Bourbon Bus Tours

[Beechwoodfan]

I am thinking about organizing a surprise bourbon bus tour for the mister as a retirement party.  Has anyone done this and have any suggestions?  I hate the idea of picking something off of the internet.  Would like to start and stop in Northern KY.

[theguru]

How many places would there be to visit in NKY?  

I know there is Boone County Distilling Company:

https://boonedistilling.com/

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I've done 3 different bus tours out of Louisville. 2 of them I've been on were through  companies that specialized in bourbon bus tours (one was called "Mint Julip Tours" and I can't remember the name of the other, it's been 5 or 6 years now), and they were just as good as the other one, but the other was just organized by a friend who rented a party bus for their wife's 40th birthday and had it take our group to a few different distilleries. It was like $20 less per person going the non-official "bourbon bus tour" route.

One thing that would possibly play a major role in things now is that most of the distilleries are very particular about reservations ahead of time due to COVID. I think there are actually some distilleries who have suspended their tours for the time being as well. That would seem like a detail that makes the bourbon bus tour companies a little more desirable...I would think they would have that stuff worked out for their customers ahead of time.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

2 hours ago, theguru said:

How many places would there be to visit in NKY?  

I know there is Boone County Distilling Company:

https://boonedistilling.com/

Boone County Distilling and New Riff in Bellevue are the only ones that come to mind in NKY.

There's also Old Pogue in Maysville.

[Beechwoodfan]

4 hours ago, theguru said:

How many places would there be to visit in NKY?  

I know there is Boone County Distilling Company:

https://boonedistilling.com/

Not looking for a NKY distillery.  Looking to find a bus that will take us to Louisville, or whoever the good distilleries are, visit a few and come back home.  Don’t know much about where the good ones are.  Not a bourbon drinker myself.

[Beechwoodfan]

2 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I've done 3 different bus tours out of Louisville. 2 of them I've been on were through  companies that specialized in bourbon bus tours (one was called "Mint Julip Tours" and I can't remember the name of the other, it's been 5 or 6 years now), and they were just as good as the other one, but the other was just organized by a friend who rented a party bus for their wife's 40th birthday and had it take our group to a few different distilleries. It was like $20 less per person going the non-official "bourbon bus tour" route.

One thing that would possibly play a major role in things now is that most of the distilleries are very particular about reservations ahead of time due to COVID. I think there are actually some distilleries who have suspended their tours for the time being as well. That would seem like a detail that makes the bourbon bus tour companies a little more desirable...I would think they would have that stuff worked out for their customers ahead of time.

I was looking more for the party bus route.  I have been looking on the internet quite a bit and I did see that most are limiting tours to groups of 10 which may squash the whole thing. Thought maybe I could plan for spring, but can’t count on COVID being under control by then.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

17 minutes ago, Beechwoodfan said:

I was looking more for the party bus route.  I have been looking on the internet quite a bit and I did see that most are limiting tours to groups of 10 which may squash the whole thing. Thought maybe I could plan for spring, but can’t count on COVID being under control by then.

Well you might check around at the distilleries that are local to Louisville itself. Michter's, Rabbit Hole, Stitzel-Weller, Bulleit, Angel's Envy, Peerless, and Old Forester. I know some of them are giving tours if you book ahead, and several are within walking distance of one another.

There's also the Copper & Kings brandy distillery in town.

[THUNDERBIRDS]

Buffalo Trace is the Distillery to visit! A Home run.....

[Jim Schue]

On 11/10/2020 at 11:54 AM, Beechwoodfan said:

I am thinking about organizing a surprise bourbon bus tour for the mister as a retirement party.  Has anyone done this and have any suggestions?  I hate the idea of picking something off of the internet.  Would like to start and stop in Northern KY.

The Mint Julep Tours and Ky. Bourbon Boys Tours are the two most common that come to Bardstown, and both of those originate in Louisville. There are some others but we don't see them as frequently. I'm guessing there are some that originate in Lexington.

 

When tours were open for a few of the places (before the recent shutdown) the distilleries were only doing tour groups of six people max. Obviously that's all closed down right now. Many of the distilleries haven't been doing tours over the past several months (Jim Beam, Four Roses).