The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map(s)
From a team that visits these places monthly! See maps for Louisville, Bardstown, Frankfort, and Lexington!
Kentucky Bourbon Trail Maps, FAQs, and Info (By Region)
Planning to visit Kentucky and see the world-famous bourbon trail? You’re not alone! The number of folks visiting the bourbon trail grows each year, and nearly 2 million distillery visits are clocked every year as of 2025. The bourbon trail is constantly expanding and continues to add new experiences, distilleries, and more. So, there is a lot to know, and keep up with… but there’s usually something new anytime you visit!
This article will give you some insight on the trail itself, some of the top distilleries, and more. Please keep in mind, this is our take on the trail, and not the official stance of the KDA. We even made our own maps! Also, keep in mind, we do not cover Northern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, and parts of Lexington. But we hope to make those soon! And if you didn’t make it onto our map :(, I promise we at least listed you!
What is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?
The Kentucky bourbon trail is a conglomerate of bourbon distilleries and destinations along the state of Kentucky. Founded in 1999 by the Kentucky Distillers Association, the bourbon trail aimed to increase tourism while promoting a consistent experience to the region for all of its distillery partners.
The trail itself is a bit scattered, as it now has 56 member distilleries across 6 official regions. It’s not a straight line or an easy trip, etc. It spans a good portion of the state! You will find, though, that many of the distilleries are clustered together in each region, making it easy to string a handful together over a few days.
Reasons to Visit the Bourbon Trail
First off, bourbon is our Nation’s native spirit! It’s enjoyed worldwide, and 95% of it is made here in Kentucky. Visiting the bourbon trail allows you to put a face to the name of your favorite bourbons, or maybe what your dad or dad’s dad used to drink. Many also might not expect that Kentucky is a beautiful state covered in rolling hills, horse farms, and southern hospitality.
Bourbon Trail Top Distilleries
We’re going to be difficult and add a distillery that’s not an official part of the bourbon trail to the list - it’s Buffalo Trace. Please note, the following list is based on the number of online reviews and empirical data, and demand. We don’t have the actual numbers for this.
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Buffalo Trace
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Maker’s Mark
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Woodford Reserve
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Jim Beam
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Wild Turkey
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Heaven Hill
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Old Forester
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Angel’s Envy
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Willett
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Four Roses
This order might be accurate, might not! But we’re on the trail a lot and there is a consensus amongst our staff and folks we asked.
Louisville Bourbon Trail Map
In Louisville, we like to start with the westernmost distilleries, Peerless and Stitzel Weller. Stitzel Weller is located about 20 minutes towards the south end of the city, making it a minor outlier from the downtown distilleries. The westernmost downtown distillery is Peerless, with Michter’s being just a few blocks away heading east.
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In the downtown region, you have quite the cluster, as Copper and Kings, Angel’s Envy, Rabbit Hole, Old Forester, and Evan Williams are all fairly close to one another. You also have a variety of tasting rooms (BBC, Monks Road, Buzzard’s Roost, Whiskey Thief., etc). Downtown is a lot of fun and quite packed!
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Finally, about 25 minutes from downtown on the east side of the city (technically in Crestwood, not Louisville), you have Kentucky Artisan Distillery. If you want to count outliers that are about 30 minutes out, you can consider Bulleit, Jeptha Creed, or Jim Beam, though they’re officially parts of other regions.
Louisville Bourbon Trail Distillery List
Angel’s Envy, BBC (Tasting Experience), Copper & Kings, Evan Williams, Michters, Old Forester, Rabbit Hole, Stitzel Weller, Buzzards Roost (Tasting Experience), Copper & Kings, Kentucky Artisan Distillery, Peerless, Monks Road (Tasting Experience)
Honorable mentions - Whiskey Thief, Prohibition, The Last Refuge
Frankfort Bourbon Trail Map
For the Frankfort bourbon trail map, we also like to start with the westernmost distilleries. These are also the northernmost? Geography is hard!
Starting West, you have Jeptha Creed, then Bulliet, then Whiskey Thief. We’re not going to leave out Buffalo Trace, as it’s the most popular distillery, but it’s in Frankfort about 10 minutes off either exit.
Then, heading south, you have a few distilleries nestled together along the Kentucky River, which include Castle & Key, Glenn’s Creek (not an official stop,) and Woodford Reserve. Woodford and Castle & Key are quite close to one another, so they’re great for stringing together!
Finally, going further south towards Lawrenceburg, you have Wild Turkey followed by the Four Roses main campus.
Frankfort Bourbon Trail Distillery List
Jeptha Creed, Bulleit, Whiskey Thief, Buffalo Trace (has to be mentioned, not official), Castle & Key, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Bluegrass Distillers Midway, Larrikin , Heaven’s Door (coming soon)
Bardstown Bourbon Trail Map
To stick with the theme, our Bardstown map also starts from the West. If we included it on the map, Boundary Oak would be the westernmost distillery. But coming up Clermont Road from I-65, you will drive past Jim Beam, followed shortly by Four Roses on the way to Bardstown.
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Once you get into Bardstown you have the Bardstown-proper distilleries where everything is about 5-10 minutes from each other. Here you have Heaven Hill, Preservation, Bardstown Bourbon Co, Lux Row, Willett, and the Chicken Cock tasting room. So, everything here is pretty convenient with good accommodations and accessibility.
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Heading south, you will find the somewhat harder-to-reach distilleries: Maker’s Mark, Log Still Distillery, and Limestone Branch. This southern region is where the new Jefferson’s distillery will be opening, too! This region is out in the country. And pro tip - If you’re driving to Maker’s, put the town of Loretto into your GPS and then finish out the drive from there.
Bardstown Bourbon Trail Distillery List
Jim Beam, Four Roses (warehouse and bottling), Heaven Hill, Willett, Lux Row, Preservation, Boundary Oak, Chicken Cock (tasting room), Log Still, Limestone Branch, Maker’s Mark, Bardstown Bourbon Co.
Lexington Bourbon Trail Map
The Lexington region is pretty spread out. We included Bluegrass Distillers Midway in our map, though it is technically part of the Frankfort region. Was it originally part of the Lexington area? Maybe! Maybe not. But it is close. There are some new distilleries in this region as of 2025, like Gerrard county and Bespoken Spirits.
There is about a 1.25 hour distance between the 2 furthest distilleries, so there could be some ground to cover in this region. We don’t often service these far-out distilleries, as our company is based out of Louisville, but they are fairly accessible if you’re staying in Lexington!
In this region, our map starts with Bluegrass distilleries (NW.) Heading into the city, you’ll find a majority of the stops all somewhat clustered together near the distillery commons. Here you’ll find James Pepper, Town Branch, Barrel House, RD1, and more. In the SW and NE reaches, you will find Hartfield & Co and Wilderness Trail, two great distilleries that can be worth the trip.
Please note, we do not service all of these distilleries on a standard tour day, but we can in some circumstances. Just ask!
Lexington Bourbon Trail Distillery List
Wilderness Trail Distillery, Town Branch Distillery, RD1, Barrel House, Bespoken Spirits, James E Pepper, Barrel House, Fresh Bourbon, Hartfield and Co, Gerrard County
Not Covered In This Article
Northern KY & Western KY. Sorry! We will get to you some day
Bourbon Tour FAQs & Additional Info
What Distilleries on the Bourbon Trail Map Are Considered “The Best?”
Every distillery along the bourbon trail has its own products, story, and history. Each one has its own strengths, etc. So it’s hard to say any are the best. Some of the most popular, of course, are Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, and Old Forester.
Which Region Along the Bourbon Trail Is "The Best?"
It’s probably a tossup between Bardstown and Frankfort. The interest, tourism, and number of legacy distilleries are pretty close between the two regions. Frankfort is a little more busy, since it’s located about halfway through Kentucky’s two biggest cities - Lexington and Louisville.
What Are the Best Ways To Navigate the Bourbon Trail?
Booking a hotel or airbnb in the region you want to visit is a pretty good practice. But, Louisville is a great location if you’re visiting the top 3 regions. Never drink and drive. Pick about 3-5 stops each day and be sure to consider transit times, gift shop times, tour lengths, etc. You can do a lot in a few days if you plan correctly! Or if you want to leave it to the experts, a tour company (like Unfiltered KY Tours) if a great way to go.
How Many Stops Are on the Bourbon Trail Map?
As of 2025, there are now 56 stops along the bourbon trail! This includes tasting rooms, craft distilleries, mom and pop distillers, and legacy distilleries. This means there is something here for everyone.
How Many Regions Make Up the Bourbon Trail?
There are 6 regions recognized by the KDA and bourbon trail. Some of them are a bit of a long haul, but allow you to see some of Kentucky’s gorgeous countryside! The regions are: Louisville, Central, Lexington, Bardstown, Northern, and Western.
Which Area of the Bourbon Trail Map Is Most Accessible?
Louisville. Lexington isn’t too bad if you’re flying in there. But Louisville has good accessibility to the Frankfort and Bardstown regions, an international airport, and every accommodation you may need.
What Accommodations Are Along the Bourbon Trail?
Along the bourbon trail, there is a whole slew of hotel chains, boutique hotels, Airbnbs, and bourbon themed stays. You’ll find some of each in every region. In addition, there are 3 major airports along the bourbon trail! In NKY, Lexington, and Louisville.
Are There Distilleries That Are Not Part of the Bourbon Trail?
Indeed there are. Famously, Buffalo Trace is not. Some craft distilleries and startups are not yet part of the trail, or choose not to be for a number of regions. That doesn’t make them bad distilleries. In fact, some great and longstanding ones have just been added in the past few years.
How Long Does It Take To Complete the Bourbon Trail?
This is a pretty common question. It’s pretty rare that someone does the whole bourbon trail anymore, now that there are 50ish stops. There used to be passports you could get stamped at each distillery, but those are going away after 2024.
If you want to visit all of the legacy distilleries and take tours, you can do it in about 5 or 6 days. If you want to visit everything, then you could be looking at a few weeks.