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    Stitzel-Weller Distillery

    4.7 (383 reviews)
    ModerateDistilleries, Tours
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Stitzel-Weller Distillery Photos

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    Pete R.

    This was our first stop on a three day Bourbon Trail trip. We signed in and waited for our tour to begin while browsing in the large gift shop area. Once we had everyone together for the tour, our guide brought us outside and started the tour. We were given a very thorough and interesting history of the distillery, to include how the Stitzler and Weller families came together to form the company. A little known fact is that Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle started as a salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons in 1893 and later co-owned the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which he opened in 1935 (2 years after the end of Prohibition). The brand faced challenges but was revived in the 1980s by his grandson, Julian Van Winkle III. The distillery later sold the Pappy brand and it is now produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Our tour took us through assorted older buildings and we received history about each and finished up in the tasting room adjacent to the gift shop. Since we were running behind schedule, our tasting guide rushed through the tastings. I would have liked to have had more time to evaluate tastes and write more notes, but time was short. Overall it was a nice tour, and I would recommend it.

    Mark E.

    Stopped in July, I thght I left a review then. The distillery is father to my favorite bourbon, pappy van winkle. It's a wheated bourbon. We took the tour, which included tastings along the way. Our guide had amazing information. You could tell he enjoyed what he was doing. The size of facility was impressive. The trees are black due to the process, but healthy. It was cool to see where the workers signed their name on their last day of employment. Our guide did a nice job explaining the process. We got to see where they were making small batch. They had a bar and I think food, but we did not go there. My wife went for me and thought she would not enjoy it. When we left she say she loved it, as did I.

    New fashioned
    Jessica T.

    We stopped in to check out the bar mainly. We had not scheduled a tour as we were here for our son's volleyball tournament over the weekend and didn't know timing of his games. So, we arrived around 3 pm and checked out the gift shop and then swiftly headed upstairs to the bar where we were promptly greeted with a warm smile and hello. We decided to order a 2 pour tasting and a new fashioned. It was an Expertly crafted cocktail and the tasting was good also. We didn't have a lot of time but we loved this place. Great drinks, friendly people and beautiful ambiance, what more could we ask for while in Louisville!?!

    Sasha P.

    What a cool tour -- my group loved all of the history and we learned a lot about the industry and some of the key folks in the bourbon world from back in the day. Super pretty property, even if it's not a full-on producing distillery anymore. Loved the whiskey tasting -- everything was good and we had a really great tour guide. The Garden and Gun Club is a whole mood. What a fun and unique bar with really great bartenders. Our guy was super funny with a dry sense of humor and we enjoyed hanging out and learning from him while we had our delicious drinks. We ordered the charcuterie board as well as the fish dip -- both were awesome.

    Richard C.

    I thought it was an average tour- too much talking and got rushed through the tasting. This place isn't producing much, only two barrels per day

    Chandler D.

    My husband and I ventured to Louisville for the day and this was our first stop. We both got to have a "tasting" of their products while be given information on their products and history of the distillery. After our tasting, we're able to go upstairs and enjoy a cocktail or two if we wanted which we did. My husband enjoyed a tasting of their 22 year old limited release. I enjoyed a Moscow Mule. Everything tasted delicious and had such great service!

    Trout dip
    Kelly W.

    We visited Stitzel-Weller while in Louisville for the weekend. We opted to do the tour and had a great time. The tour was full of history and we got to try some bourbons at the end. The grounds are beautiful, it was cool to be able to walk around and look at everything. After the tour we went to the bar upstairs and ordered some drinks and an app. The drinks were lovely and the trout dip that we ordered was exceptional. It was presented beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked. If you are in the area, it's worth the 15 minute drive out to Stitzel-Weller to spend some time there.

    Tasting flight
    Andrew B.

    Highly recommend. We've stopped by the gift shop before, but took the tour today. Kristina was fantastic! She did a great job highlighting the history of the property and the brand. The Garden and Gun club has a very cool vibe as well. You can sit down and relax or take your drink and stroll around the property.

    Downstairs area outside of gift shop
    Carly M.

    We went on a tour here and learned so much about the history of the facility and the changes that occurred through the prohibition. At the tasting we were able to taste a few of the labels that are under their bourbon umbrella. We had a few that we loved. The people in charge of the tasting were nice and very knowledgeable about their brand and bourbons they feature. After the tasting we went to the garden and gun bar upstairs and it was really cute. The cocktails were also very good and it was a nice area to hangout. We loved our experience and would suggest visiting to anyone that loves history lesson with a side a good bourbon

    Old tax office now VIP and special events
    Yolanda A.

    Stitzel-Weller Distillery is located in Shively, Kentucky. I did not realize it was there all the years living in Ky. I have been in the area before. It is easy to locate using GPS. There are signs directions telling you where to park and go for check-in. There is ample free parking. The checkin is located in the Gift Shop area. You just walk up and show your ID. The tour cost is $25 for adults 21+ and $10 for minors. They place a wristband on minors. You can order a drink at the bar downstairs or grab water before beginning the tour. Chandler was our tour guide. She did an amazing job telling us the history of Stitzel-Weller. I was not previously aware of the history. She was a wealth of knowledge. I would 100% suggest anyone interested in learning more about whiskey and bourbon attend this tour. It was definitely worth the money. The Garden and Gun club was nice. They offer various cocktails and food items. I tried the pineapple Mule and my sister the margarita. The pineapple Mule was pretty good. The margarita was good, but the syrup used has salt in it. If you're not a fan of salt in your margarita, I would not suggest it.

    Tasting
    Kirstin W.

    We loved the history of how Stitzel-Weller became to what they are today! The grounds are gorgeous and Kristina was wonderful as our guide and very knowledgeable! Highly recommend checking them out and going to the Garden & Gun Club afterwards for a cocktail!

    Pappy Van Winkle's sons office.
    Chris W.

    This is a not-to-miss distillery tour if you are a bourbon buff. This is the birthplace of the legendary Pappy Van Winkle, which is now produced at Buffalo Trace. While still an operating distillery, they maintained their history in some of their old buildings used by Pappy during his day. I love that they keep them in the same state so you can look back in time at this bourbon mecca. As with all distilleries, especially the popular ones, you must book tour 1-3 months in advance. We booked 1 mo in advance and not many times were available during our three day trip on the bourbon trail.

    A distillery steeped in Kentucky bourbon history. Its location is unique , and it's story is an enduring one of over 140 years. It's premier salesman in the very beginning was as a 19 year old Pappy VanWinckle. The visitor center is also a Garden and Gun cocktail lounge in the second floor. Go early for a cocktail before your tour or stay after for one. Our guide Jean was amazing and each whiskey and bourbon we tasted was amazin

    Garden & Gun Club

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    Very cool place to visit and very informative about the history of bourbon. If you are into bourbon this is a must see experience.

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - Stitzel-Weller Distillery

    We bought 2 different tours. Which one is by 4th street?

    Bulleit is located in south western part of Louisville.

    Do you just show up for these tours? Looking to go on a tour on a Saturday with about 5 people...

    No. The tours have limited capacity so people buy tickets in advance. If you just show up you may be turned away. Given the vacation time of the summer many tours will fill up a few days in advance.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Stitzel-Weller Distillery

    We enjoyed the Chocolate Tasting Experience, each bourbon, and the Garden and Gun Club for cocktails and food.

    Mentioned in 125 reviews

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    Kentucky Derby Museum - Under construction but it will be awesome when it's finished

    Kentucky Derby Museum

    4.5(272 reviews)
    2.0 miSouth Louisville

    A must visit in Louisville KY!! The tour comes with general admission. Steve our guide was friendly…read moreand knowledgeable. I learned a lot from him. The tracks, the history, the building itself and the stories about jockeys and horses are all fascinating. The day we went unfortunately the weather was not good. Couldn't get a clear view of the track and landmarks. But it was very exciting to see the actual track. Parking is free. The gift shop is good. Lots merchandise for visitors to browse through. 2 horses in the barn when we visited. The museum itself is wonderful. Many historical information and artifacts. The Secretariat section is on the second floor. The fastest horse. And I learned that he had a bigger heart than any other horses. Might be a factor that he was fast! Absolutely a highlight of our trip in KY. It makes me actually want to come for the Kentucky Derby in May.

    We couldn't make it to Kentucky Derby, but the museum visit was as close we could get to this…read morehistorical event. The museum has such amazing collection of the history of the event, the trophies, the horses, the jockeys, there was so much to see. There was a magnificent theater that gives the visitor a glimpse of the derby day activities. There a horse riding arcade for kids. A section is dedicated to legendary horse, the Secretary. The general admission comes with a free tour of the Churchill Downs and the race track. We got to be in the grand stand and learn much incredible facts about derby from our tour guide. One of the coolest things to learn was from what position horses won the races the most to least. The gift shop a lot of amazing merchandises, apparels, souvenirs and gift items. The parking was free. We spent about 2.5 hours at the museum. There was a horse barn as well in the back of the main building. It's the top destination for anyone visiting Louisville.

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    Kentucky Derby Museum - New paddock area with twin spires in the background

    New paddock area with twin spires in the background

    Kentucky Derby Museum - Museum begins with a small exhibit for the year's Derby winner.  Mystik Dan  , 2024

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    City Taste Tours

    City Taste Tours

    4.7(45 reviews)
    4.4 miDowntown, East Main

    Leslie was awesome. Lots of good info and conversations…read more Very unique tour with lots of great stops and food! Everything was well coordinated. Drinks were really interesting and fit with the food and tour. Definitely recommend this tour

    We love city tours. Walking tours, bike tours, food tours, bus tours. With limited time in a city,…read morethey're a great way to get a feel for the area and to pick out places you'd like to revisit. Heck, we've even taken tours in our own city! Very fun. This tour was no exception. We had a very enjoyable afternoon, got to see a lot of different things, learn a bit about the history of Louisville, and try some delicious foods. The format of this tour is as such: the bus drops you off at a location for 30-60 minutes, giving you time to explore while City Taste runs off to pick up food from a local eatery. When you get back on the bus, there's a taste (and a drink) to be eaten as you drive on to the next stop. The benefit of this is that you get to experience AND taste bits of Louisville, instead of one or the other. The drawback is that there is sometimes a bit of waiting around for the bus to return. On our tour, we stopped at Schimpffs candy shop, Churchill Downs (where we took a tour), Old Louisville, Louisville Slugger OR NULU (we were given an option), and the Belle of Louisville. Our favorite stop was Old Louisville by far. What a BEAUTIFUL area with such rich history! The food we had was fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, hot brown pizza, pulled pork and potato salad, and Derby Pie. All were delicious, but the particular favorites were the hush puppies and the hot brown pizza. Alongside came a variety of drinks... we weren't huge fans of the flavored beers and wines (vanilla, strawberry, etc.) but we liked the bourbon tastings, the bourbon coffee, and the mint julep at the end. For reference, the food quantity was enough to keep us mostly satisfied but not amounting to a full meal replacement. I wouldn't eat a huge lunch before you go, but I also wouldn't show up hungry. City Taste Tours was extremely accommodating and gracious to our family. I realize these tours aren't geared toward kids specifically, but they went out of their way to make it enjoyable for everyone on board. If you're looking for a tour that's a bit of everything, a "taste" of all tours, this is the one for you. It's quirky, fun, and a great way to spend an afternoon in Louisville. **One last thing I'd mention: we booked a private tour, mostly because we just didn't want to take away from anyone else's experience by bringing 6 kids along. We were surprised to find out after being picked up that the bus was picking up other riders as well. It honestly worked out TOTALLY fine - it was a great couple that came along with us - but I just mention this to warn someone who actually cares a lot about it being a private tour... you might want to double check that they don't somehow overlook your private reservation and add extra people to your group.

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    City Taste Tours
    City Taste Tours
    City Taste Tours

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    Frazier Kentucky History Museum - A family in our Cool Kentucky exhibition brings Kentucky to life showcasing people, things, inventions, and more from Kentucky.

    Frazier Kentucky History Museum

    4.4(137 reviews)
    4.0 miWest Main, Downtown
    $$
    Budget friendly
    Kid friendly

    What a wacky and eclectic place the Frazier Kentucky History Museum is. But, I guess, so is the…read morestate of Kentucky. It's got a varied history. This museum gives visitors several slices of that history, from bourbon and whiskey to racing to the Civil War and the tobacco industry. One of my favorite permanent exhibits is on the second floor. It's a room dedicated to Kentucky bourbon and whiskey called the Bourbon Bottle Hall. It's just a bunch of bottles of whiskey and bourbon on backlit white shelves, but it feels supernatural to step into the room and be surrounded by all of the different bottles. You got everything from your Elijah Craigs to your Pappy Van Winkles. What else? There were Kentucky sports mascot costumes on display, a life-sized wax statue of Colonel Sanders holding a bucket of his Kentucky Fried Chicken with its 11 herbs and spices, a little play area for children, a display of German toy soldiers, a display of costumes made by local students, and lots of other interesting things to look at. The Frazier is good for all ages, but it's mostly a "looking" museum, so there aren't too many interactive things to touch, which is why it might not hold the attention of really young kids. My tween and teenagers liked it, but they were done within about 30 minutes. It's a small museum, but I think it has a lot of cool stuff in it and definitely worth a visit.

    Its always neat to see what new exhibits they have! I brought my aunt and uncle to see what fun was…read moreon display. The exhibit i enjoyed was the wedding gowns through the centuries. I realized im old because i didn't expect the 00's to be antique now... anyway, there were such amazing gowns and simple ones too. I liked the display of who wore the gown. There were Kentucky natives and famous to english and Indian royalty. I enjoyed the wall of roses to propose to someone one! The miniatures exhibits are always neat to look at and the video was cool! Ill come back again!

    Photos
    Frazier Kentucky History Museum - Take your picture with Colonel Sanders.

    Take your picture with Colonel Sanders.

    Frazier Kentucky History Museum - Explore and learn in our Lewis and Clark Experience!

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    Frazier Kentucky History Museum - The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall is a great kid friendly exhibit that's fun and informative for the whole family.

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    The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall is a great kid friendly exhibit that's fun and informative for the whole family.

    Kentucky Bourbon Boys - Buffalo Trace rickhouse

    Kentucky Bourbon Boys

    4.9(81 reviews)
    14.6 mi

    5 stars isn't enough for Kentucky Bourbon Boys…read more We packed an unbelievable amount into two days without ever feeling rushed or stressed. Day one included Whiskey Thief, Woodford Reserve, and Buffalo Trace. Day two took us through Bardstown Bourbon Company, Maker's Mark, and Heaven Hill. Every stop offered something completely different, and the lunches planned in advance were outstanding. The weather was perfect, but the real difference-maker was our driver and guide, Jeff Ramsey. Jeff was knowledgeable, funny, professional, always on time, and genuinely made the trip memorable. We do a lot of tours and experiences like this, and Jeff was simply the best guide we've had anywhere. Everything was seamless from start to finish. I won't book with any other group for future Bourbon Trail trips.

    Our 6 man guy trip had a great time doing brunch and a custom private 3 distillery tour with the…read moreKentucky Bourbon boys. Jessica who handled the initial phone call was very professional, knowledgeable and easy to work with. Kaitlin, our booking co-ordinator was very responsive to our needs and provided rapid communication to get our trip set up at the last minute (I contacted her on Wed to set it up for the coming weekend.) Roger our driver was pleasant, knowledgeable, communicated well and. Glad went with Kentucky Boys and would go with them without hesitation on any subsequent trips. On short they were awesome!

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    Kentucky Bourbon Boys - Tasting from a single barrel using a copper whiskey thief

    Tasting from a single barrel using a copper whiskey thief

    Kentucky Bourbon Boys - Bardstown

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    Derby City Brew Tours

    Derby City Brew Tours

    5.0(22 reviews)
    4.0 miFourth Street, Downtown

    It just hit me that I never wrote a review of Derby City Brew Bus. I went on the tour in February,…read moreand I still think about it. Keith and his tours are five stars, all the way around. I first got a little taste of DCBB as part of a Yelp event last year, and when I saw that DCBB was doing a special Super Brunch tour just for Valentine's Day, I jumped on and brought my boyfriend, his sister and her boyfriend along for the ride. This special V-Day tour started at Over the 9, where we enjoyed a brunch that paired dishes by Over the 9 and Louisville's always awesome Chef Maria Bell with brews from Falls City Beer, which is made in the same facility as Over the 9. These small bites brunch courses were so fun, and I think we all fell in love with Chef Bell a little more through this event. She explained every dish, and you could tell that she was so excited to be there. And I'm a fan of beer for breakfast -- I know ... surprise, surprise. But it all worked well, as we enjoyed several Falls City creations. After brunch, we walked over to Falls City production facility to learn a bit more about how the beer is made, from the head brewer himself. This DCBB tour in particular included a change of plans. One of the stops -- I can't even remember where it was -- had to be canceled, but Keith rolled with it. And we stopped at Muth's Candy Store instead. Samples of their signature treats, including modjeskas, were waiting for all of us. This was such a fun addition on this V-Day tour, and the shop's owners chatted with the group about Muth's long history. And then we ended at Apocalypse Brew Works. The snow really started coming down when we were here, but Apocalypse was warm and the beer was flowing. If it's the end of the world -- or the middle of a snowstorm -- I'm happy to escape to Apocalypse. Everyone on the tour got another beer tasting and tour, with special welcome and walk-through by the owner. Keith is such an enthusiastic host, and I think that rubs off on the brewery and business owners because they were excited to welcome us into their businesses. Keith shuttled us around in his van and gave us pretzel necklaces and bottles of water to tide us over between stops. He also peppered the trip with historical tidbits about the places we were driving by. You can tell that he has pride for what he does and this city. If you want to learn about several breweries at once, I definitely recommend that you dip your toe into the local brew scene by way of DCBB. It will make for a one-of-a-kind day!

    Had such an amazing tour. The all inclusive brew tour was the way to go for sure. Keith was…read moreprofessional but so much fun. Every stop on the tour was perfect for our group. Being able to try the different beers, while having great conversations with total strangers, made for a fun night!! I'm going to book a private tour for friends. I definitely have to do this again, SOON!!

    Photos
    Derby City Brew Tours
    Derby City Brew Tours
    Derby City Brew Tours

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    Stitzel-Weller Distillery - distilleries - Updated May 2026

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