Kentucky
Expanded Kentucky Bourbon Trail to feature both age-old distilleries and relative newcomers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is maturing, like the fine whiskeys it showcases.
A new-look Bourbon Trail unveiled Thursday will lead visitors to large and small distilleries alike, linking relative newcomers and age-old brands in a collective strategy to build on bourbon tourism’s popularity.
It began with seven participating distilleries welcoming visitors 25 years ago. Now the excursion will showcase 46 distilleries, giving visitors more options to plan trips to soak in the sights and smells of bourbon-making in the Bluegrass State.
Since its creation in 1999 by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, the spirits tour has attracted more than 18 million visitors from all 50 states and dozens of countries, the KDA said.
“The Kentucky Bourbon Trail now is a global, bucket-list tourism destination,” Eric Gregory, president of the distillers’ association, said as industry leaders gathered for the announcement.
As the original trail grew, it traversed the heart of Kentucky bourbon country, spotlighting such powerhouse brands as Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, Evan Williams, Four Roses, Old Forester, Michter’s and Bulleit.
In 2012, a separate Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour was launched to showcase the growing number of smaller distilleries seeking their share of the ultra-competitive spirits market.
Now those tours are consolidating. The new tourism and marketing strategy was unveiled in Louisville — the gateway to bourbon tourism. They also announced a new logo and a new digital marketing campaign to help tourists plan bourbon trips to the state.
Spirit companies have invested huge sums into new or expanded visitor centers to capitalize on the growing appeal of getting behind-the-scenes peeks into how bourbon is crafted.
For small distilleries, joining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail was likened to making the big leagues.
Kim Bard, co-founder of The Bard Distillery in western Kentucky, said it will immediately change perceptions about smaller producers that were part of the craft tour.
“People would come in, a lot of times they see us as less-than because we’re on the craft trail and not on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail,” she said in an interview. “They see that as a very distinctive line.
“Now that the KDA has put us all on the same trail, I think that sort of thinking will stop and we’ll be looked at as just another distillery, which is great for us,” she added.
Brent Goodin, owner of Boundary Oak Distillery in central Kentucky, predicted that shifting to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail will boost tourism at his and other smaller distilleries. Producers see tourism as an essential part of brand promotion.
“Anything we can do to make the tourist realize that everything is Kentucky bourbon and we’re all producing the same thing –- maybe not as much as the next guy but we’re all kind of in it together,” he said in an interview.
Any big bourbon announcement in Kentucky typically draws a bevy of the state’s political leaders. On Thursday, industry leaders were joined by Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, who co-chairs the Congressional Bourbon Caucus.
Bourbon tourism’s global appeal is creating more business opportunities for producers, Barr said.
“There’s so much opportunity in the export market for Kentucky bourbon,” Barr said.
Coleman led the crowd in toasting the bourbon sector’s past and future while recognizing Kentucky’s status as the “undisputed home of bourbon.”
Bourbon tourism has shaken off any pandemic-era hangover as venerable bourbon producers and industry newcomers alike are benefiting from a new surge in visitors. Attendance surpassed 2.5 million visitors last year along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour.
Overall, Kentucky’s bourbon industry injects $9 billion into the state’s economy each year, creating more jobs and attracting more tourists than ever before, according to a recent study. More rounds of growth are expected as Kentucky producers make billions of dollars in capital investments. Kentucky distillers produced a record 2.7 million barrels of bourbon in 2022, according to the report, which was commissioned by the distillers’ association.
Producers had a record inventory of 12.6 million bourbon barrels aging in warehouses at the start of 2023, according to the association. Those massive inventories are a bet on the future because most bourbons typically age four to eight years before reaching their market. Bourbon gets its flavor and golden brown color during aging.
Kentucky distillers produce 95% of the global bourbon supply, the KDA says.
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The top-seeded teams dominated the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with the lone double-digit seed advancing to the Sweet 16 being Texas, one of the most iconic brands in college sports.
Texas being a “Cinderella” in 2025-26 is fitting for where men’s college basketball is as a sport amid the name, image and likeness era. The lone double digit seed to reach the Sweet 16 last season was Arkansas, which is led by one of the greatest coaches ever in John Calipari and was riddled with talent.
No. 12 seed High Point gave its best shot at breaking that mold on Saturday, March 21, before ultimately falling to No. 4 Arkansas 94-88 in a highly competitive game. No. 11 VCU also had a chance to be the latest mid-major to reach the Sweet 16, but was dominated by No. 3 Illinois 76-55.
Only 16 teams remain, with just one weekend before the Final Four returns to Indianapolis. Here’s a look at our five worst moments of the NCAA Tournament’s second round in 2026:
5 worst moments of NCAA Tournament second round
Vanderbilt star Tyler Tanner nearly made an all-time shot for the win against No. 4 Nebraska in the second round, but the ball rimmed out after multiple bounces off the backboard and rim.
Tanner was already having a career performance, as he finished with 27 points and four assists with four steals. With 2.2 seconds he caught the inbounds pass on the opposite side of the court before heaving it from behind halfcourt, which barely missed and resulted in Vanderbilt’s entire bench falling to their knees in disappointment.
Nebraska’s Braden Frager hit a game-winning driving layup to hand his school its second-ever NCAA Tournament win and first Sweet 16 appearance. Unfortunately, one of Vanderbilt or Nebraska was headed home after one of the best second-round games in recent memory.
“We were in an inch away from being in the Sweet 16,” Vandy coach Mark Byington said. “It’s going to take a while for us to get over.”
Florida was shocked by No. 9 seed Iowa in the second round, falling 73-72 after Alvaro Folgueiras hit a game-winning 3-pointer with less than five seconds remaining. It’s a brutal finish to the season for the Gators, who played their way back onto the 1-seed line after winning 16 of their last 17 regular-season games.
Florida looked like a top national championship contender, especially with its impressive frontcourt of Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu. But sometimes March Madness strikes, and unfortunately it did for Florida before the first weekend came to a close.
Iowa ended the game on a 7-3 run, which was ultimately the difference in the back-and-forth, highly competitive game.
Kentucky makes the bad kind of history
While Kentucky survived a scare against Santa Clara in the first round, it took a wild shot from Otega Oweh at the buzzer to force overtime. The Wildcats kept within distance of Iowa State in the first half of their game on March 22, before the Cyclones pulled away for a dominant 82-63 win.
Kentucky played sloppy basketball against Iowa State, setting a program record for most turnovers (20) in an NCAA Tournament game. The 19-point loss was also Kentucky’s largest loss in a March Madness game since 1972.
Second-year coach Mark Pope is facing a pivotal offseason, especially with Oweh exhausting his eligibility.
David Punch’s nose
TCU star David Punch took a shot to the face from Duke’s Cameron Boozer late in the second half of a close game on Saturday, March 21, and wasn’t the same after returning to the game. Boozer was called for a Flagrant 1 on the play, although Punch was unable to shoot the free-throws as he returned to the bench with blood flowing down his face.
Punch Jr. briefly went to the locker room, missing the remainder of the first half before returning in the final 20 minutes of the game.
TCU trailed 38-34 at halftime, before falling apart and losing 81-58 to Duke to end its season. And despite coming off a 16-point, 13-rebound performance against Ohio State in the first round, he was held to four points on 1-of-10 shooting against the Blue Devils.
High Point’s season comes to an end
High Point’s program-best season came to an end against No. 4 Arkansas, as it fell 94-88 after winning its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in the first round. The Panthers dominated the regular season, finishing the regular season 30-4 with a Big South Conference Tournament win.
Chase Johnston became the latest March Madness legend after helping High Point to a win over Wisconsin, and Rob Martin channeled his inner-Kemba Walker with 30 points and five assists in High Point’s loss to Arkansas.
High Point was putting on for mid-major programs in the NCAA Tournament and hopes to continue its momentum fresh off a respect-earning trip.
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