Bardstown Bourbon Company Joins World-Famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Tour

Newest destination on the Commonwealth’s Epic Bourbon Adventure features full-service culinary experience and vintage whiskey library.

Bardstown Bourbon Company in Nelson County is the latest Kentucky Distillers’ Association member to join the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience, becoming the 14^th destination on the world-famous journey that showcases the state’s signature spirit.

The announcement comes as the popular tourist attraction, created in 1999 by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, continues to expand across the Commonwealth with distillery destinations hosting over one million visits for the second year in a row in 2017.

“Each Kentucky Bourbon Trail distillery offers a truly unique experience for our visitors,” said KDA President Eric Gregory. “These companies are investing millions of dollars to create something genuinely memorable for each guest, and Bardstown Bourbon Company’s experience is no exception.”

David Mandell, President and CEO of Bardstown Bourbon Company, said, “It’s an honor for us to join the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and stand shoulder to shoulder with Bourbon legends. We’ve built something here that celebrates the tradition they’ve built while offering a distinctly original experience for our guests.”

Set on 100 acres of farmland off the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown, BBCo has grown rapidly since the company was founded in 2014. A second 36-inch column still was installed in June, making the distillery one of the largest producers in the country with a capacity of nearly seven million proof gallons per year.

At the heart of this state-of-the-art facility is the Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar, a modern, full-service restaurant where guests can dine with a view of the working distillery through floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Culinary offerings include comfort food, a variety of salads and farm fresh meats and cheeses.

The bar offers a well-rounded craft cocktail program, a wine list featuring artisanal wine makers, craft beer on tap, and a vintage whiskey library curated by Bourbon author Fred Minnick. The selections include rare finds like an 1890s Cedar Brook whiskey and a pair of early 1900s Overholt Rye.

The debut menu in the Fred Minnick Signature Spirits Series, the Bottle & Bond collection tells the story of American whiskey, through each bottle, from the late 1800s and pre-Prohibition through the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Bottle & Bond was recently named the “Best Modern Bourbon Restaurant” by the Courier-Journal.

“Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar is an experience,” Mandell said. “We’ve created an inviting, fun, and approachable environment where people can enjoy an exceptional meal, great cocktails, and try a wide variety of brands from our unique whiskey collection.

“Bottle & Bond is truly designed to bring people together.”

While tours of the production side of the facility are not yet available, visitors are offered a complimentary flight of the whiskeys BBCo produces. Mandell said curated tour experiences are being carefully developed to meet his precise measure of elevated hospitality.

Bardstown Bourbon Company recently released Coll&boration, developed with Copper & Kings American Brandy Company in Louisville. The two distinct products are made with 10-year-old straight Bourbon whiskey – one finished in Copper & Kings American Brandy barrels and the other in Muscat Mistelle barrels – for more than 18 months in the Copper & Kings basement maturation cellar.

More collaborative releases are planned in the future.

“Bardstown Bourbon Company goes big with everything they do,” Gregory said. “Bottle & Bond allows visitors in to see this exceptional facility, share a delicious meal, and experience one-of-a-kind whiskeys that Bourbon lovers typically can only find in larger cities.”

Located at 1500 Parkway Drive, the company is one of eight KDA member distilleries in the Bardstown area which include, Heaven Hill, Lux Row Distillers, Preservation Distillery, Willett Distillery, Jim Beam (Clermont), Four Roses (Cox’s Creek), and Maker’s Mark (Loretto).

Kentucky Bourbon is one of the Commonwealth’s most historic and treasured industries, a booming $8.5 billion economic engine that generates as many as 17,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $800 million, pouring $825 million into tax coffers each year.

With 6.7 million barrels of Bourbon currently aging across the state, the Kentucky Bourbon industry is in the middle of a $1.2 billion building boom with companies investing in production and facility expansions as well as state-of-the-art visitor experiences.

Adam Johnson, Senior Director of the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® program said BBCo’s modern spin and small-town charm greatly enhances the Bourbon visitor experience in the area and elevates the community’s culinary scene.

“The Bottle & Bond experience is a great complement to the iconic brand destinations in Bardstown’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® community,” Johnson said. “Every time I come here I share a drink with someone I know, and someone is always getting up from the table to greet a friend walking in the door.

“To me, that is the authentic Bourbon experience.”

Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar is open for lunch every day and open evenings for dinner Thursday through Saturday.

“David and his team have created a distinguished level of Kentucky Bourbon hospitality at their remarkable facility,” Gregory said. “Together with the 13 distillery destinations on the Kentucky Bourbon Trial® tour, we welcome Bardstown Bourbon Company and look forward to continued success for our friends there.”

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For more information, contact: Adam Johnson, Senior Director, Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, at (859) 583-0301 or adam@kybourbon.com.

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the historic voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces 90 percent of the world’s Bourbon, from legendary, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s timeless craft and treasured economic engine. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. The KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT™, and BOURBON TRAIL™ are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Please savor our Bourbon and distilled spirits like a true Kentuckian – Responsibly.

ABOUT THE BARDSTOWN BOURBON COMPANY

The Bardstown Bourbon Company is a celebration of the art of making whiskey. No secrets, mythical stories, or fabricated legends, the Bardstown Bourbon Company celebrates the craft of making great whiskey and the Bardstown community that brings bourbon to the world. The company was founded in 2014 by Peter Loftin, David Mandell, Daniel Linde, and Garnett Black.

To learn more about The Bardstown Bourbon Company visit: