For the first time ever, whiskey drinkers have the opportunity to check out Bulleit’s two-year-old, $130 million distillery, in Shelbyville, Kentucky, thanks to the recent opening of its $10 million visitor’s center—one of the newest attractions on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Not only did the company want to create a modern visitor experience, but it is also determined to use the best global practices for sustainability and completely use renewable electricity by 2030. The whiskey is currently made from locally grown corn to help shrink its carbon footprint, the Visitor Experience buses run on propane and the company has the largest industrial solar array in the County.
Whiskey Blender Eboni Major raises a glass to the opening of the new Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience.
Courtesy Bulleit Distilling Co.Bulleit expects to see close to 100,000 people visit the state-of-the-art facility within the next year. In addition to going on a tour, visitors can enjoy a tasty whiskey cocktail from the on-site, zero-waste bar; take part in a multi-sensory tasting of Bulleit’s award-winning bourbons and ryes; and wander through an organic cocktail garden planted with help from the University of Kentucky. (Its produce features prominently in the rotating selection of seasonal cocktails mixed up at the bar.) To personalize the entire experience, guests over the age of 21 can design a custom bottle label.
The distillery is located roughly 30 miles from both Louisville and Lexington. Tickets can be purchased at the visitor’s center (open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) or in advance online at www.bulleit.com.