top of page
Stitzel Weller Distillery Tour 3-min.jpg

Stitzel Weller Distillery Tours  

A tour company's tips, reviews, FAQs, and more! 

Stitzel-Weller Distillery and Tour Information

If you’ve never done a Stitzel-Weller tour, or if you’re just discovering the distillery, odds are some of the names that appear in its history books might ring a bell. During your visit, you’ll hear names tossed around like Weller, Van Winkle, and the Stitzel family. You’ll find that the distillery was a culmination of these bourbon legends pre and post-prohibition legacies. Now, the distillery is home to Blade & Bow Whiskey, I.W. Harper, and Orphan Barrel! So the Stitzel-Weller Distillery offers a unique chance to learn about these distillery greats, while engaging with a number of thriving whiskey brands. 

Stitzel Weller Distillery Tour 4 (1)-min.jpg

A Brief History

Stitzel Weller Distillery

Stitzel-Weller opened its doors in the mid 1930s following the ending of prohibition. The distillery was the vision of one of the fathers of modern bourbon, Jullian Van Winkle (yes that one), who purchased Weller and Son’s bourbon distribution after the retirement of its founder, William L Larue. The distribution company, along with Van Winkle, salesman Alex Farnsley, and distiller Arther Stitzel, are known to be the founding members of the distillery. 

 

The company operated (at face) as the Old Fitzgerald distillery. This distillery produced some iconic brands such as Old Fitzgerald, W.L Weller, Old Rip Van Winkle, Cabin Still, and Rebel Yell. And within 3 decades of opening, the 3 major founding members of the distillery had passed on. Now facing the decline of the bourbon industry through the 60’s and 70’s, the heirs to the distillery moved on selling off the property and its key brands. 

 

After the property changed hands several times, it eventually found itself with its current owners, Diageo. After several years of operating as the home base for its core bourbon brand, Bulleit Bourbon, the distillery was revamped with a focus on another brand, Blade & Bow. Blade & Bow was created to honor the legacies of the founding fathers of bourbon that once called Stitzel-Weller home. 

 

You can now hear tales of all of the fantastic whiskies and legacies that passed through this gorgeous property. And you can taste the brands that currently call this historic location home.

Stitzel-Weller Tour & Campus Information

The Stitzel Weller Campus 

The campus here consists of several barrel warehouses, a distillery, a small-scale distillery, a bar, giftshop, and visitors center. There are a few other buildings and features you would see on a Stitzel-Weller tour, but we don’t like to give everything away! 

​

What to Expect?

The Stitzel Weller Tour focuses a lot on its history, as it very well should. This is more of a history tour than a production tour, though you will see a scaled down version of the bourbon production process. The Stitzel Weller Tour ends with a tasting of several whiskeys from Diageo’s portfolio, including Bulleit and Blade & Bow.

Stitzel-Weller Additional Info & FAQ

Stitzel-Weller Distillery

Hours: Mon, Weds - Sat: 9-5:00 PM | Sun: 12-5

Closed: Tues & Weds 

Location

3860 Fitzgerald Rd, Shively, KY 40216

Need Transportation for Your Trip?

Let us be your guides! Our trip planners can add a Stitzel-Weller Distillery tour to most of our pick-3 or transportation-only packages. Inquire today! 

bottom of page