by Bardstown, KY –William Heavenhill and Walt Disney never met. The founder of Heaven Hill Distillery died more than 3 decades before the entertainment icon was born. But the people behind the once and future expansion of the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown are certainly kindred spirits with the creative storytellers known as Disney Imagineers.
Thanks to these Heavenhill Bourboneers (my phrase, not theirs) it’s time to get ready for Bourbon Distillery Tour 2.0: a mix of memorable and authentic bourbon history with exciting new technology and interactive equipment that will show and tell the story of Heaven Hill’s brands and people like never before.
At a sneak preview for media and tourism officials this week, Heaven Hill showed off the completed first phase of renovation of the Bourbon Heritage Center with three updated, themed tasting rooms and expanded retail space. (Much of the fun of a distillery visit is taking home the swag, and Heaven Hill has an impressive selection of bourbon booty.)
In addition, Heaven Hill officials unveiled plans for the phase two expansion of the Center that will feature three new exhibits and a new rooftop restaurant, nearly tripling the square footage and doubling the footprint of the current facility. Both phases are part of a $17.5 million project that includes expanded and modernized production facilities.
The Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center has never been about showing you “just the corn and water facts, ma’am” of the bourbon distilling process. While you can see the mechanics of bourbon on an artisanal scale at The Evan Williams Experience in downtown Louisville, the Heaven Hill tours in Bardstown don’t put visitors in the same room with a single mash tank or still.
And that’s okay. This new phase of the Bourbon Heritage Center will use technology that any theme park or cutting-edge interactive museum would be proud to display to help you understand the Heaven Hill Distillery brands in unique new ways.
The finished new space has three elaborately themed tasting rooms, all surrounding a giant barrel room where visitors watch a 270-degree movie about (what else) the making of bourbon barrels.
Let’s take a tour of the new tasting rooms:
- The Fitzgerald Room
This ornate, Victorian-era parlor room honors John E. Fitzgerald, the inspiration behind Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald and Larceny bourbon brands. Legend has it that Fitzgerald, a bonded treasury agent, used his keys to liberate bourbon from the rick houses. Look for the Larceny keys (not unlike Hidden Mickeys at Walt Disney World) throughout the detailed decorations in this room.
- The Library
The next tasting room, The Library, is an imagining of the personal library of Elijah Craig. This room honors the so-called father of bourbon who was also an educator, inventor, and preacher. A 26-foot long walnut library table with leather chairs takes center stage, with library shelves, books, and even a rolling ladder, give the room its name. A church door in the sidewall and barrel hoop art overhead round out the homage to Elijah Craig.
- The Founders Room
The final tasting room, The Founders Room, is an eclectic nod to the Shapiras, the family who founded Heaven Hill in 1935, with industrial-chic concrete floors and galvanized steel furniture. A 20-foot bar made of reclaimed wood from a rick house, copper light fixtures, and black and white photos on the back bar round out this fun and hip space.
The Phase Two expansion, slated to open in spring 2021, is when the Walt Disney World vibe will really start to be felt. Highlights will include multi-sensory exhibits on the evolution of Kentucky bourbon and the Heaven Hill Distillery, lead brands Elijah Craig and Larceny, and a rooftop restaurant. Here’s a sneak peek:
- Elijah Craig Exhibit
Char is the word in this gallery, which tells the story of educator/pastor/inventor/bourbon scion who Heaven Hill says was the first to burn the inside of a barrel. Expect to learn how and why this plays a major role in the final flavor profile of bourbon as we know today.
- Larceny Exhibit
The larcenous world of John E. Fitzgerald comes alive in the Larceny gallery where you’ll get to thief whiskey from a bourbon barrel. Enjoy the lively debate as anthropomorphized decanters argue how to choose the best barrels. (So far, no word on the possibility of an animatronic version of John E. Fitzgerald or Elijah Craig.) And, finally, learn how wheated bourbons, like Larceny, compare to its small grain cousins.
- “You Do Bourbon” immersive space
School is in session in the classroom-style tasting room where you’ll take notes on your experience as you sample unique whiskeys. Next, you’ll have a chance to bottle your favorite bourbon or whiskey from your tasting, and then label and personalize it in the Bottling Room. Close out your hands-on experience as a quality technician where you’ll look through microscopes, gauge whiskey proof, and breathe in the product at the nosing station.
- Rooftop Restaurant
Reward yourself after all this hard work with a stop at the new rooftop restaurant with “good food, served quickly,” lounge-style seating and an upscale bar overlooking the Heaven Hill rick house.
The Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center has hosted 60,000 visitors a year since it opened in 2004 and is part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It has been named Whiskey Magazine’s “Visitor Attraction of the Year” multiple times. At the preview event, officials noted the continuing role the facility will play in the growth of tourism and the local economy.
So, even if you’ve visited the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, it’s time to plan another fun, educational, and tasty visit. Then go ahead and mark your calendar for Spring 2021. It will be worth the wait.
By Brian G. Miller, CTA
