variety of tours; the Speakeasy Tour ($25) will grant you entry into a secret tasting room and delve into the history of Prohibition, while the Traditional Tour & Tasting ($18) is a more general overview of Evan Williams and Heaven Hill.
Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey Row Experience
621 W. Main Street
As an independent blender and bottler, Buzzard’s Roost doesn’t have a distillery footprint that fans can visit, so it set up shop on Whiskey Row last year with a site that has a micro-still producing five to seven barrels of bourbon and rye per week. This spot also offers everything from whiskey-and-chocolate pairing classes to cocktail workshops and more advanced educational tours. Classes and tours range from $18 to $50.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Experience
730 W. Main Street
Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s main campus is about 50 miles southeast of Louisville, but it opened a satellite location on Whiskey Row last year. As one of the newer tasting rooms in the area, it’s also among the more modern, and given that it’s not a full-fledged distillery, the focus is on interactive tasting experiences. This includes a 30-minute masterclass on the art of blending that gives you the opportunity to create your own blend of bourbons.
Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery
801 W. Main Street
Arguably the jewel in the crown of Whiskey Row as an architectural icon, Michter’s Fort Nelson site has become its most visible. After years of painstaking renovation, Michter’s opened this Whiskey Row distillery and visitor center in the historic Fort Nelson building in early 2019. While the facility produces but a fraction of the whiskey that its main distillery in Shively does, the Fort Nelson site features two pot stills and cypress fermenters—the very same equipment from the original Michter’s Distillery in Pennsylvania. Their Discovery Tour ($25) includes a guided tasting of six whiskeys. If you’d like to spend a little more, the $100 Legacy Tour—offered once each month—lets you bottle your very own barrel-strength bourbon and includes a taste of Michter’s 20 year old single barrel bourbon, a highly coveted, oft-sold-out whiskey. The bar on the second floor is another can’t-miss, with a stunning menu curated by cocktail historian and author David Wondrich. Secure a reservation in advance.
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
120 N. 10th Street
At the western end of Whiskey Row is Kentucky Peerless, which prides itself on being an entirely grain-to-glass operation. That means just about everything outside of the actual farming goes on in Louisville, and you can see it all for yourself on one of the distillery’s tours. As one of the smaller independent operations on Whiskey Row, it’s easy to feel connected to the distillery, given that you’re likely to run into the master distiller or the owner while you’re there. As a bonus, many of its harder-to-find whiskeys and more limited releases are available for purchase on-site.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Rabbit Hole Distillery
711 E. Jefferson Street
Though Rabbit Hole sits just off of Main Street, it’s well worth the jaunt. Together with partner Pernod Ricard, founder Kaveh Zamanian spared no expense when building the state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2018 in the NuLu neighborhood (to the east of Whiskey Row). Plenty of distilleries in Louisville are compelling by virtue of their historical roots, but Rabbit Hole brings modern flair to the city’s whiskey scene, both in its physical layout (which includes museum-worthy modern art from some of Zamanian’s favorite artists) and its whiskeys, which are often experimental and innovative. The distillery’s upstairs lounge offers sweeping views of the city and plenty of Rabbit Hole pours.
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
A day of distillery tours and tastings will likely leave you hungry, and thankfully, Whiskey Row and Louisville at large are filled with mouthwatering options. Should you want to sit and smell the roses with one of your favorite whiskeys, the area is also (unsurprisingly) awash with great bars, ranging from luxe joints with rarefied pours like Doc Crow’s Bourbon Room to rough-and-tumble dens like Third Street Dive.
Repeal
101 W. Main Street
At the more traditional end of the spectrum is Repeal, a fine dining steakhouse situated within the former site of the J.T.S. Brown and Sons’ wholesale warehouse and bottling plant. Special flair is apparent in how the restaurant prepares its steaks—they’re cooked over flames fed by Old Forester barrel staves. Count on other classic steakhouse items being just as superb as the steaks, including the baked mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and wedge salad. An exceptional seafood selection, including a raw bar, chilled Alaskan king crab, and oysters Rockefeller, is also available. Tying it all up with a neat bow is an impeccable drinks selection, ranging from signature cocktails and many, many whiskeys to choose from.
Feast BBQ
909 E. Market Street
Great barbecue is easy to find in Louisville, and a number of the city’s best spots sit on or not too far from Whiskey Row, including Doc Crow’s, River Road BBQ, and Mark’s Feed Store. Off of the Row’s eastern end is Feast BBQ, which would work well following a visit to Rabbit Hole or Angel’s Envy. It’s a far more casual experience than Repeal, but it delivers high quality all the same. The menu consists of a delectable selection of smoked meats that can be put in a sandwich, tacos, or plated, accompanied by sides ranging from potato salad to collard greens, slaw, tater tots, and more. Draft beers, whiskey pours, and craft cocktails round out the drinks options. Leave some room for their bread pudding.
Hell or High Water
112 W. Washington Street
This dark and moody speakeasy-style bar is the perfect stop for a cocktail, and if it’s after dinner, you can bet on dessert as well—it serves sweet potato pie, sweet potato brownie bites, caramel apple cheesecake pie, and vegan sweet potato pie from Georgie’s Sweet Potato Pie Co. Aside from an extensive spirits list, it also has its own single barrel collection of whiskeys that are exclusive to the bar, and you can catch live jazz every Thursday night.
Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen
122 W. Main Street
Fried chicken lovers rejoice! Merle’s is the place for you. This longtime Southern and soul food purveyor specializes in fried chicken available by the half and quarter-bird, as well as in chicken tender, salad, and sandwich forms. There are classic Southern sides aplenty, but if none of that appeals, don’t worry—Merle’s also has a variety of tacos, sandwiches, and even a smaller menu aimed at the plant-based set.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Neat
1139 Bardstown Road
Sure, you might be able to secure a pour of your favorite distillery’s whiskey right on Whiskey Row, but for rarefied and vintage pours, look no further than Neat, a bourbon bar and bottle shop. There’s a great selection of whiskey cocktails, but it’s the hard-to-find drams—like 17 year old Van Winkle Family Reserve from 1991, distilled at Stitzel-Weller—available at the bar ($500/1 oz.) or retail side that make this place special, and worth the 10-minute drive from Whiskey Row.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s no shortage of places to stay on Whiskey Row, and some are more than just a place to rest your head. Art lover? Look no further than 21c Museum Hotel, which, as the name suggests, houses a contemporary art museum in addition to 91 boutique hotel rooms. Those after a classic luxury hotel experience will take solace within The Seelbach, an elegant historic landmark that has been welcoming guests since 1905, or The Brown Hotel, an old-school establishment that opened in 1923 and remains a pinnacle of opulence today. As an additional selling point, most of the hotels on or around the Row also feature top-tier restaurants and bars.
Hotel Distil
101 W. Main Street
If you really want to lean into whiskey, you can stay at Hotel Distil, which is the city’s first and only bourbon-themed hotel. Located right on Whiskey Row in the same building as Repeal, it features oak and copper design details, as well as distillery-centric art and vanilla-scented oak hand lotion in guest rooms, a nod to whiskey barrels. Guests can call for a “bourbon ambassador” at any point during their stay, who delivers whiskey flights and cocktails on the fly. For an extra special touch, hotel staff hold a daily toast in the lobby at 7:33 p.m., which is 19:33 in military time—the year Prohibition was repealed.
The Grady Hotel
601 W. Main Street
The Grady Hotel’s building was commissioned by pharmacist J.B. Wilder in 1883 as a medicinal bourbon apothecary; after Prohibition, it was bought by legendary milliner Swann-Abram Hat Company, who designed hats for Kentucky Derby-goers. Today, the boutique hotel is adorned with locally made art and includes a bourbon-forward restaurant, Wild Swann, that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is a great spot to post up after a long day of walking around Louisville.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Hotel Genevieve
730 E. Market Street
Over in NuLu, Hotel Genevieve opened last year and is a colorful and comfortable stay just off Whiskey Row. Among the hotel’s many amenities are a mini-market that serves grab-and-go selections for breakfast and lunch; open a hidden door and enter the hotel’s speakeasy, Lucky Penny, for cocktails and late-night snacks. A rooftop bar offers expansive views of the city, and a posh restaurant by the lobby channels a Parisian café, with simple fare served all day.
DETOURS
If you’d like a break from whiskey, all three hotels are also in walking distance of the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts, the KFC Yum! Center— an indoor arena that hosts concerts, the University of Louisville men’s and women’s basketball games, and more—the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, offering tours and a retail shop, and the Muhammad Ali Center, where memorabilia from the boxing icon and activist, who was born in Louisville, can be found. Even as Whiskey Row is, of course, dedicated to all things whiskey, you’ll find there are plenty of sundry unrelated experiences while you let your palate rest.
Number 15
121 W. Main Street
This five-story social hall is one of the newer additions to Whiskey Row, opening its doors in 2023. The building itself was once home to some of the forefathers of Kentucky distilling, including the Bernheim Brothers, W.L. Weller & Sons, and Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle. Across Number 15’s five floors are sports bars, restaurants, speakeasies, meeting rooms, rentable suites, and the Main Stage entertainment venue, where live music and speakers (often of the whiskey variety) are always on the docket.
21c Museum Hotel
Frazier History Museum
829 W. Main Street
The Frazier History Museum is a perfect pitstop for the whiskey lover who doubles as a history buff. The museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is home to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, making it the official starting point of the trail. Its exhibits focus entirely on Kentucky, offering a look into the state’s pop culture, general history, and, certainly, its deep roots in whiskey. If you’re into miniatures, it also has the Stewart Historic Miniatures Collection, one of the largest toy soldier and historical miniature collections in the world, on permanent display.
Derby Hat Shops
It’s go big or go home when it comes to Derby fashion, and Louisville has milliners aplenty to ensure that you’re dressed to the nines (at least when it comes to your headwear). Some of the city’s best milliners are right around Whiskey Row, among them Formé Millinery (1009 E. Main Street) and The Mill by Kenzie (400 E. Main Street).
Fort Nelson, Jewel of the Row
The four-story Fort Nelson building, today a part of the National Register of Historic Places, was built in the 1890s. It’s an architectural standout, complete with arched Romanesque windows and a cast-iron turret, making it among the most iconic and memorable pieces of the neighborhood’s visual fabric. While the building served many purposes—it was once home to the Abraham Hat Company, Hetterman Brothers Cigar Manufacturers, Maury-Cole Coffee Roasters, and many other businesses—by the time Michter’s announced plans to move in, it had sat vacant for nearly 30 years.
The arrival of Michter’s in 2011 was big news on Whiskey Row—at that point in time, there wasn’t a single distillery, big or small, actually making whiskey there. But it wasn’t until eight years later that Michter’s opened its doors to the public, and in the interim, a number of other distilleries had moved in. So what took Michter’s so long? As it turns out, the years of neglect had been hard on the building and it was on the verge of collapse. Despite receiving a slew of bad news about the building during the early stages of renovation, Michter’s founder Joe Magliocco remained determined to restore it to its former glory; this involved fixing a caved-in roof and installing a 400,000-pound steel frame within the building to support the original structure, which had slowly developed a 23-inch lean that became a logistical nightmare. In total, the Michter’s team funneled almost $8 million into the renovation job, with stunning results.
Food and Drink You Must Try When in Louisville
Hot Brown: The Hot Brown is Louisville’s culinary calling card. Created and made famous by the Brown Hotel in 1926, a hot brown is an open-faced sandwich that stacks turkey breast, bacon, and tomato on toast, all smothered with a creamy mornay sauce.
Burgoo: This famous Kentucky stew is older than the Civil War. Most chefs include at least three different meats and a medley of vegetables, including peppers, carrots, corn, okra, and lima beans, and it’s often served with cornbread.
Benedictine: A staple at baby showers, Derby parties, and other daytime events, benedictine is a finger sandwich filling or crudité and chip dip made from grated cucumber, onion, cream cheese, and dill. The recipe was invented by Louisville caterer Jennie Benedict in the 1890s, and has stuck around ever since.
Bourbon Balls: Bourbon finds its way into all sorts of Kentucky recipes, but none are so beloved as bourbon balls, a sweet treat created by Rebecca Ruth Candy Co. in 1936. Most recipes meld bourbon, chocolate, and pecans, though these days plenty of unique variations exist.
Derby Pie™: This chocolate-and-walnut custard pie first appeared in 1954 at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. It was made by restaurant owners Leaudra and Walter Kern, who eventually moved to trademark the dessert’s name in 1969. That said, today you’ll see restaurants making their own variations of the dessert…just without the official moniker.
Mint Julep: There’s no drink more quintessentially Louisville than the Mint Julep. The official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep is a simple serve, made from bourbon, simple syrup, muddled fresh mint, and crushed ice. You’re sure to find a Mint Julep at just about every bar in the city, especially as the weather warms up.
