Louisville mayor touts city's bourbon boom during his time in office

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If the Kentucky Derby put Louisville on the map, you could say, Muhammad Ali, the Louisville slugger and bourbon made it famous.

Thursday afternoon, outgoing Mayor Greg Fischer was joined by representatives from the bourbon and hospitality industries and highlighted the creation and growth of "Bourbonism," a word Fischer says was created and trademarked several years ago and includes a special blend of Kentucky's best.

"The creation of Bourbonism has been a really huge part in this journey that we've had," he said Thursday. "Obviously, the first one is bourbon, right? Then Kentucky hospitality, Louisville hospitality, distillery experiences, and then our great local food scene here."

Fischer said in a news conference Thursday that there were no distillery experiences in the city in 2014. Today, there are 10.

And Louisville will add two new bourbon experiences in 2023. Buzzard's Roost will open a micro-distillery at 624 W. Main St., and Bardstown Bourbon Co. will open a tasting room at 730 W. Main St.

Chris Morris, the longtime master distiller for Woodford Reserve, said everyone will benefit from the bourbon boom.

"Bourbon is making Louisville known around the world because no single city identifies with a spirit like global does with Kentucky bourbon," Morris said. "As long as people are learning about our wonderful beverage — a distinctive spirit of America born and raised here in Kentucky — and it helps all members of the Commonwealth in terms of the economy, it's a win for us all."

Fischer's office said the city welcomed 12.7 million visitors in 2011. Thanks to the bourbon boom, that number grew to 19 million in 2019.