Bourbon-forward bar inside Party Source celebrates with September events
COVINGTON, Ky. (August 25, 2025) –The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s self-guided bourbon experience, is raising a glass to Merchants Club, the newest stop added to the passport program. To celebrate, the cocktail bar and lounge has a series of events and promotions throughout September, National Bourbon Heritage Month.
Celebrations kick off from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 3 with the “Toast to the Trail” launch party featuring live bluegrass music, B-Line swag giveaways and a ceremonial “first pour.” Guests will also get the first taste of a new signature B-Line cocktail.
Throughout September, guests can enjoy “The Merchants Pour,” a limited flight featuring bourbons from along The B-Line® and a commemorative tasting glass. On Sept. 11, Merchants Club will debut its “Monthly Meet the Makers” series. Held on the second Thursday of each month, guest distillers from The B-Line stops will host a tasting, sign bottles and share stories with attendees.
“Being part of The B-Line®, a curated collection of premier distilleries, bourbon bars and restaurants, amplifies our commitment to bourbon heritage and hospitality,” said Lauren Pellecchia, one of the lead bartenders at the Merchants Club. “We look forward to welcoming bourbon-curious visitors and locals to experience what we have to offer here at Merchants Club, a perfect blend of history, bourbon and community.”
Located within Party Source, the inspiration for this reimagined cocktail bar and lounge is Newport’s storied gangster past. Taking its name from a former gathering place once frequented by the mob, the bar artfully pays homage to the era through thoughtful details of leather, textured velvet and the elegance of an artfully crafted Manhattan or martini.
“Kentucky bourbon is a huge tourism draw for our region, attracting more than 2 million visitors to the Commonwealth each year,” said Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of meetNKY. “In building out a key tourist attraction, like The B-Line®, The Merchants Club was a great addition due to its exceptional bourbon selection, and location inside the nation’s largest employee-owned liquor store, which is a destination in itself.”
Launched in 2018, The B-Line® is Northern Kentucky’s official collection of bourbon bars, restaurants and distilleries aimed at introducing millions of bourbon-curious visitors to the northern gateway of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, which saw 2.7 million visitors in 2024. The new addition to The B-Line® brings the number of establishments throughout Covington, Newport, Independence, Sparta, Augusta and Maysville, Ky., to 29. A full list of participating establishments can be found on The B-Line’s website.
There are seven strict criteria that new stops along the self-guided tour must agree to be a part of The B-Line®. These include things like fostering a culture around bourbon through continuing education and stocking certain types of bourbon. Restaurants must offer at least 50 bourbon labels (with a preference for Kentucky Bourbon), while bars must stock at least 100. Weekly bourbon-infused food and drink specials are also a requirement, and bars must host bourbon-related events and offer specialty flights.
Distilleries must be members in Good Standing with the Kentucky Distillers Association and be part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. Full details on qualifying for The B-Line® can be found on meetNKY’s website.
For the latest list of B-Line National Bourbon Heritage Month events and specials, visit thebline.com. To learn more about meetNKY, visit meetnky.com.
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About meetNKY:
meetNKY drives quality of life and economic growth for Northern Kentucky through tourism marketing and destination development. Learn more at meetnky.com.
About The B-Line®
First introduced in early 2018, The B-Line® was created to help capture the millions of bourbon-curious people who travel along I-75 or fly into CVG Airport annually to visit Kentucky’s famed Bourbon Trail™. As of 2025, the self-guided bourbon experience is comprised of 9 Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries, 10 bourbon bars, and 10 bourbon-centric restaurants. For more information on The B-Line® visit thebline.com.
