Hartfield and Co. (Paris, KY)

Hartfield and Co. is a small bourbon distillery in Paris, Kentucky. Stop in for tours, tastings, and time with the distillery cats!

A bourbon distillery in Bourbon County — eventually it had to happen, right? As of 2025, it's the only one — although it wasn't always that way.

What's interesting about this part of the state is that Bourbon County used to be much bigger, taking in practically all of eastern Kentucky. It was named in tribute to France's help during the Revolutionary War and then soon passed the name on to the local corn-based whiskey.

There were many distilleries in Bourbon County before Prohibition shut them down. So things have kind of come full circle with Hartfield and Co. opening up in 2014 (shortly after Bourbon County became "wet" and allowed alcohol sales).

This distillery is part of Kentucky's famous Bourbon Trail.

Want to build a bourbon-based itinerary with multiple stops? Within about a 30-minute drive of this one, you can also tour Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. and the James E. Pepper Distillery.

Hartfield and Co. is one of Kentucky's tiny distilleries, and it reminded me of Barrel House Distillery. It's been interesting to see these small-batch producers around the state get up and running in recent years!

There are a number of Prohibition-era antiques as décor, though they're not necessarily specific to this facility.

Framed sign of closure for violation of Prohibition.

Tours at Hartfield and Co.

The basic distillery tour can be booked online. It lasts about 45 minutes and includes a tasting.

Racks of bourbon for sale at Hartfield & Co. distillery.

For a more immersive experience, check out the "Day as a Distiller" package, which gives you up-close access to the bourbon-making process (and includes a bottle of whiskey to take home).

Interested in a tasting only? There's no need to book ahead for that; you can just show up at the bar and purchase a flight for $10.

Tasting bar at Hartfield & Co. distillery. — Tasting Bar

Meet the Distillery Cats

Three distillery cats roam the building.

We met two: Rye and Waylon (Waylon is named this because he likes to talk or "sing" to himself).

Tabby cat lying on floor and looking up at camera. — Waylon the Cat

What Will I See on Tour?

The tour includes an overview of the distilling, aging and bottling process.

They age some of their bourbons (the 'prohibition recipe' ones) in small barrels from 8 to 12 months. The small barrels apparently add flavor (to the small amount of liquid) more quickly than large barrels would, so they're able to finish the aging process in less time.

They also age some of their bourbon in traditional-size barrels, and for longer.

Barrels with Hartfield & Co. Distillery stamp in rickhouse.

The tour included a look at their still and some details on how it works.

Finally, we ended the tour with a tasting of their white whiskey (white dog), two Prohibition-era-style bourbons, and one of their modern-style bourbons.

It was a really fun tour with lots of cat time!

Tabby cat standing on wooden plank in rickhouse. — Rye the Cat

What Products Are Stocked at Hartfield and Co.?

Old Bourbon County is one of their flagship whiskeys, but you'll also find the pre-Prohibition-style bourbon, a reserve batch, rum, gin, and something called Frankenwhiskey. (It's becoming a tradition for them to take remnants of multiple different mash bills and combine them in a unique annual blend.)

Bottles of Old Bourbon County whiskey for sale.

Bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup and coffee beans are also popular choices.

Packages of bourbon barrel aged coffee beans for sale.

Bourbon barrel aged maple syrup for sale.

We used their single barrel cask strength bourbon to make Manhattans at home! They were delicious.

Hartfield and Co. is a nice stop if you're in the Bourbon County area. For a place to eat before or after your tour, we recommend Burnaco's or Happy People Coffee Company!