For Immediate Release – June 1, 2022
Bourbon City commemorates its signature drink with two weeks of events and specials
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 1, 2022) – Move over Mint Julep, it’s time to celebrate Louisville’s official cocktail, the Old Fashioned. Proclaimed the city’s official cocktail in 2015 by Mayor Greg Fischer, Old Fashioned Fortnight highlights the Pendennis Club original during the first two weeks of June via events, tastings and specials. Kicking off on June 1, the anniversary of Kentucky’s statehood, and culminating on National Bourbon Day, June 14, the fortnight of festivities underscores Louisville’s whiskey history and booming bourbon culture.
Here are some ways to participate in Old Fashioned Fortnight June 1-14:
- Build Your Own Old Fashioned – Join resident Thoroughbreds inside Barn6 at Hermitage Farm for a farm to cocktail experience only found in Kentucky. Learn to craft your very own signature Old Fashioned as instructors unfold the tasty tale of the drink’s origin while using ingredients sourced directly on site. Class dates can be found here.
- The Ideal Bartender Experience: Head to Evan Williams Bourbon Experience’s secret Speakeasy as an actor portraying Louisville native Tom Bullock takes you back in time to the prohibition era for a guided Bourbon tasting. Bullock was the first Black American to write and publish a cocktail book and tended bar at the Pendennis Club, where the Old Fashioned first originated. Book tours online, limited availability for June 1-14.
- Urban Bourbon Trail®: Download the new Urban Bourbon Trail® digital passport and visit some of Louisville’s best local Bourbon bars and restaurants, all of which are offer their own twist on the Old Fashioned cocktail. Bourbon enthusiasts who check in at six locations earn a free T-shirt. Visit gotolouisville.com/ubt for more information.
- The Louisville Visitor Center (301 S. Fourth St.) will celebrate by offering 25% off bourbon-themed merchandise (with some exclusions) June 1-14. Additionally, visitors will receive a free Bourbon hat on National Bourbon Day (6/14), with the purchase of $25 or more while supplies last.
- Bourbon City Cruisers: A group of up to six can hop on a three-wheeled tuk tuk with Mint Julep Experiences as a tour guide narrates your journey around Bourbon City – exploring Louisville’s eclectic neighborhoods, Urban Bourbon Trail® trail stops and top insta-spots – all while sampling craft cocktails and bourbon-infused cuisine. Book tours online.
For additional ways to celebrate Old Fashioned Fortnight, a more detailed history of Tom Bullock, and recipes on how to create the cocktail visit
OldFashionedFortnight.com.
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History of the Old Fashioned: The Pendennis Club in downtown Louisville has long claimed the invention of the Old Fashioned cocktail since the 1880s. It was popularized by club member and bourbon distiller, Col. James E. Pepper, who would go on to introduce the cocktail to the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, which led to its widespread popularity. Louisville native and pre-Prohibition mixologist Tom Bullock included his original Old Fashioned recipe in the preeminent cocktail book, “The Ideal Bartender,” published in 1917.
Since 1968, Louisville Tourism’s primary goal has been to enhance the area’s economy through tourism development – to promote and sell Louisville as a world-class destination. Prior to the pandemic, Tourism was the third largest industry in Louisville hosting 19 million visitors in 2019. This peak of visitation had been generating an estimated economic impact of $3.5 billion which supported 60,000 local tourism-related jobs.
For more information, contact the Louisville Tourism Press Office: