Mention Kentucky anywhere in the world, and a discussion of bourbon is sure to quickly follow. The state and its signature spirit are practically synonymous, and the widespread allure of the amber-colored elixir draws visitors to the Bluegrass State by the millions.

In 2025, some 2.7 million people paid a visit to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, each eager to experience the makers behind their favorite labels. Fortunately, Kentucky has no shortage of bourbon experiences to choose from, with more than 100 licensed distilleries in operation across the state.

Here are just a few of the state’s signature bourbon experiences, where guests can learn what’s involved in crafting the perfect Kentucky bourbon pour.

Maker’s Mark

Loretto

Nestled into the Kentucky countryside on Star Hill Farm near the tiny town of Loretto, the Maker’s Mark distillery traces its brand history to 1952, when founder Bill Samuels Sr. set out, according to company lore, to create a bourbon without the burn.

Now recognized worldwide for its signature, red-wax-topped bottles, Maker’s Mark invites guests to explore its unique origin story firsthand through a range of interactive distillery experiences. The Maker’s Mark Tour, the most popular option, leads guests on a 75-minute exploration of the distillery’s campus — on the site of a preserved, 19th-century grist mill — to see core features of the production process, including the end-stage wax dipping. The experience culminates with a bourbon tasting.

For a more customized experience, guests can opt for the Mix Your Maker’s Cocktail Experience, which features a full distillery tour, followed by a guided cocktail-creation workshop. Special events held throughout the year offer opportunities for food and bourbon pairings or celebrations of the brand’s special releases. While there, groups can enjoy a locally sourced meal at Star Hill Provisions, the distillery’s on-site, farm-to-table restaurant.

makersmark.com

Buffalo Trace

Frankfort

As the oldest continually operating bourbon distillery in America — and as a National Historic Landmark — Buffalo Trace occupies a site along the Kentucky River in Frankfort that has played a role in the state’s bourbon history for more than 200 years.

Tours of the picturesque campus chart the distillery’s early history, including the roles of bourbon pioneers like E.H. Taylor Jr. and Albert B. Blanton. Visitors also learn details about production processes that shape and differentiate the distillery’s popular current brands, from Buffalo Trace and Blanton’s to W. L. Weller and Van Winkle.

The site’s most popular tour, the Trace Tour, includes a 75-minute exploration of the distillery campus plus a guided bourbon tasting. For return visitors or dedicated bourbon aficionados, the Old Taylor Tour includes unique access to historic portions of the distillery first used by E.H. Taylor, while the Hard Hat tour gives a behind-the-scenes look at the entire bourbon-making process.

The distillery’s new John G. Carlisle Cafe, launched this year and open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers soups, salads and an array of made-to-order sandwiches and wraps, making it easy to enjoy a quick meal on the distillery’s historic grounds.

buffalotracedistillery.com

Woodford Reserve

Versailles

Surrounded by rolling Kentucky horse farms and iconic stone fence lines, Woodford Reserve’s distillery campus ranks among the most beautiful spots on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

The distillery’s Woodford Reserve Path to Flavor Tour guides visitors through the property’s historic 19th-century stone bottling house and aging house. As part of the tour, guests get an up-close look at Woodford’s iconic, massive copper stills and the distillery’s 500-foot-long, gravity-fed barrel rolling track, the longest of its kind in the United States.

Other tour offerings include in-depth explorations of the distillery’s history or a behind-the-scenes experience with one of the property’s master distillers.  At each tour’s end, attendees can sample a variety of the distillery’s craft bourbons.

Woodford also offers a range of tasting-specific ticket options, including A Curated Cocktail Experience, where guides offer detailed demonstrations on how to craft classic cocktails, and the Spectacle for the Senses Tasting, which allows guests to sample five award-winning whiskies alongside curated food pairings.

woodfordreserve.com

Jeptha Creed

Shelbyville

Overseen by mother-daughter team Joyce and Autum Nethery — a rarity in the bourbon industry — Jeptha Creed operates on a family-run farm and grows its corn, bourbon’s core ingredient, in the family’s own fields.

Tours at the craft distillery focus on Master Distiller Joyce Nethery’s unique, “farm-to-glass” approach, educating visitors about Jeptha Creed’s choice of heirloom corn varieties, like Bloody Butcher Corn, and how they shape the bourbons made there.

Guests can enjoy the brand’s inviting visitor welcome center, which includes ample branded merchandise and two tasting bars, before exploring the distillery’s intimate fermenting and bottling operations on tour.  As part of the distillery’s elevated Single Barrel Thieving Experience, visitors can taste cask-strength bourbon by “thieving,” i.e., pulling samples directly from the barrel using a long copper tube known as a whiskey thief.

The distillery’s on-site cafe offers an array of pizzas, wings and signature cocktails, and its expansive outdoor patio provides the perfect location to enjoy the property’s frequent live music events.

jepthacreed.com

Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.

Lexington

As the only dual brewery and distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. has crafted a tour that appeals to beer fans and bourbon sippers alike.

Its main tour invites guests into the campus’ production floor and still room, where tour guides share the ins and outs of how the site produces both Town Branch Bourbon and Kentucky Bourbon Ale.

For those who want a more bourbon-focused itinerary, the Straight-From-The-Barrel Experience offers a visit to the distillery’s production floor and lets attendees sample three of Town Branch’s bourbons straight from the barrel. Alternatively, the hour-long Town Branch Barrel Thieving & Cocktail Experience lets guests thieve bourbon from the barrel and then put it straight to good use as the centerpiece of their own handcrafted cocktail.

For visitors looking for a top-shelf souvenir, the Town Branch Fill Your Own Bottle Experience includes a distillery tour plus the opportunity to fill and take away a bottle of one of the distillery’s exclusive barrel-selection varieties.

lexingtonbrewingco.com