The bourbon industry is a powerhouse for Kentucky’s economy, drawing visitors from around the world to tour and taste at distilleries across the state.
Now, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour is going through some changes to embrace a new era of bourbon tourism.
What’s New
Changes to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail include a new logo, combining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour into one reimagined Bourbon Trail program, and a new website featuring a “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail” option.
Recognizing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience can no longer be completed in a long weekend, the reimagined Bourbon Trail will shift away from incentivizing the desire to quickly finish the journey to instead slowing down, savoring the adventure and exploring the possibilities.
The new Bourbon Trail experience will showcase 46 of the Commonwealth’s finest distilleries, giving visitors more options to plan their trip.
In-depth marketing research has shaped an all-new brand identity for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that is modern, adventurous, and reflective of the new and elevated offerings at distilleries.
The new logo embraces the rich colors and textures of the Commonwealth’s Bourbon legacy and features typography that’s symbolic of iconic trailhead signs, evoking a keen sense of adventure.
Visitors will begin to see the changes throughout the summer.
Preparing For The Future
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association created the Kentucky Bourbon Trail pilgrimage in 1999 to educate visitors on the art and science behind making America’s only native spirit.
It was America’s first spirits tour and has since welcomed more than 18 million visitors from all 50 states and dozens of countries.
“We knew we had something special, but we never could have dreamed it would evolve from a simple industrial tour of distilleries into an international bucket list experience filled with rare and behind-the- scenes adventures,” said Eric Gregory, President of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
Following rapid growth and innovation by distillers, the KDA created the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® in 2012 to showcase smaller distilleries.
Now, 25 years later, the 28 craft distilleries will join the 18 members of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour to form one statewide Bourbon Trail experience.
To help plan for the future of bourbon tourism, thousands of Kentucky Bourbon Trail visitors were interviewed over the last year.
Key findings include:
- 76% of visitors come from outside of Kentucky.
- Visitors are coming in packs and staying in the region for 3 to 5 days.
- Guests typically spend between $600 and $1,400 on dining, entertainment, lodging, and transportation.
- More than 60% have incomes above $100,000.
- 60% of visitors are male, 36% female, 4% non-binary.
- 12% identified as a racial minority and 7% identified as LGBTQIA+.
- 91% discovered a new product or Bourbon brand during their trip.
- 97% were highly satisfied with their distillery experience, and 96% would recommend the KBT® to their family and friends.
These findings, along with the changes to the experience, will help help shape the future of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as the bourbon boom continues to draw in visitors from around the world.
For more information, visit kybourbontrail.com.
