Bourbon is big business in Kentucky. Here are 14 bourbon projects opening in 2024

Kentucky continues to be living in the middle of a bourbon boom and over the last year, has added numerous bourbon-themed visitor attractions across the commonwealth.

"The state’s bourbon and spirits industry also recorded its best year for growth in 2022, with over $2.1 billion in new investments and approximately 700 new jobs for Kentucky residents," a release from Gov. Andy Beshear's office previously stated.

The growth of bourbon also helped propel the state into a record-setting year of tourism. Some 75 million travelers to the Bluegrass helped generate $12.9 billion in economic impact and directly added more than $930 million to state and local taxes from spending.

More: Kentucky bourbon tourism has record year, with $2.1 billon in investments. What that means

Since Beshear took office in 2019, his administration has "announced 96 new-location and expansion projects within the bourbon and spirits sector, contributing to over $3.6 billion in new investments and more than 1,650 full-time jobs for Kentuckians."

"Bourbon is booming," Gov. Andy Beshear told the Courier Journal on Dec. 19. "I don't see it slowing down any time soon. I see more craft distilleries that are likely to open, and I see them continuing to move all over the state."

Here's a look at 14 bourbon projects coming to Kentucky in 2024.

What bourbon projects are coming to Kentucky in 2024?

Note: All items in this list and anticipated openings were provided by the Kentucky Department of Tourism, Louisville Tourism and/or previous Courier Journal reporting. This list does not include every bourbon-related venture coming to the state.

More information can be found here.

• Angel's Envy recently announced a second expansion, which will add 60,000 square feet across the street from its Louisville Main Street flagship headquarters, complete with a proposed pedway connecting the two buildings. The first expansion, which was completed in 2022, added five tasting rooms and doubled its annual guest capacity.

• Augusta Distillery in Bracken County has announced its first full-scale operation in Kentucky by renovating a 40,000-square-foot building, formerly home to the F.A. Neider Co. in Augusta. The company is investing $23 million to build a state-of-the-art distillery, guest experience and event center. The facility is expected to be operational by summer 2024.

• Bardstown Bourbon Co. has opened a tasting room on Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville. The new facility features a full-service bar with innovative craft cocktails and unique tasting experiences.

• Barrel House Distilling Co. in Lexington plans to expand its production facility 30 miles north into Cynthiana. In addition to distilling bourbon and various other spirits, the $1.8 million project will yield an event space capable of hosting up to 100 guests. Additionally, the new location will be a stop on the Moonshine Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Construction is set to begin in early 2024.

• Brothers Wright Distilling has unveiled plans to build a distillery and visitors center in Pike County, with plans to age bourbon in an underground Appalachian coal mine. The 12,000-square-foot project will feature a distillery, rick house, welcome center, museum, and restaurant. Construction is expected to finish by the end of 2024.

• Buzzard's Roost Whiskey Row Experience recently opened in downtown Louisville. The venue emphasizes education about the art and science of whiskey.

• D.A.A.D Distilling in Lancaster plans to open a Black-owned bourbon distillery on property once owned by a Ku Klux Klan leader. The distillery is slated to open in 2025.

• Heaven's Door, a whiskey brand owned by Bob Dylan, is set to open a new distillery in Pleasureville as well as a brand experience in the NuLu neighborhood of Louisville. The distillery, which is 45 miles east of Louisville, will be primarily for production. The brand experience, dubbed the Last Refuge, is set to open in a former church on East Market Street. The property will feature a whiskey bar, restaurant and live event space

• J. Mattingly's 1845 Distillery recently opened in Frankfort. The 23,000 square feet facility includes a gift shop, tasting bar, small pot still and a custom bourbon blending experience.

• Lawrenceburg Bourbon Company, owned by a Navy combat veteran, opened its new distillery in October. The facility emphasizes the hiring of military veterans, and its new gift shop and tasting room are now open.

• Pursuit Spirits launched two new behind-the-scenes distillery experiences at its facility on Mellwood Avenue in Louisville. The "Whole Shebang" experience gives bourbon lovers a chance to learn about mash bills, blending, and maturation from our expert guides, partake in their own private barrel selection, and then fill a personalized bottle to take home. The second experience, "Pursuit United Breakdown," is a 45-minute deep-dive into Pursuit's limited small-batch bourbon. Guests will taste the individual distillates that makeup Pursuit United at cask strength, learning the unique profiles and stories behind each component.

• Rabbit Hole Distillery announced a planned expansion, set to span an entire half-block in Nulu and include a single barrel tasting facility, gift shop, bar area and expanded office space. The enhanced visitor experience would include tasting rooms, a gift shop, a single-barrel tasting facility, and a courtyard area. It could welcome approximately 150,000 people annually.

• RD1 Spirits is developing a $4.8 million destination to honor the past and future of Lexington’s connection to the bourbon industry. The project will have tours, personalized blending experiences, tasting rooms, a cocktail bar, a gift shop, and an event space. The company’s unique offerings will make it a must-visit for bourbon enthusiasts and tourists alike.

• Western Kentucky Bourbon Company recently celebrated the grand opening of its 25,000-square-foot distillery. The facility, located in Beaver Dam, will be able to distill 50,000 barrels of whiskey a year and store 250,000. The startup distillery, led by 8th Generation Master Distiller Jacob Call, broke ground in November 2022 and filled its first barrel of bourbon whiskey on July 19, 2023. The distillery is not yet open to the public.

Reporter Lucas Aulbach contributed to this report. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bourbon distillery, projects opening in Kentucky in 2024