LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Old Forester is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its return to Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville.
A lot has changed since Old Forester returned to Whiskey Row at 119 W. Main St. in June 2018, but one thing remains the same: Bourbon is driving tourism downtown.
Several businesses have moved out of downtown since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a quarter of "Class A" office space in the Central Business District vacant, according to JLL Real Estate.
The dearth of downtown businesses has not affected foot traffic at the distillery. Old Forester officials said the downtown business is going strong, with more than 126,000 visitors in 2023 alone.
Old Forester Distilling Homeplace Manager Emily Sledge said Whiskey Row continues to draw customers.
"We've got Rabbit Hole and Angel's Envy down the way, Number 15 just moved in and opened up a couple weeks ago, and then I think even Bardstown Bourbon is joining the crew downtown," Sledge said. "So I think that it just gives people a lot more to do in the in the kind of congested downtown area, so we love that.
"We'd love that more more opportunities to put bourbon to lips and get get more fans of Old Forester."
Old Forester whiskey has been around since 1870 and was the first ever bottled bourbon. It's also the only bourbon that was available before, during and after Prohibition.
As part of its celebration, Old Forester donated $12,000 dollars to the Center for Women and Families. The proceeds are a result of the inaugural Old Forester Sleepeasy immersive experience on Main Street.
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- Brown-Forman's downtown distillery part of plan to propel Old Forester
- IMAGES: Old Forester releases renderings of new Whiskey Row distillery
- Brown-Forman begins construction on new Old Forester Distillery at Whiskey Row
- Brown-Forman increases estimate for downtown Old Forester distillery
- Brown-Forman Corp. to build $30 million Old Forester distillery on Whiskey Row
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