All roads lead to bourbon in Kentucky, and as an $8.6 billion industry with more than 20,100+ jobs pushing this economic juggernaut forward, it’s no surprise that we’re serious about celebrating our heritage spirit.

September marks the start of Bourbon Heritage Month in the commonwealth, and with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival also beginning today in Bardstown, Kentucky, we thought we’d give you 7 local ways to celebrate.

🥃 See

Michter’s Fort Nelson | This distillery, situated in the historic Fort Nelson Building, reopened last week after being closed to the public for more than a year due to the pandemic. The building at 801 E. Main St. that houses the distillery was built in 1890 and also features a ritzy upstairs bar that serves classic + modern cocktails.

🥃 Experience

Whiskey Walking Tours | See for yourself what a treasure trove Whiskey Row is with these free, guided walking tours. The 10-block journey through Downtown Louisville is led by a guide sharing knowledge of whiskey from pre-Prohibition Louisville to the current day. Tours begin at the Louisville Visitor Center and last 90 minutes. Be sure to register online beforehand.

🥃 Attend

Big Bourbon Club, Old Forester Bourbon Presentation and Tasting | The Big Bourbon Club was started by local financial professional Steve Higdon after going viral on TikTok. Now, his local bourbon club hosts tastings, visits distilleries + special barrel picks. The club, which meets at Joe’s Older Than Dirt, has a tiered membership model — the Rickhouse level is always free.

🥃 Make

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree | Craft this Angel’s Envy cocktail as part of its sustainability initiative Toast the Trees, which in the last 3 years has helped plant 13,000 white oak trees across Appalachia and Kentucky. Don’t forget to post your bev on social media with #ToastTheTrees.

🥃 Follow

@chasingbourbon on Instagram | This bourbon chaser’s profile is fueled by whiskey. Jen Regan samples a variety of whiskey brands + adds her fun personality to her reviews. We especially love her zombie hunting-themed video that is part of her “Which Whiskey Wednesday” series.

DYK: Not all whiskey is bourbon, but all bourbon is whiskey.

🥃 Listen

Criminal Podcast’s episode “Pappy” | Pappy Van Winkle. Ever heard of him? This podcast explores a multitude of historical crimes, including the notorious Pappy Van Winkle Heist in 2013. About 200 bottles of the super-small batch booze disappeared from Buffalo Trace Distillery, which sparked international attention — bottles of Pappy are the kind of thing millionaires fight over — with price tags for a single bottle easily exceeding $1,000 on secondary markets.

🥃 Try

Spiritless Kentucky 74 | If you don’t drink, you can still celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month with this non-alcoholic spirit that looks, tastes + feels like bourbon, but isn’t. Spiritless Kentucky 74 was created by a local, woman-owned company that launched last year.

Poll

/**/