Estate Whiskey Alliance® launches certification program
By Lilli Dubler, Building Kentucky The University of Kentucky’s Estate Whiskey Alliance® (EWA) is launching a first-of-its-kind program that authenticates estate whiskeys with a globally-recognized certification mark to be used on qualifying whiskey product labels: Estate Whiskey Certified™. Estate whiskey refers to a type of whiskey that is produced entirely on the distillery estate using grains sourced […]
Beam Suntory, University of Kentucky commit to advancing global spirits industry, continue strategic partnership
By Lilli Dubler, Building Kentucky Beam Suntory, a global leader in premium spirits, has renewed its strategic partnership with the University of Kentucky James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits to help strengthen Kentucky’s signature industry for generations to come. The continued partnership between Beam Suntory and UK will ensure the Institute continues to offer unparalleled […]
New high-end bourbon weekend experience planned at Omni Louisville Hotel
By Nicole Childress, Building Kentucky Curious bourbon fans and collectors will love a new bourbon experience planned this September at the Omni Louisville Hotel. The inaugural Kentucky Southern Social event (Sept. 16 to 18) is an immersive three-day experience featuring bourbon celebrity-hosted dinners and tastings, entertainment and a live auction of rare bourbon and whiskey. […]
Cheers! Kentucky Bourbon Trail® celebrates 22nd birthday with new field guide
By Nicole Childress, Building Kentucky On May 27, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® (KBT) celebrated its 22nd birthday. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) founded the trail in 1999 to create an experience for bourbon lovers, celebrate America’s only native spirit and give the world a taste of the Bluegrass State. New Bourbon Trail™ Passport & Field Guide […]
Spring staycations: Five Kentucky destinations to explore this season
By Nicole Childress, Building Kentucky While the pandemic has made long-distance travel difficult, Kentuckians are lucky to have great choices for destinations close to home worth exploring. Rediscover Kentucky’s beauty, history and culture by becoming a local tourist this spring! Camp Bespoke, Williamstown Camping got a serious upgrade last fall when Camp Bespoke opened. The […]
Let’s go see the lights! Socially-distanced holiday activities in Kentucky
By Beverly Bartlett, Building Kentucky With many traditional Christmas activities on hold, many families have turned to Christmas light tours as a fun, socially distant way to enjoy the holiday. On a recent warm night, my family took a long walk around our suburban Louisville neighborhood to admire the lights. But driving expands your options! […]
Kentucky breaks bourbon barrel record
Kentucky continues to break records for its booming bourbon industry. According to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, there are now nearly 10 million barrels of spirits aging in the state. That’s billions of dollars worth of bourbon! Bourbon continues to boost Kentucky’s economy, contributing $8.6 billion and more than 20,100 jobs annually. And distillers are planning for […]
Louisville Water celebrates 160 years
Louisville Water held a virtual toast celebrating its 160th-anniversary of providing high-quality drinking water to Kentuckians. Since 1860, Louisville Water Company has provided great water and customer service to the Louisville area. Several local organizations and businesses joined in on the virtual toast including Louisville City FC, JCPS, Bourbon Women, C2 Strategic and Louisville Tourism. […]
KDA and UofL partner to boost diversity in distilling
Kentucky’s bourbon industry will get a boost from a new partnership between the University of Louisville (UofL) and Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) developed to increase diversity in distilling. A new scholarship program was recently established to award five full-tuition scholarships to the University of Louisville College of Business to students who are Black, women, people […]
Virtual events from Yelp Louisville include demos and tours with new businesses
Want to check out new local businesses from home? Yelp Louisville is launching an event series called Yelp’s Hot & New in Lou filled with behind-the-scenes tours, interactive cooking demonstrations and event planning tips — all available online. Many owners, entrepreneurs and creators featured have opened their businesses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual […]
September is National Bourbon Heritage Month in Kentucky
Cheers! National Bourbon Heritage Month is here. Each year, Kentuckians and bourbon lovers around the country toast to Bourbon Month. While 2020 is a unique year, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate in a safe and responsible way. Learn Fun Facts About Kentucky Bourbon Boost your Bourbon IQ and brush up on interesting […]
Kentucky tourism says “Stay Close. Go Far.” encouraging fall staycations
Itching to get out of the house after many months of staying #HealthyatHome? The Kentucky Dept. of Tourism says “Stay Close. Go Far.” A new campaign is encouraging Kentuckians to enjoy their own hometowns and nearby Kentucky attractions this fall and winter. Safe and responsible travel is possible within a short driving distance while taking […]
Derby at Home: Celebrating a September Kentucky Derby in a pandemic
It’s not exactly Christmas in July, but the first Saturday of May will be in September this year. Derby is normally a day when my social media feed is filled with photos of people at the track and my living room is filled with enthusiastic friends pretending to know anything about horse racing. There’s a […]
Kentucky women launch alcohol-free “bourbon”
Have you heard the buzz about the bourbon that won’t give you a buzz? Three Louisville women have developed Spiritless Kentucky 74, an alcohol-free “bourbon.” The new product, now available for preorder, has been getting favorable, but slightly incredulous write-ups in publications like Mashed, Garden and Gun, and the New York Times. Spiritless is touted as a distilled drink […]
Social distancing for Kentuckians: Measuring six feet in Kentucky’s favorite things
Kentucky businesses are reopening and Kentuckians are starting to resume their favorite activities that they’ve missed while staying #HealthyatHome due to COVID-19. State guidelines suggest maintaining a safe social distance for the near future. We thought it would be fun to put that distance (more than six feet or 72 inches) into a few easy […]