Stitzel-Weller Distillery

The Garden and Gun Club was absolutely beautiful and made an amazing cocktail. This distillery tour was rich in history and our tour guide DeAnna was fantastic. She was so personable and knowledgeable . The history was fascinating. My husband and I loved the Bulleit Rye during our tasting. Would highly recommend!

Our tour guide Rick (Rico) was amazing. Learned a lot of interesting history and the bourbon was great!

Casey was incredibly knowledgeable. Fantastic tour!

Loved the tour, the tasting, and the story of Stitzel-Weller! Great experience. If you have a chance, take this tour!

We had a great time. Turns out 2:30 pm on a Monday afternoon is a great time to avoid crowds. We also had a drink at the bar. Our drinks were amazing. If you want something different staff can make anything you might want. Highly recommend!!

Very informative tour, lots of history, and beautiful grounds. Would love to visit again for some drinks in the garden and gun club.

If you are ever in Louisville, KY we highly recommend taking the progressive walking tour. The site is so beautiful and lovingly preserved. Our tour guide, Sean, was fantastic and so knowledgeable. It's hard to believe he has only been there 2 1/2 months. We learned so much from him.

🥃 Stitzel-Weller Distillery – History You Can Still Feel
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Tucked away just outside Louisville, the Stitzel-Weller Distillery is a true landmark of bourbon history – even if the stills have long gone quiet.

Though it’s no longer an active production site, a visit here is a deep dive into the legacy of some of the most legendary names in bourbon – including Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle. This site was once home to the original wheated bourbon recipes that shaped today’s most sought-after bottles.

The tour is all about history, heritage, and storytelling. You walk through the same grounds where bourbon giants once worked, learning how this place helped define what Kentucky bourbon would become.
It’s a powerful, reflective experience – not focused on production, but on the spirit of tradition.

The Visitor Center and gift shop are excellent – filled with rare bottles, elegant merchandise, and stories at every turn. But the real gem?
The Blade and Bow bar, located in the beautifully preserved main house.
It’s not just a bar – it’s a warm, welcoming lounge with leather chairs, low lighting, and that unmistakable old Kentucky charm. It feels more like a private library than a tasting room – the kind of place where you want to sit, sip, and stay.

✨ And then there’s the Five Keys.
At the heart of Blade and Bow bourbon is the story of the five brass keys once used to unlock the different areas of the distillery: grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation, and aging – the five pillars of great bourbon.
Finding all five collectible keys in Blade and Bow bottles earns you access to the exclusive Blade and Bow Key Holder’s Room, located right here in the distillery.
A private lounge, reserved only for those who’ve collected the full set – it’s a beautiful nod to tradition and reward for true fans.

No, you won’t see active distilling here – but that’s not what Stitzel-Weller is about anymore.
It’s about honoring the past, savoring the present, and feeling the quiet weight of bourbon legacy all around you.

✅ A must-visit for any bourbon lover who wants to experience not just the product, but the soul behind it.

Blade & Bow bourbon is excellent.
. We also enjoyed 15 year IW Harper in Garden & Gun Bar...

I recommend doing the walking tour. There is such rich history there and great bourbon. The bar is also very nice.

An amazing experience! Our tour guide made the whole day. Fun, delicious drinks + food, and a wonderful atmosphere! :)

Great tour by Rico! Really enjoyed all the history and the bourbon tasting!

Everyone there was very nice and informative. Nicely kept and atmosphere. The bearded fella gave a great tour!

Very warm nostalgic atmosphere. Great staff. Great tour to get the beginning of how things got started.

Being able to free rome several of the buildings and then have the Bourbon and Chocolate Sensory Experience , was just amazing. We had a lovely tour guide named Carly, she was very knowledgeable and charismatic during our tour. Learning how bourbon and chocolate relate and how they pair was exciting and different. Highly recommend.