Why Is Bardstown The Bourbon Capital of The World?

When people think of places with good bourbon, everyone immediately thinks of Kentucky. Which makes total sense, most of the distilleries are in Kentucky, most big bourbon events are in Kentucky, etc. But, upon closer examination, many people realize that most of the big events, and even many of the distilleries are all centrally located around one cute little city called Bardstown, but why is this? With Major cities in Kentucky like Louisville, many would think that the bourbon capital would be there, and while they do have a lot of good bourbon events and happenings, it's nothing like Bardstown. The reason that Bardstown is such a bourbon destination, unsurprisingly, is rooted in historical precedence.

Back in the day, distillers loved Bardstown for one simple reason: water. The Bardstown area is abundant in underwater springs that provide the limestone water that distillers utilize when making our favorite beverage. This brought some great distilleries to the area, such as Heaven Hill and even Willett!

Fast forward to today and Bardstown is the head of the famous Kentucky bourbon trail, which seems very fitting given its historical roots in the bourbon world. Bardstowen also continues to cement its legacy in the bourbon world, by hosting the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which is by personal account the largest bourbon festival I have ever seen.

Have you ever been to Bardstown? What was your favorite distillery tour in the area? Let me know by rating it on the world's best Whiskey app, NEAT: Whiskey Finder!. I'll see you there!