historic bank architecture, hidden design details, hands-on customization of collectible bottles, rare whiskey tastings. Its new home at 403 East Market Street showcases the distillery’s collection of rye, bourbon and single malt whiskeys.

“WhistlePig was founded 880 miles from the Bourbon heartland, but the early seeds were planted here in Kentucky. The Vault pays homage to our founding Distiller, Dave Pickerell, who got his start in the Bluegrass State before going off the grid to start the Rye Revolution in Vermont,” said WhistlePig CEO Charles Gibb. “Returning to Kentucky with The Vault is a full-circle moment for us. To truly push the boundaries of American whiskey making, WhistlePig had to build a place apart and craft new and unique whiskeys with zero generations of family tradition. We’ve made our own rules and are proud to share that with Bourbon Country friends and connoisseurs.”

Marquee cocktail service in the Bank Lobby Bar, complete with “The Flying Pig,” a signature serve crafted with WhistlePig 10 Snout-to-Tail Bourbon and delivered in a pneumatic ATM tube. Private and shared hosted tastings will be in the Mezzanine Blending Room. Visitors will be able to craft their own blend of WhistlePig Old World Rye – Aged 12 Years. At The Whiskey Exchange retail experience, visitors can purchase their custom WhistlePig 10 PiggyBank Rye Limited Edition bottles.

The WhistlePig Vault is now open to the public.

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Additionally, Oxmoor Bourbon Company has announced the release of Oxmoor Bourbon, a revival of the Bullitt family’s Private Stock Whiskey, available for purchase exclusively at the farm.

“The family and team behind Oxmoor is passionate about sharing the legacy of Oxmoor Farm with visitors from across the globe,” said Nora “Tooey” Leake Cameron, a descendent of the Bullitt family. “I’m thrilled to see the continuation of my family’s legacy and excited to honor the rich history of Bourbon and the Bullitt passion for welcoming guests to our home to enjoy our native spirit.”

A 227-year-old historic estate in Louisville, Kentucky, Oxmoor Farm has long been renowned for its historical estate tours and is now proud to offer a unique new experience that explores the Bullitt family’s significant role in Bourbon history. Guests will see the original section of the family home, built in 1791, and then journey through the various additions made over the years, concluding in the final section, completed in 1928, which features the family’s incredible 10,000 book library. Along the way, guests will enjoy a multitude of sensory experiences, including a sampling of a historically specific specialty cocktails that the family would’ve served their honored guests throughout the years.

“It has been an honor to cultivate and preserve the history of Oxmoor Farm and I’m so excited to share what we’ve learned with our guests,” said Shirley Harmon, Curator and Historian at Oxmoor Farm. “For years, we’ve taken pride in our historical tours, demonstrating the significance of the history that sits quietly in Louisville’s own backyard. This unique new experience is not a brand-focused Bourbon or distillery tour like you’ll find elsewhere in Kentucky, this is a walk through the history of Bourbon and the events that made the spirit what it is today.”

The fourth generation of the Bullitt family produced Oxmoor Kentucky Whiskey, one of the last Kentucky bourbons made legally in the United States before Prohibition took effect in 1920. It was crafted from a select batch of fine-aged stock barrels for the family’s private collection.

“Bourbon is a pillar of Kentucky culture, and we owe much of it to the work of one family of legal scholars over nearly three centuries of history.” said Tim Knittel, Adjunct Professor of Bourbon Studies at Midway University. “We’ve dedicated so much thoughtful time and energy to reviving this amazing product and to honoring Oxmoor Farm’s unique place in the history of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. With it, we’re confident that Bourbon lovers, history buffs, and tourists alike can step into the past, enjoy a fine Kentucky Bourbon, and get a sense for what life was like at the birth of Kentucky’s signature industry.”

Oxmoor Bourbon Company invites guests to enjoy a piece of that history at Oxmoor Farm.

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On April 18, 2008, Master Distiller Chris Morris hand-selected six barrels for this special decanter. It was bottled in 2020. These barrels were matured in Warehouse J, top floor 8, Rick 44, tier 1.

The 500 bottles were originally crafted for members of the Brown family, who own Brown-Forman, and key partners of the company. 150 were set aside for tastings and events at the company, but the global pandemic in 2020 shuttered those plans and those bottles remained in storage.

Three years later, Old Forester is now offering them to the public. People who purchase the bottle can only pick them up on December 5, the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. The bottle purchase includes a private VIP tour of the Old Forester distillery, along with cocktails and appetizers with members of the Brown family.

“Old Forester is the only bourbon to exist before, during, and after Prohibition – and what better way to celebrate that legacy than offering to the public this rare decanter,” said Old Forester Master Taster Melissa Rift.

The decanter is presented in a custom wooden handmade box – the wood was recovered from the fire at Old Forester on Whiskey Row in 2015. The fire nearly destroyed the Whiskey Row block.

“Do we do a crystal decanter?” McCauley Adams, Associate Brand Manager for Brown-Forman, told The Whiskey Lifestyle exclusively. “That could be incredible, but does it have to be a crystal decanter? It was all these things that we were thinking about.”

The 150th decanter is a nod to the brand’s historic holiday decanters in the 1950s and 1960s designed by Raymond Loewy, the celebrated father of industrial design. A special year-long exhibit, which opens on Nov. 22 at the Frazier Museum, tells the story of those mid-century decanters.

The Old Forester 150th Decanter, priced at $2,500, is on sale now only at oldforester.com. No bottles will be sold at the distillery.

The post Old Forester Releases 150th Anniversary Decanter appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Located at Hillerich & Bradsby Co.’s downtown Louisville campus at 8th & Main Street, the bourbon experience opened in February 2022 and has seen more than 13,000 guests in its first year. Custom bourbon experiences are offered for $35 per person and custom blend 750ml bottles can be purchased for $50. Guests can also try the Flight School experience where they can sample 3 bourbons and 3 different cocktails crafted with the Home Plate Series bourbons. A variety of Barrels & Billets bourbons are available exclusively at the attraction, including its premium bourbon J. Frederick, created in honor of J. Frederick Hillerich who immigrated to America from Germany on October 7, 1842 as a woodworker and made barrels for the burgeoning whiskey business.

More than just a tasting, guests at Barrels & Billets blend with six WoodCraft finished bourbons including a 200 Year Oak, European Oak, American Oak, Cherry Wood, Maple Wood, and Smoked Oak. During the experience, guests learn the art of bourbon blending before the chance to test their skill at blending to their own preferred flavor profile. Once the blending experience is complete, guests are able to have their unique recipe bottled onsite in a personalized, commemorative package.

“The entire Barrels & Billets team is ecstatic to join KDA and play a role in such an incredible Kentucky industry,” said Patrick Shortridge, Director of Guest Experience at Hillerich & Bradsby Co. “This is a big milestone for us and we look forward to building onto Barrels & Billets’ fun and unique take on what people can experience in downtown bourbon.”

Along with its new position on the trail, Barrels & Billets will also release a suite of three new bourbons. The Home Plate Series featuring baseball iconography includes Lucky Lumber Easy Drinking Bourbon, Lead Off Rich & Complex Bourbon and Smokin’ Fastball Smoked Bourbon. Each expression is presented at 90 proof.

“We entered the tourism and entertainment industry more than 25 years ago when we opened the doors of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory right here on West Main,” said John Hillerich, President & CEO of Hillerich & Bradsby Co. “We’re excited to join KDA with a one-of-a-kind, fun experience that not only adds to the excitement of historic Main Street, but also complements Louisville’s flourishing bourbon tourism industry. ”

Barrels & Billets is one of three venues at Hillerich & Bradsby’s campus, located at 800 W Main St. in Louisville, including the award-winning Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and The Skybox, a 5,000 sq. ft. event space.

Barrels & Billets‘ Lucky Lumber Easy Drinking Bourbon, Lead Off Rich & Complex Bourbon and Smokin’ Fastball Smoked Bourbon are available exclusively in the Barrels & Billets shop for $40 per bottle.

The post Barrels & Billets Swings For The Fences appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Guests will feel like “bourbon insiders” by picking their favorite barrel and filling their own bottle in a brand new Pursuit United Private Selection experience, located at 722 W. Main Street in Louisville. The space will offer unique educational sessions on maturation techniques and breaking down blends. The shop will host a variety of events including limited and rare bottle releases and intimate tastings.

“We can’t wait to pull back the curtain and give bourbon lovers a truly insider’s experience they won’t find anywhere else,” says Ryan Cecil, CEO, Master Blender, and Co-Founder of Pursuit Spirits. “We will take guests to the next level of their bourbon journey.”

The speakeasy-style basement bar will feature rustic brick walls and a contemporary design. It will offer bespoke cocktails and a menu of flights and pours from their Pursuit United core whiskey offerings, single barrels from past Pursuit Series releases, special limited edition whiskeys, and charcuterie boards from a partnership with Louisville cheese shop, Cultured. A soundproof studio for their podcast, Bourbon Pursuit, will give visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the brand’s roots.

“For years we’ve given recommendations to Bourbon Pursuit listeners about the best places in Louisville and now we have a destination of our own,” says Kenny Coleman, COO and Co-Founder of Pursuit Spirits. “This home on Whiskey Row will introduce more people to the Pursuit Spirits brand and our whiskeys will make new lifelong fans.”

More information on the project will be released before opening in the Fall of 2024.

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It was on this trip that I learned about Marian McLain, one of the earliest documented female bootleggers and whiskey runners in history, who also happens to be Zoeller’s 8th generation grandmother.

McLain’s husband, Angus, died while fighting for independence in the American Revolutionary War. She, alone with 5 children to support, turned to the illegal production and sale of liquor in order to keep her family afloat. After her arrest in 1799, she became one of the first women on record to have been convicted of bootlegging. It was only fitting that Zoeller and his father Chet, who co-founded Jefferson’s Bourbon, pay homage to that with a whiskey.

Jefferson’s Marian McLain is a blend of five bourbons–21% 14-Year-Old Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey; 40% 11-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (my personal favorite); 14% Wheated Double-Barrel; 17% Rum Cask Finish; 8% 8 Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey–one for each of her five children.

“The Marian McLain expression is a tribute to our family history and a celebration of the pioneering persona that defines our brand. This is not just a bottle of bourbon; it is a legacy,” Jefferson’s Bourbon Founder Trey Zoeller. “What better way to show appreciation for my past than by creating this liquid that can be enjoyed for years to come. I brought my dad, Chet, out of retirement to help create this nod to our heritage. We are honored to share Marian’s spirit through this exceptionally bold and balanced blend.”

To give back in honor of McClain, Jefferson’s just launched the Marian McLain Entrepreneurial Fund contest. Led by Zoeller and Shark Tank star and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, the $25,000 in awards aims to motivate budding entrepreneurs looking to kickstart new business ventures.

“Just like Marian, I took big risks to create something for myself, and for my family, even when it was incredibly hard,” said Barbara Corcoran. “But with big risk comes big reward – that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about! – and that’s why I’m partnering with Jefferson’s Bourbon to bring the Marian McLain Entrepreneurial Fund to life.”

“We started Jefferson’s on a shoestring budget and with Marian’s vivacious spirit in mind – it’s why we do what we do,” added Zoeller. “This entrepreneurial fund is our way of helping other people who, like Marian and Corcoran, are risking everything to pursue their dreams.”

Small business hopefuls are welcome to submit their ideas with a short video here now through on May 7. The grand prize winner will receive $20,000 in funding to kickstart their venture, as well as a congratulatory call from Corcoran, and a “shop talk” interview with Zoeller. Five runners up will also be selected to win $1,000 awards – the amount Barbara Corcoran started her business with; small budgets can build big dreams!

Jefferson’s Marian McLain is bottled at 102 Proof and is available for $300.

The post Jefferson’s Honors Roots With Marian McLain appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

On July 7, 2015, a four-alarm fire ravaged the buildings on historic Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville. Teams of Louisville first responders were able to contain and extinguish the fire, preserving the site for the Old Forester Distillery at 117/119 West Main. The block is now home to restaurants, bars, a hotel and other businesses – and has become a tourist destination.

“I remember that day and that fire vividly,” Louisville Fire Chief Greg Frederick said. “We are extremely proud of our brave firefighters who risked their lives and saved the block.”

In 2020, members of the Louisville Fire Department, many of whom fought the blaze, selected eight single barrels from a lot filled the same day they extinguished the fire. All eight barrels sold out in two days and proceeds were donated to the Louisville Firefighter Disaster Fund. The remainder of the barrels filled that day slumbered an additional two years in the warehouse and are now batched together to create Whiskey Row Fire.

At nearly 7 years old – these barrels are fully mature and wise in character.

Today, Chief Frederick and Louisville Fire Department members were special guests of Old Forester and toured the distillery. In addition, Old Forester is making a charity donation to the Louisville Fire Department to help firefighters who are in distress.

The 117 Series is a limited-expression lineup that debuted in Spring 2021. It offers a deep dive, or deconstruction, on how either the individual Old Forester Whiskey Row Series expressions are crafted or highlights other historical moments of Old Forester’s history on W. Main Street.

Old Forester The 117 Series – Whiskey Row Fire is bottled at 100 proof and will be available now in limited quantities at the retail shop at Old Forester Distilling Co. for $59.99.

The post Old Forester Lights Up New 117 Series – Whiskey Row Fire appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

The expansion, which adds 13,000 square feet to the facility, will allow Angel’s Envy to welcome an additional 64,000 visitors each year, doubling annual guest capacity. To celebrate, Angel’s Envy invited consumers to plan an in-person visit or experience it virtually via the Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery, the first-ever distillery experience in Decentraland.

The Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery included a gamified and educational distillery production tour and bourbon-making experience, interactive cocktail challenge, Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP) token, non-fungible token (NFT) wearable giveaways, and more. Visitors were taken on a series of experiences such as a mash bill challenge, cask personalization in the barreling room, and an ingredient quest to create cocktails.

In addition, users had the opportunity to plant virtual white oak trees around the distillery, correlating to trees planted in real life through Angel’s Envy’s “Toast the Trees” initiative – a program created in 2014 to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy white oak tree population to preserve the future of bourbon.

“Angel’s Envy has seen significant growth over the past several years, and that will only be amplified with our Brand Home expansion as we can now better meet the incredible demand from visitors who want to tour our facilities and experience our distillery. We’re proud to be part of such a strong community in Louisville and will continue to invest in our hometown,” said Gigi DaDan, Angel’s Envy General Manager. “We’re thrilled to launch the Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery on National Bourbon Day and look forward to engaging and celebrating bourbon with new audiences from all over the world through the virtual experience.”

The expansion will create approximately 20 new jobs in Louisville and includes new spaces and experiences for guests, such as a larger retail area, five new tasting rooms, an additional bar space, event space, and full catering kitchen and a designated room for Angel’s Envy “Bottle Your Own” experience, which will now offer guests the chance to fill their own bottles of a distillery-exclusive Single Barrel offering. Angel’s Envy worked with Joseph & Joseph, Contagious, and Sullivan & Cozart on the design and build for the expansion; construction began in late 2020.

With the launch of the Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery, the brand became the first in the Bacardi portfolio to create an experience in the metaverse.

“We are excited to welcome the first distillery in Decentraland with the Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery,” said Adam de Cata, Head of Partnerships for Decentraland Foundation. “As we have seen over the past several months, people want to engage in the metaverse with activities and goods that they can relate to from this reality. The Angel’s Envy Meta Distillery creates a new way for people to engage and celebrate in the metaverse.”

For those who didn’t get to experience the meta distillery, they can head to Kentucky to check it out IRL at 500 E. Main St. in Louisville.

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Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old is released annually in September, in time for Bourbon Heritage Month, a month-long celebration highlighting the heritage, craftsmanship, tradition and achievements that the bourbon industry has contributed to the United States.

Aged and bottled at the historic distillery, the expressions will be available in 19 markets as well as on-site at Stitzel-Weller and the distillery’s new Garden & Gun Club in Louisville.

“Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old pays homage to the artful passion and celebrated craftsmanship of the famed Stitzel-Weller Distillery,” said Doug Kragel, Lead Educator for Blade and Bow. “With the perfect blend of smoky, spicy and sweet, whiskey enthusiasts seeking an expression of true mastery are sure to be delighted with the rich history that is palpable in every sip.”

Another tribute to Stitzel-Weller is the opening of the Garden & Gun Club. This cocktail bar is inspired by Garden & Gun magazine’s hospitality franchise and located on the second floor of the Louisville distillery. In addition to offering a unique menu, a 22-Year-Old tasting experience is also available for purchase. The tasting includes one ounce of Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old in a handcrafted Terrane Glass, alongside a signature wool tartan bag, Blade and Bow enamel pin, and tasting notes guide.

Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is available now for xx.

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