Bardstown Bourbon Co. plans downtown Louisville experience to open in 2023
Downtown Louisville is getting a new bourbon-focused attraction from one of the state's newer distilleries.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. plans to open a "brand experience" at 730 W. Main St. by late summer 2023, the whiskey distiller announced Thursday.
The Louisville expansion of the Bardstown-based distiller will include a full-service bar and lounge, a bottle shop and a classroom space to educate guests on the company's "modern and technically advanced" approach to its spirits. It's also expected to host limited and rare bottle releases and intimate tastings.
It's a taste of the expanded offerings at the distiller's 100-acre campus 40 miles south of Louisville, where it produces some 7 million proof gallons each year, offers a variety of distillery tours and operates a full restaurant and bar.
"The whole idea was how do we bring some of that to Louisville because we know a lot of people visit Louisville who aren’t going to make it out to the trail," said President and CEO Mark Erwin. "Hopefully once they see some of the things they see here, they’ll come to Bardstown."
Construction is expected to begin this month in the space, formerly home to the Louisville offices of RJE Business Interiors. Erwin declined to share the cost of the project.
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The announcement is the latest in a string of bourbon-focused bars, eateries and experiences in downtown Louisville, including Doc's Bourbon Room, Expo Bar, Barrels & Billets, and an expanded Angel's Envy distillery, to name a few.
In 2019, 44% of visitors traveled to Louisville for bourbon tastings and 39% came for distillery tours, according to Louisville Tourism's 2019 visitor profile data.
Dan Callaway, vice president of innovation and hospitality for the distiller, said the location's bar, lounge area and retail space will appeal to visitors who want a shorter bourbon experience, while the reservation-based classroom offerings will give visitors a more in-depth look at the brand and its spirits.
"This will be an inviting atmosphere to learn about bourbon," he said.
The tasting room space is made possible by House Bill 500, which the Kentucky General Assembly passed earlier this year. Among its provisions, it allows distillers to sell bottles at gift shops and open satellite tasting rooms, a shift the Kentucky Distillers' Association said would help elevate the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to a destination experience akin to California's Napa Valley and Sonoma.
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Erwin said as soon as the bill passed, his team started scouting locations for its satellite, eventually settling on the approximately 3,000-square-foot Main Street space.
"We're excited to be part of the distillery trail downtown," he said. "We're excited about seeing the growth back into Louisville and seeing more and more folks coming back downtown, and we want to be a part of that."
Founded in 2014 by Peter Loftin in Bardstown, Kentucky, Bardstown Bourbon Co. started distilling in 2016 and produces nearly 40 unique mash bills for whiskey and bourbon brands, including Jefferson's, High West, Belle Meade and Hirsch, among others. The company opened its Bardstown restaurant in 2018 and its visitor center in 2019. A nearly $29 million expansion is underway in Bardstown, which will increase production to 10 million gallons each year.
Business reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at mglowicki@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bardstown Bourbon Co. plans downtown Louisville tasting room, bar
