FAQ

While we encourage you to relax and enjoy your trip, we know that proper planning is a necessity. Visit our Transportation Page or our Trip Planner posts (listed below) first to begin mapping out your stops–but know that roughly speaking, if you want to hit all the KBT(™) stops, plan on about a week of tours and travel. Can’t wrap it up in one trip? No worries! Your passport will never expire, so you can return anytime to complete it.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail®

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®

Make it a Double

Some are as close as a stone’s throw and others are as far as 70 miles. Check out the Map page of our website for a lay of the land between distilleries. And remember—this is Kentucky. The scenery is beautiful so enjoy the drive.

Go to the Map page of our website to click on the distillery and find your way through Google maps. Please keep in mind that sometimes cell service can get dodgy on the beautiful backroads of Kentucky.

While we welcome you to begin your journey at any of our iconic distilleries, the official start will be the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center at the Frazier Museum on historic Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville (opening soon!). Visit Plan My Trip to get started today.

Each distillery tour is unique, and some offer specialty tours that can take longer. Plan on spending at least an hour and a half at each distillery to tour and visit the gift shop and tasting room. If you’re interested in times for a specific distillery tour, visit the Distilleries page on our website.

Yes, all distilleries charge a minimal admission fee for tours. Some distilleries have abbreviated or extended specialty tours that vary in cost. Please visit the Distilleries page to see pricing then call ahead for availability. One note, Four Roses and Jim Beam have two locations to choose from for your stamp page–you only need one but you are welcome to visit both!

If there are 10 or more people in your group, please call ahead to the distilleries to give them a heads up.

All distilleries require you to be at least 21 to sample their products if they offer tastings, but anyone is welcome to tour the distilleries. You must be 21 participate in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Passport Program.

It is recommended to book your tours online and in advance as most distilleries have online booking options. Specialty tours require reservations. Check out the Distilleries page of our website for more information.  (Angel’s Envy requires online booking.)

All distilleries offer a tasting at the end of the tour.

Under Kentucky law, visitors can purchase up to 4.5 liters per customer, per day at the gift shop.

Yes, most distilleries offer complimentary water, lemonade or other non-alcoholic refreshments.

That depends. At this time, there are only a handful of reciprocal states that allow shipping from Kentucky distilleries. It also depends on whether common carriers like UPS, FedEx and others are shipping to that state. If you determine that your state does not allow shipping reciprocity for spirits, we strongly encourage you to contact lawmakers in your state and ask them to pass legislation allowing spirits to be shipped there.

However, there are other ways to get bottles back home:

• You may pack distilled spirits under 140 proof (70% abv) in your checked baggage. Please ensure that the bottle is packed carefully so it doesn’t break and waste our great whiskey!
• The KDA also has worked with Kentucky’s three major airports (Louisville, Lexington and Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati) to create Bourbon bottle shops inside security. You can find most of our top brands there, which you can carry on the plane.

Several KBT^TM distilleries limit production for essential maintenance during some summer months. Full tours are still available during these times, but you probably will not see Bourbon being produced. Please visit each distilleries’ website for full details.

You must be a member distillery of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association in order to participate in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour or the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour™.

While Kentucky Distillers’ Association members make every effort to comply with all legal building code requirements, visitors should contact each distillery individually with specific accessibility questions.

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association & Kentucky Bourbon Trail Firearms Policy states that Kentucky state law prohibits firearms on distillery property (KRS 244.125 and 237.110).

Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is a registered trademark of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. We’re very careful in their use, just like our distilleries practice great care in producing their Bourbons. Please contact us at 502.875.9351 for information on terms of use and potential licensing agreements.