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    Home » Travel » Food Travel » Kentucky » Bourbon Trail

    Barrel House Distillery (Lexington, KY)

    Published: Jul 24, 2023 · Modified: Nov 15, 2024 · Leave a Comment

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Lexington's Barrel House Distillery offers visitors a look at one of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's smallest operations!

    Barrel House Distilling Company brick exterior.

    Lexington's semi-new Distillery District on Manchester Street keeps drawing us back time and time again for new explorations.

    (Not only are there distilleries, but we've also discovered a great coffee shop, Brevede, and a delightful ice cream place, Crank & Boom!)

    On one of our latest trips to this part of Lexington, we toured Barrel House Distilling Company, which opened in 2008. It's a truly tiny distillery, good for if you want that craft, small-producer vibe.

    It's near the modern-day James E. Pepper location, which we've enjoyed touring too. (And while you're in the city, don't forget to also check out Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.!)

    Interested in checking out even more distilleries, including ones like Maker's Mark? See my guide to the original nine places on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

    Here's a glimpse at our tour of Barrel House Distillery!

    Booking a Tour

    You can book a tour online.

    Tours and tastings are $10 per person as of 2023, or $7 for only the tasting.

    A Stop at Elkhorn Tavern

    Elkhorn Tavern is the taproom connected to Barrel House.

    Sign for the Elkhorn Tavern.
    Elkhorn Tavern

    If you get a cocktail here, you can bring it along for the tour.

    We tried the Barrel House Breeze cocktail, made with bourbon, Ale-8 and pineapple juice.

    Barrel House Breeze cocktail with bourbon, Ale-8 and pineapple juice.
    Barrel House Breeze Cocktail

    There's also a moderately-sized food menu at Elkhorn Tavern with appetizers, soups, salads, charcuterie boards, and desserts.

    Bar inside Elkhorn Tavern.
    Inside Elkhorn Tavern

    Touring Barrel House Distillery

    The building that now houses Barrel House Distillery was originally the barreling house for the larger James E. Pepper distillery next door. (Hence the name.)

    Barrel House was one of the first businesses to breathe life back into this rather deserted corner of the city. Now, of course, it's bustling!

    Here, they produce about 60 barrels a year, besides an amount of vodka, rum and moonshine. These other liquors, which are quicker to produce than bourbon, help fund this tiny operation.

    Barrel House moonshine, vodka, rum and whiskey in bottles for display.
    Vodka, Rum and Moonshine

    Everything in this operation is done by hand! There are plastic mash tanks — five mash tanks for one barrel.

    Plastic mash tanks.
    Mash Tanks

    Interested in some extra reading on the distilling process? I recommend the book Bourbon Curious by Fred Minnick.

    Small mash tank.
    Mash Tank

    The grains are then filtered out by straining through a mesh sieve with a shovel.

    Mesh sieve and shovel for straining mash.
    Filtering Grains Out

    We saw antique distilling equipment, including some from the original James E. Pepper distillery, which had a long history prior to its recent rehabilitation. There's also a copper gas-powered cooker.

    Copper still.
    Copper Cooker

    There are plastic barrels for the high and low wine.

    Tank for high wine.
    High Wine Tank

    In many ways, this tour feels like you're getting a look at a bourbon operation from a DIY level. It's kind of interesting seeing the process handled on a very small scale.

    (Just to be clear, bourbon is not something you can actually DIY: it requires getting licensed and meeting requirements. This may be a small facility, but these guys are masters of their craft!)

    Bourbon barrels along floor and shelving in distillery.
    Bourbon Barrels

    The bottles are filled and labeled by hand.

    Empty bottle at filling station.
    Bottling By Hand
    Empty whiskey bottle next to Barrel House labels.
    Bottle Labeling

    The tasting included one vodka, two moonshines, two rums, and one bourbon. We also got a ticket for $1 off a tasting of the pricier Rockcastle bourbon back at Elkhorn Tavern.

    Bourbon sample next to souvenir prescription form for medicinal liquor.
    Souvenir "Prescription Form" From Prohibition Era

    Tour time is estimated at about an hour, but save a little time afterwards for the gift shop!

    Rum, whiskey, and moonshine bottles.
    Products for Sale
    Gift shop at Barrel House Distilling Company.
    Souvenirs at Gift Shop

    If you're interested in the fast-increasing whiskey business in central Kentucky, don't forget to give the little guys on the Bourbon Trail some time! Places like Barrel House Distillery make for a fun afternoon out.

    More Bourbon Trail

    • Bourbon still at Hartfield & Co.
      Hartfield and Co. (Paris, KY)
    • Willett Distillery stone and wood building.
      Willett Distillery (Bardstown, KY)
    • Exterior of Jeptha Creed Distillery, a red wood-sided building with black roof.
      Jeptha Creed Distillery (Shelbyville, KY)
    • Angels Envy Distillery brick building.
      Angel's Envy (Louisville, KY)

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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