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Tourists flock to Kentucky Bourbon distilleries
With global interest in American whiskey soaring, Kentucky has seen record-breaking numbers of tourists visit the state’s Bourbon Trails.
The Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, saw tourist number soar by 200% last year
Now boasting an all-time high of 18 distilleries on the tour, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Tail Craft Tour collectively welcomed 725,000 visitors in 2014.
While tourism has risen 62% in the last five years, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA), Four Roses and Wild Turkey have seen a 200% increase in visitors.
Eric Gregory, president of the KDA, said: “The monumental growth of our Kentucky Bourbon Trail experiences is proof that they’re the hottest tourism attractions around.”
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which features nine major Bourbon distilleries within the state, attracted 627,031 tourists in the year, a 10% improvement on 2013.
The tour features the Stitzel-Weller Distillery and its Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience in Louisville; Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville; Four Roses and Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg; Heaven Hill in Bardstown; Jim Beam, Clermont; Maker’s Mark, Loretto; Town Branch, Lexington; and Woodford Reserve in Versailles.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which also features nine distilleries, attracted 96,471 visitors, up 56% in the year.
The Craft Tour now includes New Riff in Newport, Barrel House in Lexington; Corsair, Bowling Green; Limestone Branch, Lebanon; MB Roland, Pembroke; Old Pogue, Maysville; Silver Trail, Hardin; Wilderness Trail, Danville; and Willett, Bardstown.