The NuLu neighborhood in Louisville blends trendy restaurants and shopping with classic whiskey tourism.
KBF has been selling out and bringing the top Kentucky bourbon brands and international bourbon enthusiasts together,” explains Randy Prasse, COO & President of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.“ In 2025, we had guests from 14 countries, in addition to almost all 50 U. S. states.”
“ As distilleries continue to see the audience of bourbon enthusiasts the KBF attracts, they are increasingly interested in launching new products to our guests first— at least 11 brands launched new products at KBF in 2025,” he adds.“ To me, the KBF has become to our guests what the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is to tech companies.”
The annual festival takes place in fairgrounds along downtown Bardstown. Before the gates open every morning, attendees line up around the corner, waiting for their chance. Once allowed inside, people rush to distillery booths, where they line up again, for the ability to buy sought-after products.
Hard not to see this as an example of the enthusiasm for top-quality spirits that still exists in the industry, despite the ongoing pullback. Prasse agrees.
“ From the KBF perspective— if 2024 and 2025 are indicative of what bourbon consumers are doing— there seems to be a positive mood swing in that they are now more able to find and purchase bottles of highly allocated bourbon that was previously only available on the secondary market,” he says.“ We are all counting on the bourbon tourism to continue to grow and really level off the peaks and valleys of the industry. The peaks may not be as high as 2020−2022, but the valleys should never dip as low as what the industry saw‘ pre-boom’.”
The KBF is not just about buying bottles, of course. Numerous distillery booths across the fairgrounds pour all kinds of whiskeys, from name brand to newer releases. Master distillers, who have become celebrities like popular chefs, conduct signings. The people behind the brands are on hand to pour the products and explain exactly what went into making that particular bottle.
“ Tourists— and bourbon enthusiasts specifically— care about the experience,” Prasse says.“ It needs to be immersive and genuine, so the brand’ s uniqueness comes through in the experience, as much as it does in their liquid. The quality of delivering the experience is also critical. Every year, we push ourselves to elevate the experience.”
Also important is welcoming bourbon fans of all levels. Many people got into whiskey during the Covid−19 doldrums, and have since filled up their basement bunkers with unicorns, store picks and backup bottles. They know everything about whiskey.
And then there are folks just beginning their bourbon journeys now. Effective tourism appeals to both types and everyone in between.
“ At the end of the day, we bring bourbon enthusiasts and new bourbon consumers together, while the brands put their best effort into engaging with them,” Prasse says.“ The KBF is unique in that regard. Beyond engagement, the‘ try and buy’ experience is unique to Kentucky— and the KBF was the first consumer event to package it for enthusiasts. We will continue to reinvest in the KBF in the Bourbon Capital of the World— Bardstown, Kentucky USA— while working with the brands to be a part of their growth strategies.”
Whiskey Row in Louisville, KY, has become a popular tourist attraction.
GROWTH IN LOUISVILLE
About 50 minutes north of Bardstown is where most folks begin their Kentucky whiskey journeys, in Louisville. After landing in nearby Muhammad Ali International Airport, enthusiasts head to hotels in the city along the Ohio River and Indiana border.
Bourbon tourism is booming locally. Whiskey Row, a historical downtown stretch of distilleries and visitor centers, has become an extremely popular area for visiting fans. Several miles down the road, the trendy NuLu neighborhood has also emerged as a hotspot for upscale food and spirits, including several producers and brand homes.
The entire city and its surrounding environment have embraced our modern enthusiasm for Kentucky spirit.
“ Louisville’ s bourbon tourism story continues to build momentum in a really authentic way,” says Stacey Yates, chief marketing officer, Louisville Tourism.“ What we’ re seeing isn’ t just growth for growth’ s sake— it’ s thoughtful investment in experiences that deepen Louisville’ s identity as Bourbon City, while also giving locals new places to gather. An example is the soaring popularity of jazz music nights at Whiskey Thief Distilling in Nulu.”
“ What’ s remarkable is how quickly that evolution has happened,” she adds.“ As recently as 2013, Louisville welcomed its first in-city bourbon tour. At that point, the aspiration was positioning the city as the Gateway to Bourbon Country— the place where visitors began their journey into Kentucky’ s distilling heritage. Just over a decade later, that vision has fully matured. Louisville is no longer simply the starting point; it is the experience.”
www. beveragewholesaler. com Summer 2026 • Bevearge Wholesaler 29