Kentucky has long been synonymous with bourbon, but the past two decades have seen a boom unlike anything that’s come before it. Lexington and Central Kentucky have been at the epicenter of that growth with everything from revived century-old facilities to tech start-ups turned distillers and the first Black-owned bourbon company in the state since the end of slavery now calling the region home.
Barrel House Distilling Co. | Photo furnished
Barrel House Distilling Co.
1200 Manchester St. • barrelhousedistillery.com
Founded by friends Pete Wright and Jeff Wiseman, Barrel House was one of the first businesses to open in Lexington’s revived Distillery District when it opened in 2008. The first “craft distillery” to open in the state, Barrel House stays true to its roots and to the foundations of bourbon and distillation by keeping everything small batch and handcrafted rather than automating larger batches, according to lead distiller and operations manager Dan Dotson.
Since releasing its first product, Pure Blue Vodka, Barrel House has gone on to produce a portfolio of spirits that includes Devil John Moonshine, Oak Rum and Licking River Rye, but Dotson says the product that sets the company apart is its award-winning Rockcastle Bourbon, named after the limestone-rich spring water that it sources from that county. This fall the company will release its 20th batch of that bourbon, which is released only twice a year.
After touring the intimate distillery, visitors also can try Barrel House’s creations at the adjoining Elkhorn Tavern, a cozy bar that feels equal parts speakeasy and hunting lodge, with an eclectic and uniquely Kentucky food and beverage menu. Notably, the company broke ground in 2024 on a new $1.8 million facility in Harrison County (Cynthiana), which, when it opens, will be that county’s first distilling company since the 1970s.
Bespoken Spirits | Photo furnished
Bespoken Spirits
101 W. Loudon Ave. • bespokenspirits.com
Originally founded as a technology company in San Francisco, Bespoken has excelled using a unique patented rapid-aging process to create bourbons that match hyper-specific flavor and taste profiles. The company uses a tailored wood finishing process, maturing the spirit in stainless steel kegs that are infused with micro-staves (small, toasted wood pieces), a method that enables a rapid and precise flavor development while reducing resource waste.
Located within Greyline Station, Bespoken’s home base underscores the company’s innovative approach, with a sleek and modern tasting room and production areas that feel more like a high-tech lab than a traditional distillery. The distillery got off to a rockin’ start last year, with a grand opening party that featured an intimate concert and tasting event with southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, with whom the company had collaborated to create a 90-proof whiskey called Hell House.
No stranger to high profile collaborations and celebrity endorsements, the company also drew early investment from Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and has created partnerships with University of Kentucky Athletics’ NIL fundraising collective (a bourbon brand called Club Blue) and country rock band Whiskey Myers (called Uncle Chicken’s), among others.
Guided tours and tasting experiences are available at the facility.
Bluegrass Distillers | Photo furnished
Bluegrass Distillers
158 W. Leestown Road (Midway) • bluegrassdistillers.com
Founded in 2012 by Woodford County native Sam Rock, Bluegrass Distillers opened its doors to the public in its original downtown Lexington location in 2013. This summer, the company moved to a new $8 million facility on a historic Midway farm (which makes it the only distillery on this list not actually based in Lexington, but we’re giving it a pass).
Bluegrass Distillers crafts award-winning bourbons with a seed-to-grass approach using (mostly) grains grown on its 62-acre Elkwood Farm. With history dating back to the 1830s, the property is listed on the National Historic Register, and features a mansion that patrons are able to visit during a distillery tour. The tour walks guests through the property while providing an up-close look at every step of the bourbon-making process.
“For us, it’s about keeping bourbon rooted in the place it comes from and making something authentic to Kentucky,” said Maggie Young, the company’s director of marketing and distribution.
The distillery’s move to this new location in June has increased its production capacity by over 100 percent, setting the company up for steady growth into the future as they continue to honor the craft bourbon traditions that came before them. Additional attractions, like a café, a music series, and other events designed to bring people together at the farm will be rolled out in the months ahead.
Dark Arts Whiskey House | Photo furnished
Dark Arts Whiskey House
1170 Manchester St. #190 • www.darkartswhiskey.com
Just over two years since the brand officially launched in April 2023, Dark Arts Whiskey House opened a stunning new guest experience facility earlier this summer in the heart of Lexington’s Distillery District.
Located in the space in the original James E. Pepper Distillery building most recently occupied by RD1 Spirits, Dark Arts describes itself as a “blending, re-barreling and finishing house…inspired by alchemists of old.”
Under the direction of master blender/chief alchemist Macauley Minton, the company incorporates philosophies from the ancient art of alchemy—an ancient tradition that combines philosophical, spiritual and experimental practices to understand and transform matter in pursuit of spiritual and material perfection—into a modern-day whiskey-making practice.
In layman’s terms: Minton and his team of blenders craft unique and elevated custom-blended whiskeys by procuring barrels of high-quality spirits from Kentucky and Indiana, then aging/finishing them in unconventional barrels, from exotic oaks such as Japanese Mizunara, French Jupilles and Brazilian Amburana, to Madeira, port or even maple syrup casks. These woods impart unique flavors and qualities while respecting the whiskey’s core.
In addition to guided tastings of the brand’s more than 80 products, guest experiences offered at the facility include an “Alchemical Journey” tasting and a “Thief From the Barrel” experience that allows guests to choose a flight of four pours directly from the barrel, with an option to bottle your own favorite to take home. The distillery also features a moody and atmospheric bar that serves up creative cocktails highlighting the distillery’s whiskeys.
Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. | Photo furnished
Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co.
377 E. Main St. • freshbourbon.com
Since 2017, Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. has been working to make Kentucky’s signature spirit more approachable and inclusive than ever.
The company is spearheaded by Tia and Sean Edwards, who have been recognized by the state as the first Black distillery owners. The company launched its first bourbon in 2020, in partnership with the Paris, Kentucky-based Hartfield & Co. Distillery, and in September 2022 opened a tasting room in downtown Lexington. Describing its signature product as “gently sweet and approachable with surprising complexity and satisfying depth,” Fresh Bourbon is geared toward providing a new bourbon experience that caters to how tasters want to drink their bourbon, whether that’s neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail.
Visitors to the downtown Lexington facility can indulge in Fresh Bourbon’s spirits in a tasting room described as “sexy, elegant and upscale,” offering a unique sensory experience with taste and aroma pairings. The facility also offers a mixology course where guests can build their own Old-Fashioned cocktails.
In 2020, Fresh Bourbon announced plans to build a $5.4 million, 34,000 sq. ft. facility downtown, but a specific location has yet to be announced.
James E. Pepper Distillery | Photo furnished
James E. Pepper
1228 Manchester St. #100 • jamesepepper.com
Originally built by larger-than-life bourbon industrialist Colonel James E. Pepper, the James E. Pepper Distillery building was said to be the largest and most technologically advanced whiskey distillery in the United States at the time it originally opened in 1880. After that distillery closed in 1958, the campus housing its operations sat vacant until 2008. Since then, the original Pepper Distillery buildings have anchored one of Lexington’s top entertainment hubs, the Distillery District, with a variety of restaurants, music venues and other businesses having opened in and around the facility in recent years.
Late 2017 saw a full circle move when the James E. Pepper Distilling Co. recommenced operations in the original distillery, with a brand relaunch overseen by whiskey entrepreneur Amir Peay. Each of the brand’s current concoctions, crafted by master distiller Cody Giles, aim to embrace the brand’s near 250-year heritage while also pushing the boundaries of whiskey-making.
“The James E. Pepper Distillery is more than just a place to enjoy bourbon; it’s a living piece of Lexington’s history,” said operations assistant Katherine Foley. “We are proud to carry forward the story of one of America’s oldest whiskey brands, while also contributing to the vibrant culture of the Distillery District.”
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. | Photo furnished
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.
401 Cross St. • lexingtonbrewingco.com
The only member of this list that produces beer in addition to spirits, Lexington Brewing & Distilling is home to products that include Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.
Founded in 1999 by the late Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech, Inc., the company operated primarily as a brewery until the 2012 launch of its adjacent Town Branch Distillery, which marked the first new distillery in Lexington in over a century.
The company is now led by Lyons’ son Mark, who holds a Ph. D. in solid-state fermentation and has a love for brewing and distilling that has been carried down through many generations in his family. The company continues to break new ground, with pre-batched cocktails like Bourbonola, a Prohibition-style take on a bourbon and coke blending Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon with cherry and vanilla cola.
RD1 Spirits
113 Turner Cmns. Way #110 • rd1spirits.com
Founded in 2020 and originally located in Lexington’s Distillery District, RD1 Spirits has quickly emerged as a bold voice in Kentucky bourbon. In May 2025, the brand opened a striking new $5 million, 10,215-square-foot facility in The Commons, a burgeoning 42-acre lifestyle and entertainment district located minutes from downtown.
The two-story destination blends work, life and play “in spirited fashion,” featuring an upstairs bourbon bar, speakeasy, wraparound patio and retail shop. The visitor center is designed to be more than just a tasting room—it’s a full sensory experience. Guests can explore interactive bourbon history exhibits, the immersive “RD1 Forest” focused on wood science, à-la-carte tours, barrel-thieving tastings, and VIP lab sessions led by Master Distiller Dr. Jarrad Gollihue, Ph.D., a former research scholar at the University of Kentucky’s James B. Beam Institute.
RD1’s lineup reflects its innovative ethos, with expressions that include a Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished with French oak, a Bourbon finished in rare Brazilian Amburana wood, a Double-finished Bourbon in oak and maple barrels, and a unique whiskey finished in Japanese Mizunara and French oak.
The most recent addition to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, RD1 Spirits aims to welcome over 30,000 visitors annually, offering a modern take on heritage, flavor and community.