Bourbon Week
June 13th - 20th, 2025
Presented By:
Mash Sponsors:
Welcome to Downtown Frankfort Bourbon Week!
June 13–20, 2025
Get ready to immerse yourself in the spirit of Frankfort! Join us for a weeklong celebration of bourbon heritage, historic downtown charm, and unforgettable experiences.
Here’s what’s happening:
Throughout the week, we’ll be highlighting a variety of bourbon-related experiences and products that showcase the best of what our area has to offer:
🥃 Bourbon Tours & Experiences
Explore the heart of bourbon country!
Take part in special tours and activities that dive into Frankfort’s rich bourbon history and craftsmanship. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or new to the bourbon world, there’s something for everyone.
🛍️ Bourbon-Inspired Products
Shop local, sip local!
Discover a variety of bourbon-themed products from talented local artisans and vendors — from handcrafted goods to unique souvenirs you can only find here.
🍸 Signature Cocktail Celebration: “The Frankfort”
Last year, we officially crowned The Frankfort as our city’s signature cocktail — a twist on the iconic Manhattan!
This year, celebrate with us during a Signature Cocktail Stroll, tasting unique versions of The Frankfort at downtown bars and restaurants. Cheers to creativity, community, and great bourbon!
🎶 Bourbon Week Kickoff Concert
Friday, June 13, 6:30PM | Downtown Frankfort Summer Concert Series
We’re kicking things off early!
Join us for an electric evening with New Orleans blues band Jackson and the Janks, bourbon tastings, and a downtown celebration like no other.
Come sip, shop, and stroll your way through Downtown Frankfort Bourbon Week — where bourbon, history, and hospitality come together in the heart of Kentucky!
June 13th, 6:30PM
Bourbon Celebration Concert
Featuring: Jackson and the Janks
There will also be a special one-night-only screening of the new documentary “Frankfort, Kentucky: The Heart of Bourbon” — just before the Summer Concert Series begins! It will then play on loop during the concert with special bourbon tastings from various distilleries inside the Foundry on Broadway – Premier starts at 5:30PM and will continue until 9:30PM.
Catch a sneak peek of the trailer below:
Bourbon Week Tours/Exhibits
Learn more about the fascinating special exhibits and tours to participate in!
Bourbon Belle Boat Tours
- Old Taylor Tour : Old Taylor Tour plus Buffalo Trace Distillery Tour and Tasting
- Trace Tour : Buffalo Trace Distillery Tour and Tasting
- Bourbon History Tour
- Bourbon and Boats River Tour and Taste : Progressive Bourbon Tasting with Bourbon on Main Barrel Picks
- Bourbon History Tour
Bourbon Blazer "The Frankfort" Tour
Self-Guided, Bourbon History Walking Tours
Stroll through Downtown Frankfort in the footsteps of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. listening to the voice of the Colonel on your smartphone as he tells you the story of his life.
E.H. Taylor Jr. (1830 – 1923) is considered the Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry and he lived and worked in Frankfort, Kentucky. This is where he made and lost and made several fortunes and created revolutionary changes in the distilling business.
His life’s work in distilling, agriculture and politics improved the lives of all Americans and his name is known around the world.
As you walk around the town you can still see and feel his legacy in our architecture and in our hospitality. Enjoy the tour with the legend himself!
Capital City Museum Bourbon Exhibit
Transplants to Frankfort learn quickly that the smell of home is the distiller’s yeast in the air. Bourbon permeates the lives and livelihoods of everyone here. The workers who distill, bottle, and distribute bourbon call Frankfort and Franklin County home. Their labor forms the backbone of the industry. It supports and sustains the many adjacent industries which have grown to support bourbon tourism, like hotels, restaurants, and bars. This exhibit celebrates the brands, jobs, people, and impact of bourbon in our community.
Open 10 – 4, Monday – Saturday, Admission is Free.
Castle and Key Tours
Whether you’re visiting Castle & Key Distillery for the first time or making a return pilgrimage to our hallowed grounds, we’re ready to welcome you.
Castle & Key began restoring the historic Old Taylor Distillery in 2014 and after four years of hard work, was overjoyed to open the distillery to visitors in September of 2018. Now we are excited to offer a range of experiences from tours to private events among a myriad of other reasons to visit the site.
Jeptha Creed Tours
Owned and operated by dynamic mother-and-daughter duo Joyce and Autumn Nethery, Jeptha Creed sits on 64 acres of farmland, where we grow the Bloody Butcher Corn we use for all of our products. One of the things we’re most proud of here at Jeptha Creed is our commitment to the ground to glass concept. Whenever we can, we grow the ingredients that we use in our spirits.
J Mattingly Tours
In the cellar is the heart of our distillery. There you’ll find the blending experience room. Here you’ll be guided through the process of “thieving” or extracting bourbon directly from the barrel. You’ll have chance to sample a selection of different taste profiles and once you find your signature taste, we’ll complete the bottle to your exact recipe, then create a custom label which you name and wax seal in your choice of colors.
Larrikin Bourbon Tours
Larrikin Bourbon Co. is the true-blue embodiment of the American Dream: a craft distillery built from scratch with a fair dinkum, no-nonsense approach to making bloody good bourbon.
Left Bank Bourbon Tours
Left Bank Starts with delicious, mature straight Kentucky Bourbon. We pick our barrels from the best and most consistent distilleries in Kentucky. We then add our own custom blend of oak staves into the barrels just prior to the start of their journey to New Orleans.
Whiskey Thief Tours
UNCUT & UNFILTERED EXPERIENCE
Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. in rural Franklin County is a celebration of single-barrel Bourbon crafted by single-batch distillation. Located on a 127-acre working farm in the heart of Kentucky, our 10-year-old distillery combines a unique thieving experience with Bluegrass hospitality for a one-of-a-kind whiskey adventure. For Bourbon wanderlusters who know there’s nothing like uncovering a hidden gem, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. is a destination unlike any other.
SIMON House of Kentucky, the Bourbon Ball Gala
is proud to feature Buffalo Trace Distillery bourbon
- When: Saturday, June 14, 2025
- Time: Beginning at 6:30 PM
- Where: The Ashbrook in downtown Frankfort
The inaugural fundraising event benefiting the SIMON House of Kentucky, the Bourbon Ball Gala, is proud to feature Buffalo Trace Distillery bourbon and a sampling of their bourbon collection paired with an assortment of savory and sweet Southern flavors created by The Ashbrook culinary team for the ultimate bourbon tasting experience. This one-of-a-kind bourbon event also features live music, a complimentary signature cocktail, a cash bar, a silent auction with bourbon-themed and other items, and a special live auction featuring rare whiskey offerings and much more.
Tickets are $100 and the price includes one signature cocktail, admission to the event, bourbon tasting and food pairing, and registration for the silent auction. Tickets are available below.