Pursuit Spirits opens Whiskey Row site
Kentucky-based whiskey maker Pursuit Spirits will open a two-floor visitor experience in downtown Louisville this week.
Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman, who host the podcast Bourbon Pursuit, founded Pursuit Spirits in 2018. The founders revealed plans for a new visitor experience in 2023, which they had intended to open in autumn 2024.
Located in the historic Whiskey Row area, which is known for Bourbon production, the new visitor centre will open tomorrow (14 August) on 722 Main Street.
The 7,600-square-foot site combines tasting experiences, a retail shop, a studio for the podcast and a Bourbon-forward cocktail lounge in the basement.
The Pursuit Spirits site was built in the early 20th century. It features restored hardwood floors, original brick walls and a lift that has been turned into an art piece that connects the two floors through a glass floor.
Visitors will be able to bottle their own whiskey from a selection of exclusive barrels, and take part in a 45-minute cocktail masterclass.
Lead bartender Jordan Harris has created the drinks programme, with more than 100 expressions from Pursuit Spirits on offer.
The cocktail lounge, called Trial+Error, features serves such as the T&E Old Fashioned, the Barrel-aged Manhattan and the Rye-an Rita.
The visitor centre will also educate drinkers on Louisville’s whiskey roots in a new 45-minute experience, called ‘Mellwood Past and Present’.
Another new experience is ‘Founder Hour’, hosted by either Cecil or Coleman, who will provide a 60-minute look into the experimental side of Pursuit Spirits.
The company said its main distillery experience, The Whole Shebang, and the Discover the Pursuit tasting will be relocated to the new site.
“Curiosity, discovery, and passion are what have gotten us to this point,” said Ryan Cecil, Pursuit Spirits co-founder and master blender. “The space is truly a physical extension of everything we’ve built over the years – our whiskey, our podcast, and our commitment to uniting people through our common interests.”
The visitor experience will be open from Tuesdays to Saturdays.
Pursuit Spirits also operates a distillery on Mellwood Avenue in Louisville.
Related news
Brothers Wright Distilling buys Kentucky distillery
