More than 1.5 million people took the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour in 2021. Not surprisingly, that’s a big increase from 2020 Covid-slashed 587,00. It’s offer only 13% from the attendance record of 1.7 million set in 2019, the Kentucky Distillers Association said.
KDA President Eric Gregory hailed the news as testament to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail’s bucket list destination status and said 2021 would have been another record-setting year if not for reduced tour sizes, limited hours and closures due to COVID and staffing issues.
Plus, he noted several KBT® destinations were closed or at limited capacity because of major expansion projects. Most notably, James B. Beam Distilling Co. was closed for 10 months while constructing its new $60 million tourism experience in Clermont, which is now open.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® charted its best year ever in 2021 with more than 615,000 in total attendance, an increase of 170% from 2020 and 40% higher than its previous record in 2019.
The KBT Craft Tour® also added four new stops for an all-time high of 23 distilleries in the nation’s first-ever adventure to showcase the micro distilling movement: The Bard Distillery in Muhlenberg County; Castle & Key in Woodford County; Copper & Kings in Louisville and Log Still in Nelson County.