Kentucky is home to more than 100 licensed distilleries, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association, and the number keeps climbing. Roughly 95% of the world's bourbon is produced in the state — where, famously, there are more barrels of bourbon aging than there are people living in Kentucky.
More than 100 — and growing
Kentucky's distilling scene has boomed over the past decade. Alongside the legendary heritage names, dozens of craft distilleries have opened, pushing the state's total past 100 licensed distilleries. New ones continue to open, especially in and around Louisville and Bardstown.
Why Kentucky?
It's not an accident that bourbon and Kentucky go together:
- Limestone water — Kentucky sits on a limestone shelf that filters iron out of the water and adds minerals ideal for fermentation.
- Climate — hot summers and cold winters drive the whiskey in and out of the oak, aging it faster.
- Corn country — the grain at the heart of bourbon grows abundantly nearby.
- Tradition — generations of distilling knowledge concentrated in one place.
More barrels than people
One of the state's favorite statistics: there are more barrels of bourbon quietly aging in Kentucky's rickhouses than there are residents in the entire state. It's a vivid way to grasp just how central bourbon is to Kentucky's economy and identity.
Louisville's role
Louisville is the gateway to it all. The city's NuLu district and historic Whiskey Row pack distilleries, tasting rooms, and bars into walkable stretches — including Louisville Rickhouse, right in the heart of NuLu.
Visit a Louisville distillery
Make Louisville Rickhouse a stop on your bourbon trip. Book an experience or walk in for a flight at the bar in NuLu. See the best distillery tours in Louisville.
Keep reading: The Kentucky Bourbon Trail guide · Best distillery tours in Louisville · Things to do in NuLu