Distilleries, Tours, and Bourbon Bars in the Cincy Region

Northern Kentucky is your gateway to bourbon country

Whether you walk or drive across one of the bridges leading into Northern Kentucky from Cincinnati or fly into the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), when you enter Northern Kentucky, you enter Bourbon Country. We are an Official Gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, home to 14 of the Best Bourbon Bars in America according to The Bourbon Review and were also honored by The Bourbon Review to be named one of the the Best Bourbon Weekend Trips.

For bourbon to be bourbon, it must be made in the United States and 95% of bourbon is made in Kentucky. Some of the best bourbon is made right here in Northern Kentucky and in Cincinnati.

There are seven Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries in Northern Kentucky:

1. New Riff Distilling in Newport

2. Second Sight Spirits in Ludlow

3. Boone County Distilling Co. in Independence

4. Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta

5. The Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville

6. Pensive Distilling Co. in Newport 

7. Augusta Distillery in Augusta

The B-Line® Bourbon Tour

All seven of these bourbon distilleries are part of The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky's bourbon experience. In addition to the distilleries, The B-Line includes 9 restaurants, all offering bourbon-infused cooking, and 9 bourbon bars, all of which have to keep at least 100 different bourbons on the shelves for you to taste. Grab a copy of the Line Guide at any of The B-Line stops and check in at 2 of the distilleries, 2 restaurants, and 2 bourbon bars and we’ll send you a free gift. If you prefer, you can get a digital version of the Line Guide on your phone. It includes special offers and discounts at The B-Line stops. 

More Cincy Region Bourbon Experiences Worth Exploring

The B-Line is a tasty introduction to NKY’s territory in Bourbon Country but there’s even more to discover in Cincinnati and Florence, Covington, and Newport, Kentucky and the surrounding region.

Willow Run Custom Bourbon in Downtown Cincinnati

Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, Willow Run Bourbon allows visitors to embark on an interactive custom bourbon experience where you will taste six uniquely-finished bourbons and learn to blend them into your own recipe. Love what you created? Your recipe can be bottled up and purchased for you to take home.

Wenzel Whiskey in Covington, Kentucky

Just a few blocks from several B-Line stops, Wenzel Whiskey is in the heart of downtown Covington, Kentucky. Here you can have your own whiskey blending experience in a building that was a rectifier (non-distilling producer) for whiskey before Prohibition. Sample from 4 different barrel proof samples and use those to create your own personal bourbon. Wenzel will happily fill you a bottle or case of your blend to take home. If you want to skip the blending and go right to the drinking you can pick up a bottle of of their house blends. 

Baker Bird Winery and Distillery in Augusta, Kentucky

Forty-five minutes down a scenic highway that winds its way next to the Ohio River, you’ll find Baker-Bird Winery and Distillery in Augusta, Kentucky. They’re home to the oldest wine cellar in the U.S. and offer a variety of bourbon barrel aged wines. They also offer several bourbons of their own. 

Bourbon Events around the Cincy region

The NKY and Cincy region enjoy a variety of bourbon-centered things to do all year. Keep an eye on our Events page and also the bourbon-centered calendar over on The B-Line.