Buffalo Trace adds distillery café
Kentucky distillery Buffalo Trace will open the John G Carlisle Café in spring 2026, with construction under way.
The 4,900-square-foot café, located on the first floor of the Elmer T Lee Clubhouse, will have capacity for 70 people between its indoor and porch seating.
“The John G Carlisle Cafe is an exciting new addition to the Buffalo Trace Distillery visitor experience, allowing our team to connect with guests in a brand new way,” said general manager Tyler Adams. “Offering permanent food and beverage options alongside our complimentary tours and tastings is a natural extension of the distillery’s legacy of hospitality and craftsmanship. The café will bring a welcoming space that celebrates our history and complements the authentic experience we are known for.”
The café will serve sandwiches, salads, and soups made to order, as well as a kids’ menu and limited cocktails featuring Buffalo Trace products. The site will announce its hours of operation closer to opening.
The café takes its name from the congressman who represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1890. He is said to have played a crucial role in the passage of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.
Colonel EH Taylor Jr, Buffalo Trace’s forefather, dedicated a distillery to Carlisle. The Carlisle Distillery was later managed by Albert B Blanton, who renamed it the Kentucky River Distillery shortly before Prohibition. The distillery was demolished in 1936 to make way for the current mash house.
A commemorative plaque and stone from the original Carlisle Distillery building will be relocated to the flowerbed on the right of the café’s entrance.
Earlier this year, the Buffalo Trace Distillery was forced to suspend its visitor experiences following extreme floods.
The distillery has recently partnered with a biotech firm to convert its stillage into multifunctional alternative proteins.
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