For the last three years, Neat Bourbon Bar and Bottle Shop in Louisville, has been racking up accolades and awards. Crowned one of the top bars to visit in the Bluegrass State—and also the nation—by dozens of sources (including Whisky Advocate), the venue is beloved by fans for its array of iconic dusty bottles, fanciful and creative cocktails, and whimsical decor. Now, Neat husband and wife owners Owen and Danie Powell are expanding. Neat’s second location will open in Bardstown in April.
The two bars will be located on the same road, incidentally, just 35 miles apart. “Start at our Louisville bar, keep going down the street, and you’ll eventually hit the other location,” Owen Powell laughs. “Makes getting back and forth pretty easy.” As for why Bardstown, the town is undergoing a transformation, infrastructure and tourist-centric offerings finally springing up to serve the scores of visitors to the bourbon capital of the world (Bardstown’s trademarked slogan).
Why Neat’s Opening in Bardstown
“It’s a town of 13,000 residents that gets 750,000 tourists a year,” Powell explains. “All for bourbon.” Neat’s Bardstown location is a 1,500 square-foot bar attached to a 5,500 square-foot event space, with a one-bedroom Airbnb on the second floor (primarily for the event space use), though Powell notes more overnight accommodations are in the works.
And though the event space, named Bespoke in Bond, is a separate business run by his landlord, the Powells’ bar will handle all the drinks and liquor for events held there. That space can hold 150 patrons seated at tables, or 200 at a cocktail event. “You can book your wedding here, and I’ll make sure you have the best vintage bourbon bar,” says Powell.
The vibe of Neat will remain the same as the original location: “Bourbon Americana meets “Peaky Blinders,”” says Powell. Powell is building the bar himself, alongside a buddy who “knows a little more about woodworking, which is how I know everything is straight,” he chuckles. Repurposing reclaimed Jim Beam rickhouse beams for the bar, Powell says that “it smells like years of bourbon coming out of the wood” every time he drills into them. Though there’ll be more natural wood in the Bardstown location, many design elements will recur, including the copper pressed ceiling, and pineapple globes above the bar. “My wife is sourcing the decor from estate sales and antique shops, and there’s a lot of fun stuff she’s found,” says Powell.
Expect More Vintage Whiskey
The bar portion will open first, this spring, with about 200 bottles, and the bottle shop will open during the summer. Powell hopes to have about 2,000 bottles on offer there—a split of vintage expressions, single barrel selections, and some modern offerings—and is currently on the hunt for more vintage bottles. “I’m on a spending spree currently,” he says. “Send an email to our general account if you have anything interesting to sell. We could use the inventory.” (He notes that the law requires that you bring the bottle to his shop; no shipping allowed.)
While there will be ample vintage pours available, guests will notice a particular focus on the brands and distillers located around Bardstown. Expect to see bygone offerings from Heaven Hill, Willett, Preservation Distillery, Jim Beam, Four Roses, Maker’s Mark, and Barton, along with some new offerings.
“We want to be able to offer visitors a ‘then and now’ experience,” says Powell. “You’re [in Bardstown] for these distilleries, and we have what they’re making now, but we also want you to try what they used to make.” These distillers, while not officially partnered with Powell and Neat, are embracing his new location because “there’s no good event space in downtown Bardstown where everyone can come together; they’re excited to be able to have this opportunity.”
Fair Pricing for Fun Pours and Cocktails
Pricing will remain respectable and fair for dusties: think $20 to $30 for a one ounce pour of anything more than 25 years old, including pre-fire Heaven Hill, pre-Sazerac Blanton’s (when it was Ancient Age), pre-Jim Beam Old Grand-Dad, and more. Half-pours are available for very expensive things—more than $50—which include original Stitzel-Weller liquid, KBD whiskey, and original Preservation offerings, such as Very Old St. Nick, Old Man Winter, and Old Antique.
When Powell opened Neat, he believed 80% of patrons wanted neat pours. Surprisingly, half the guests wanted cocktails. So he met the market where it was. “We’ll bring the same elevated cocktail program to Bardstown,” he says. Helmed by Dante Wheat, the cocktail list is wildly fun and innovative, with beverages like Florida Snow, a Margarita riff inspired by the cocaine-fueled 1980s in Miami. That libation infuses Szechuan button flowers to numb the mouth. Other options include vintage Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, crafted with dusty whiskeys.
