Homegrown Business Finds Success as Kentucky Bourbon Booms
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced that the Kentucky Bourbon Boys tour company is the newest official transportation sponsor of the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience.
Like the other official transportation sponsors, (Mint Julep Experiences, Pegasus Distillery Experiences and Central Kentucky Tours) demand for KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tourism program has helped build and grow small businesses like the Kentucky Bourbon Boys.
Based in Louisville, Kentucky Bourbon Boys provides transportation services to KDA-member distilleries in Bardstown, Lexington, Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Lawrenceburg, Danville and Frankfort, as well as cooperage tours at Kentucky Cooperage in Lebanon.
“With more distillery experiences than ever all across the state of Kentucky, reliable transportation options are an absolute necessity,” said Mandy Ryan, director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experiences for the non-profit KDA trade group.
“Kentucky Bourbon Boys has proven themselves to be a top-notch company that provides much-needed services to our visitors and distilleries,” she said. “We’re proud to welcome and recommend them as a transportation sponsor of our amber adventure.”
Tim Hagan, Chief Operating Officer of Kentucky Bourbon Boys, said the 12-year company strives to be an innovative leader in Bourbon tourism by providing memorable, unique experiences and first-class customer service.
“Since we began our business, we have worked hard to be great ambassadors for Kentucky and great partners to the distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We are proud of our old Kentucky home and enjoy creating and facilitating customized experiences for our guests.
“We look forward to continuing to show everyone who visits the Kentucky Bourbon Trail the best Kentucky has to offer.”
For more information, go to kentuckybourbonboys.com.
As an official sponsor, Kentucky Bourbon Boys will receive prominent placement on the KBT® website and in marketing materials, including recommended itineraries, on the site’s transportation page and more.
The KDA created the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour in 1999 to give visitors an intimate, educational look behind the state’s most historic distilleries. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® launched in 2012 as the first excursion in the country to showcase smaller distilleries.
Bourbon Trail™ tourists made a record 2.1 million distillery visits last year, the first time the KBT® experiences eclipsed two million in total attendance in its history. In the last 10 years, attendance throughout the iconic journey has skyrocketed a phenomenal 370%.
More than 70% of KBT® visitors come from outside Kentucky, and KDA has started initiatives, like recognizing official transportation sponsors, to ensure that responsibility is part of every experience.
“Responsibility is at the cornerstone of everything we do,” Gregory said. “We strongly encourage our visitors to plan their trips with the help of our transportation partners and let someone else do the driving.”
He added, “We have the honor of working in the Bourbon industry every day, but when we get to share it with visitors from across Kentucky and the globe, it’s special.”
“As people explore the KBT®, they get a first-hand look at all that Bourbon has built and helped grow, like Kentucky Bourbon Boys and our official sponsors. We’re telling the story of what makes Kentucky so uniquely great – partnership, collaboration and a signature spirit to be enjoyed together.”
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For more information about Kentucky Bourbon Boys, contact Chief Operating Officer Tim Hagan at tim@kentuckybourbonboys.com.
For more information about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour or to learn how to become an official sponsor, contact Director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences Mandy Ryan at mandy@kybourbon.com.
Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that passionately unites, promotes, protects and elevates the Commonwealth’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. 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.
KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®, BOURBON TRAIL™, KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME®, ORDER OF THE WRIT®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TALES®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER®, URBAN BOURBON TRAIL® and THE PROOF IS HERE® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
Please enjoy Bourbon like a true Kentuckian – Responsibly