Bottled-in-Bond Day is Celebrated Every March 3 in NKY. Here’s Why.

*Updated March 2026*

We can all thank a guy from Covington, Kentucky for keeping iodine, tobacco and paint thinner out of bourbon.

Northern Kentuckian John G. Carlisle was the mover and shaker behind the passage of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, celebrated annually on the day it became law: March 3.

Bourbon Before Bottled-in-Bond

Prior to this legislation, bourbon distilling was like the Wild West in terms of governance, and bourbon makers — many of whom were considered whisky outlaws — were free to put all sorts of unsavory substances into their spirits to add color and flavor. Carlisle, who lived from 1835 to 1910 and served as Speaker of the House, Secretary of the Treasury and U.S. Senator, was the one who shepherded the Act through Congress.

As one of the very first consumer protection acts in American history, the Bottled-in-Bond Act actually beat out the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 by nearly a decade, setting some of the highest standards for spirit manufacturing in the world.

But not every whiskey carries the Bottled-in-Bond label. In fact, to earn this benchmark distinction, bourbon must meet specific criteria, including being the product of one distillation season; aged in a federally bonded warehouse at least four years; bottled at 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume); and labeled with the location of the distillery and the bottling. Of course, as is true of all bourbons, it must be produced in the United States.

Celebrating Bottled-in-Bond Day

Since 2022 — the 125th anniversary of the passage of the Bottled-in-Bond Act — meetNKY and the B-Line has sponsored an event named for bourbon’s quality assurance hero. The annual celebration honoring John G. Carlisle takes place the first week of March. In 2026, the celebration kicks off at Wenzel Distillery on March 3rd (National Bottled-in-Bond Day) and runs through the week with a headliner Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival concert on Saturday, March 7th at Smoke Justis.

GET ALL 2026 BONDED SPIRIT DETAILS HERE!

Whether or not you attend the event, whiskey fans and bourbon curious folks can celebrate this auspicious day and the influence Carlisle had on guiding this important Act through Congress with his compatriot, whiskey world visionary Colonel E.H. Taylor — considered the “Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry” — with a cheers.