Bourbon bars, distilleries and tours in the Northern Kentucky region

Northern Kentucky is your gateway to bourbon country

Whether you walk or drive across one of the bridges leading into Northern Kentucky from the Cincinnati side or fly into the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), when you enter Northern Kentucky, you enter Bourbon Country. We are an Official Gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, home to 11 of the Best Bourbon Bars in America according to The Bourbon Review and were also honored by The Bourbon Review to be named the Best Bourbon Weekend Trip you could take in 2019.

For bourbon to be bourbon, it must be made in the United States and 95% of bourbon is made in Kentucky. Some of the best bourbon is made right here in Northern Kentucky.

There are five Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® bourbon bars and distilleries in Northern Kentucky:

1. New Riff Distilling in Newport

New Riff Distilling's main building, with lots of windows and the three story copper still visible through the main tower.

2. Second Sight Spirits in Ludlow

A still shaped like a fortune teller, under a gold theater awning at Second Sight Spirits

3. Boone County Distilling Co. in Independence

Stacks of bourbon barrels held in red shelves at Boone County Distilling Co.

4. The Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta

Exterior photo of the Neeley Family Distillery with a green vintage car in front at sunset

5. The Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville

Pogue still

The B-Line Bourbon Tour

All five of these Northern Kentucky bourbon distilleries are on our local self-guided bourbon tour, The B-Line® aka The Bourbon Line. In addition to the distilleries, this bourbon experience includes six restaurants, all offering bourbon-infused cooking, and seven bourbon bars, all of which have to keep 100 different bourbons on the shelves for you to taste. Grab a copy of the Line Guide at any of The B-Line® stops and check in at 2 of the distilleries, 2 restaurants, and 2 bourbon bars and we’ll send you a free gift. If you prefer, you can get a digital version of the Line Guide on your phone. It includes special offers and discounts at The B-Line® stops.

More Northern Kentucky Bourbon Bars and Experiences Worth Exploring

The B-Line is a tasty introduction to NKY’s territory in Bourbon Country but there’s even more to discover in the Florence, Covington, and Newport, Kentucky. region. You will find surprisingly large bourbon selections in many of our local restaurants and bars around Northern Kentucky.

The storefront to Revival Vintage Spirits with a green door and wooden sign Two tall shelves holding dozens of bottles of vintage bourbon at Revival Vintage Spirits

Revival Vintage Spirits and Bottle Shop in Covington, Kentucky

Just one block away from three B-Line stops, Revival Vintage Spirits and Bottle Shop is in the heart of downtown Covington, Kentucky. Founded by Brad Bonds, a well-known collector and curator of vintage bourbons, Revival offers the history of bourbon in a tasting. You can taste vintage bourbons from every decade going back as much as a hundred years! The friendly bourbon enthusiasts at Revival are happy to help you discover which of their impressive collection you’d like to taste or take home a bottle of. They also have vintage bourbon decanters and other fun merchandise, like branded bourbon wall clocks, for sale.

Stone building under a blue sky surrounded by green grass at Baker Bird Winery

Baker Bird Winery and Distillery in Augusta, Kentucky

Forty-five minutes down a scenic highway that winds its way next to the Ohio River, you’ll find Baker-Bird Winery and Distillery in Augusta, Kentucky. They’re home to the oldest wine cellar in the U.S. and offer a variety of bourbon barrel aged wines. They also offer several bourbons of their own.

Bourbon Events around the Northern Kentucky region

The NKY and Cincy region enjoy a variety of bourbon-centered things to do all year. Keep an eye on our Events page and also the bourbon-centered calendar over on The B-Line®.