The Bourbon Trail has become a tourist destination for many whiskey fans — a pilgrimage of sorts for many. And now, there’s a new “old” addition for them to check out.
Old Forester Distilling Co. recently returned to the same building it once called home and opened to the public. The $45 million, 70,000 square foot distillery will take guests through the brand’s history and bourbon making process of  “America’s First Bottled Bourbon.”
Old Forester will add production capacity of approximately 100,000 proof gallons annually. Visitors will follow the bourbon-making process in an immersive experience that leads them from fermentation and distillation, to the on-site cooperage where handcrafted barrels will be raised and fired, then aged in an on-site maturation warehouse before bottling and shipment across the globe.
“Over the last 148 years, Old Forester has had its share of memorable moments and enduring accomplishments,” said Campbell Brown, Old Forester president and fifth-generation Brown family member. “Today marks yet another chapter to a story that has survived Prohibition, world wars and the changing palates and tastes of consumers across the globe. We are delighted to now welcome friends old and new into our new, old home.”
Old Forester Distilling Co. joins ten other distilleries as an official member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour. Distillery tours will be offered seven days a week, with production Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tour and tasting will be offered at $16. Online reservations are suggested, though not required.
