Kentucky Hidden Wonders

Inside the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® with Mandy Ryan

• Kentucky Hidden Wonders

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We sit down with Mandy Ryan, Director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Experiences, to unpack how a six-stop trail from 1999 has grown into a powerhouse composed of 58 destinations that’s reshaping Kentucky tourism, extending stays, and driving local communities' economies. From the Amber Triangle of Louisville, Lexington, and Bardstown to small-town gems like Shelby County, the trail’s variety now spans ultra-modern sustainability showcases and family-run farm-to-glass distilleries.

We dig into what modern visitors actually want: hands-on cocktail classes, chef-led dinners, meet-the-maker sessions, and tasting rooms where stories are as rich as the pours. Mandy shares why the audience is widening—more women, more mixed friend groups—and how simple, bartender-led guidance helps first-timers ease into tasting with confidence. Along the way, we talk real impact: a $9.2B industry driving jobs, payroll, and a ripple effect for hotels, restaurants, and downtown businesses. Shelby County’s numbers illustrate how distilling fuels local growth, with even more distilleries on the horizon.

Planning just got smarter, too. After a major rebrand, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is rolling out a new itinerary builder where you can favorite distilleries, drag-and-drop plans, plus a pocket-friendly Z-fold map that puts every region in your hand. We also tackle headwinds—tariffs, wellness shifts, GLP-1 medications, cannabis competition—and why authentic hospitality and premium experiences keep demand strong, even when foot traffic softens. If you’re ready to design a meaningful bourbon journey—one that pairs rickhouses with great food, art, and Kentucky’s signature hospitality—this conversation is your roadmap.

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🎙️ Kentucky Hidden Wonders is presented by ShelbyKY Tourism.

🥃 Plan a visit to Your Bourbon Destination® at www.visitshelbyky.com. Located in the heart of central Kentucky and less than an hour from Louisville and Lexington, ShelbyKY is the perfect Kentucky getaway. Complete with two great distilleries, action-packed outdoor adventures, and the best vacation rentals near Louisville, put ShelbyKY at the top of your list when planning a Kentucky Bourbon Trail® trip, romantic couples retreat, or a whole-family vacation.

🎙️ Kentucky Hidden Wonders is hosted by Janette Marson and Mason Warren and edited by Ethan Fisher.

📲 Follow Kentucky Hidden Wonders:

© ShelbyKY Tourism, All Rights Reserved.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, welcome to Kentucky Hidden Wonders. Uh, our guest today is Mandy Ryan, uh Director of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences for the Kentucky Distillers Association. Thanks for being here. Thanks, Mandy.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, of course. So, uh, to kick things off, tell us a little bit about you. How did you come to be the director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences and you know, start at the beginning?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's actually uh a fun question that relates to your job. Um I worked at the Danville Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau right out of college. And um, my boss was hired to be the first ever director of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Um, so when he left, there was another position that came available shortly after. Uh so I moved there in 2013 and I'm in my 13th year at the Kentucky Distillers Association.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. Well, congratulations. Thank you. Lucky 13, I guess.

SPEAKER_03:

So we're gonna call it Lucky 13, definitely. So tell us a little bit about what is happening with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Anything, I'm just kind of jumping in. I'm very excited to hear all that you've got. Um, but what's what's new? Anything new?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so we are heading into the 27th year of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It started in 1999 with six distilleries. And so in this year coming up, we're adding 10 more distilleries. So it's going to make a total of 58 distilleries. That was excellent, math. Excellent.

SPEAKER_03:

So where are they? You know, like of course, we're in that golden triangle up here. Um, are they throughout the state or are they in near the Louisville-Shelby area?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so we actually call it the Amber Triangle. Of course you do. Yes, of uh Louisville, Lexington, and Bardstown. So you are nestled right there between Louisville and Lexington. Uh, but yeah, they are spread all throughout the state. Uh, we have distillery destinations, anywhere you can throw a rock. Uh, so it's really fun to promote the different regions. They all have the different feeling and energy. Uh, so yeah, it's fun to promote each one of them individually.

SPEAKER_02:

Gotcha. And then so to do for your 25th, you kind of did a big rebranding process and did the the world's toast to bourbon, which won an award at the KTIA Kentucky Travel Industry uh annual conference this year. So congratulations on that.

SPEAKER_00:

And congrats to you as well with your big win.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, thank you. So we bourbon is like you talked about, we're right in that area, the amber triangle uh that you called. So that is, you know, a big part of what we're doing and what we're you know, pitching to people to get them to come visit Shelby County. And so here uh we have two excellent distilleries, Jepp the Creed and Bullet. Uh, can you talk a little bit about just kind of the diversity of distillery experiences that people can see throughout the state? I mean, here uh with Bullet, uh, we always say you can kind of get both ends of the bourbon spectrum in one county. Bullet is obviously internationally recognized, really well known and large, uh, very high tech. Jepp the Creed is also fantastic, but they're a lot smaller, I say more small batch type uh approach, very, you know, hands-on for the visitor. Uh, and so that's just kind of two. But can you talk about just throughout the state as well, uh, what those visitor experiences look like?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think that's been the most fun evolution that I've seen over the course of my job is just the different uh types of experiences that have popped up. So it's not just a traditional production tour anymore in a tasting. They still have those. But if you want to do a cocktail class or a wreath making class or a meet the master distiller experience, you can do all of those things at distilleries now. You can have world-class dining experiences. Um, and Shelbyville is a perfect example of that. Bullet is ultra modern. They are just a bastion of sustainability practices, um, which is great. Um, they really lead the charge there. Um and then Jepp the Creed is a family-run, smaller distillery, but they are mighty in that. Um, they have the farm where they produce almost all of the corn that they use on site, uh, and then all the flavorings for their special specialty cocktails and their flavored uh liqueurs and things like that, they all grow it on site. Uh it's it's fascinating. Um, and they also have the rescue cats that got a lot of media attention lately. Absolutely. If there's anything I've learned, if you put a dog or a cat on social media, you're gonna get a lot of engagement.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03:

So and they have been very, very popular. So here in Shelby County, and I'm just curious if you find this across the Commonwealth as well. As soon as we figured out what was making people spend the night here, um, and of course it was Bourbon and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, um, we started marketing that and went from a day trip uh destination, literally, uh, to an overnight destination. And it's all thanks to Bourbon and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. So I love our partnership. But are you finding that across the Commonwealth as well, that bourbon is causing people to spend longer time here and more money?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, uh I was actually just looking at that data today. So it was good timing. Yeah, our visitors do tend to stay about three to five nights when they come. Uh the average Kentucky visitor is about two and a half days, I think, or two and a half nights. Uh so they are staying a little longer. They're definitely spending more. And our average Kentucky Bourbon Trail visitor's household income is over$100,000. Um, so that's that's um about double, I think, the average Kentucky visitor. Uh so yeah, we're we're really proud of the you know, the different people we bring in. I mean, we bring in a wide swath.

SPEAKER_03:

So over the last three years, Mason and I travel to all kinds of travel shows and we've talked to a lot of different people. It seems like the audience for bourbon is becoming a little bit different and maybe shifting to more women, possibly. Can you talk about that? Is there what what are you finding, Mandy?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we definitely are seeing our demographic evolve some. And it's it we're definitely getting more women. And I might be a little biased, but I think women have they tend to have better palettes. So they can really understand uh bourbon in a more complex way sometimes. Um, not always, but sometimes I find that. Um, and we're we're also seeing people traveling in groups, and it's not just groups of guys who love bourbon, but it's also groups of women that want to come down and hang out. Um, and then the different experiences that we have now just really lends itself to the different types of people that want to come and experience bourbon.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, absolutely. With some of the distilleries having artwork, I think one of my favorite artists, Julie, um, has is displaying art. I mean, it's just so, so very varied.

SPEAKER_02:

But and it kind of like what you talked about earlier. I mean, it's not just okay, let's go look at a fermentation tank. It's you know, that more kind of varied experiences where you do kind of get that whether you're looking for the higher-end dining or just something kind of fast casual like what they have at uh Jeff the Creed, for example. They have fantastic uh food there. It's not, you know, five-star white tablecloth, but that's not what people are always looking for. And so those kind of unique experiences that are are out there. So can you uh since we talked about palettes, uh, can you talk a little bit about just in your opinion, what is kind of the best way to, for someone that doesn't have a lot of experience with kind of tasting bourbon or trying to pick out those those tasting notes, how do you start that process? I know this isn't really talking about tourism or experiences or anything like that, but you know, a lot of times someone's first foray into bourbon is not here on the bourbon trail. Uh it's, you know, at home. They're trying something. So how do you approach tasting something and trying to pick out those notes?

SPEAKER_00:

That's a good question. Um, I think I would say go to your local bar that you trust and just pick the bartender's brain. They know so much. Yeah. Um, so ask them where to start, what's an approachable bourbon to start with, and then maybe start trying it in a cocktail. If you choose something simple, like an old-fashioned that's just bourbon, sugar, and bitters, and then you switch out the bourbons, you can really quickly tell the differences. Um, so a cocktail might be more approachable. Uh, or you could start trying bourbon with water added, and then slowly just add less and less water as you get more acclimated to it. Um, but bourbon is different than wine. If you're uh used to drinking wine, you put your whole nose down in that glass and you close your mouth and you you you uh you breathe fully through your nose. Yeah. You don't want to do that with bourbon, it's gonna blow out out your palate really quickly. So you want to breathe, breathe with your mouth open and um just start to prepare your palate for what you're gonna taste.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. That's very good. I I think I've gotten um a lot of different tips. I don't know if I always do it right. I do, I think I do it differently every single time. Um, bourbon is so important to the Commonwealth of Kentucky's economy. Definitely important here in Shelby County as well. Can you talk a little bit about the impact? I know you said uh number new numbers are coming out, so you don't you don't want to uh release anything uh too soon, but just generally um the impact that bourbon makes on the Commonwealth and and as well as it here in Shelby County.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Uh so bourbon is a$9.2 billion industry in the state of Kentucky. Um that is just absolutely phenomenal. It creates so many jobs for Kentuckians, um, and it provides payroll taxes, it provides taxes that support our local and state community. Um, so yeah, we're we're really proud of our industry here in Kentucky.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, it definitely is helping so many, so many different things, and we're very thankful. We I don't, and I I think we have have mentioned uh to you before that we're getting two new distilleries. Yeah. So we're very excited about that as well. So our economic impact right now is based on two distilleries. I can't wait to see what the impact with four. Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So uh for Shelby County specifically, can you just do you have any numbers about, you know, total payroll or like how many, you know, what those wages are in our economy that are supported by the bourbon industry?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, the the latest numbers that came out, and there are newer ones that will be big bigger and better, I'm sure. But the last numbers that came out, uh payroll generated was close to eight million dollars. That's wild. And the output was 76 over 76 million dollars and output for the county.

SPEAKER_02:

76 million dollars worth of product that is being you know made here. So that's uh it's a good number to have.

SPEAKER_03:

So that payroll, it feeds a lot of families, and um, definitely there's a definite trickle down.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, the spin-off factor of the hotels and the restaurants. You have such a beautiful downtown with great dining options and uh places to stay. And Mallard Hall Estate is a great place to stay if you ever want to come. Yes, indeed. Is it a net out there?

SPEAKER_02:

I saw where they are now an official partner of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. So talk a little bit about kind of what that partnership model looks like and how, you know, if someone listening has a vacation rental or something like that, that they would like to, you know, become involved in that partnership approach, how does that work? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh so the Kentucky Bourbon Trail program was primarily started to promote our distilling members. Um, but as it has evolved, we have grown to include hotels, restaurants, uh um transportation companies, DMOs like you all direct marketing organizations. Uh so it if you have a company like that and you think you know bring something to the table for our bourbon visitors, we would love to have you on board. Just reach out.

SPEAKER_02:

And there's a vetting process, I'm sure, to make sure that it you know meets the quality of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that the Bourbon Trail is known for.

SPEAKER_03:

So well, it's been very helpful for our tourism office just to be able to say that we're a part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and to be on your website, to be featured at times. Um, it's been invaluable, most definitely. So we are very, very thankful.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

So we've talked a little bit about, you know, what's happened uh so far, but what's uh I know you said new numbers are coming out soon, and that's always exciting. But some people may not be math and numbers people. But if anything else that's coming up that's exciting that you can share or tease about?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. So all year we have been working on the phase two of our website. As you mentioned in 2024, we rolled out our new branding for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We also rolled out a new website. This will be the next iteration of that. So when you're visiting and you're planning your trip, you can go on our site, create your own profile, and then drag and drop and heart and favorite and um create your own itinerary. Oh, that's wonderful. Very funny. So if you want to go to Bullet and you want to go to Jepta, and then you want to stay at Mallard Hall Estate, you'll pull all of that over into your itinerary. And then you can share it with your family and friends and collaborate on how you're gonna make the best Kentucky bourbon trail trip that's out there.

SPEAKER_03:

And so when is that coming out?

SPEAKER_00:

The um that will be coming out in Q1. So I would look for that either January or February. Wonderful. We're so excited.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely. One thing that I am I absolutely loved, and everything you guys do is wonderful, but I loved the field guide, the the little booklet. Would you ever um think about bringing that back where people can go and get a stamp and um just kind of follow their journey?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we've talked about that. So we did a lot of research um about that whole process, and it had an incentive model. So you got a free gift when you completed everything. Um, and we talked to our distilleries and we talked to our partners and we talked to visitors, and we just decided that we had grown past that point, especially with as many distilleries as we have now, uh, currently 58, soon to be 68. Um, it just was not sustainable. So we have gotten a lot of feedback from our distilleries that, you know, some people do really enjoy having something tangible. So we're working in Q1 also to produce a Z fold map. Have you seen the Z Fold maps?

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. Yeah. I have not seen it yet. Have you seen it, Mason? I'm very excited then.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, yeah. So it'll have all the regions in there. Every distillery will be plotted, um, and it'll really be a nice handheld guide. But there will be space in there if people want to put stickers down or they want to get a signature from a master distiller. They can make their little notes.

SPEAKER_02:

Um like a mini passport. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um, so we're really excited about that. We did get some feedback that the field guide was too big, it didn't fit in your pocket, didn't fit in your purse super well. So this should be a little slimmer and be more portable.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, um as I'm talking how much I love the field guide, I always forgot to take it with me. So there is that, there is that. So I'm excited about the trifold map, though. Very, very excited. So anything else? What are we missing about talking about? I mean, there's so much to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and so many new partners coming on and so many new things. Um, I love your new look and I love that you've got a new website. What uh what else can we uh what would you want the listeners to know about, I should say, that we have not yet discussed? Something maybe that people don't know about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that you wish they knew?

SPEAKER_00:

I think I would just want people to know that there is so much to do in Kentucky. You know, it's we've taught we touched a little bit on it before, but you know, if if you're a foodie, if you if you like gin, if you like brandy, if you like wine, there there's so much to do here. It's not just bourbon, it's not just old white guys.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

There's a lot, there's horses. Uh Shelbyville is the saddlebred capital of the world. Right. Yes. Wild. Yes. Um, so you get not only bourbon, you can get horses, you can get all so many world-class experiences here. Um, so yeah, that I think people don't understand that. And our hospitality here is second to none.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, yeah. Oh, you are so right. And great hospitality at every one of the distilleries, absolutely. Um, one question that just popped into my mind. Um, people are talking about uh maybe not so many people purchasing bourbon anymore. I I'm feeling like the visitors are still coming to the distilleries. What do you find?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, um, this is a topic. Uh there are several headwinds facing our industry right now, tariffs, uh, people choosing healthier lifestyles, which is great, but we still think we can fit into that lifestyle. Indeed. Um people are talking about Gen Z not possibly not drinking as much as previous generations. I think the jury's still out on that. Uh, not not all of Gen Z has hit 21 yet. So I think uh there's still more to be seen there. Um, marijuana has been a topic of conversation, if that is pulling people off of the category. Uh, there's still a lot to unfold in all of those categories. So we will see GLP ones is one as well. If if you're on one of those drugs, you might not be drinking. Um, but yeah, I think you're you've hit the nail on the head. I think it's tourism, it's that authentic connection to the stories and to the brands and to the people that is going to keep people coming back year after year.

SPEAKER_02:

That was that was my feeling. I've always said I have no, I've not done any research to back this up or anything. But when people are asking about bourbon prices or things like that, I always my answer has been uh that the people that are interested in visiting the distillery to see where it's made, the price of the bottle is not necessarily as important to them. The the diehards uh are gonna come see you know where it's made and meet the master distiller, regard whether the brothel price goes up five, ten, twenty dollars or however much it may be. Uh I don't have any numbers or research to back that up, but that's just anecdotally what I've seen.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. It it has been interesting because I think everybody has felt a squeeze this year in terms of tourism and uh additional spending. Yeah. But our distilleries, in some cases, they might report a lower foot traffic, but higher visitor spend. So the people who are coming are still interested in those premium bottles, the premium experiences, uh, and you know, they want to do something authentic while they're here. Very good.

SPEAKER_03:

I um had been hearing that luxury travel. is um what is kind of moving uh tourism along. So just what you're saying, you know, people are wanting the premium experiences and and um so I mean it's just very, very interesting.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, absolutely. And with that, I think that's a good place to leave it. So thank you for uh coming on the show.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much. It was great to be here.

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Janette Marson

Host
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Mason Warren

Host