Bulleit Partners with Leaders in Tech & Sustainability to Open the Newest Visitor Experience on The Kentucky Bourbon Trail®
From an On-Site Cocktail Bar with Globally Recognized Bartenders to State-of-the Art, Sensory-Rich High Rye Whiskey Tastings, the New Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience Forges New Frontiers
SHELBYVILLE, KY. – JUNE 18, 2019 – Since its inception in 1987 as one of the highest rye whiskeys on the market, Bulleit has been known as the bourbon that broke the mold. This week, Bulleit continues that tradition of innovation by opening its new Visitor Experience for bartenders, partners and guests from the local community and beyond at the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville, KY. Complete with a sensory-rich tasting experience brought to life through new partnerships with leaders in technology and sustainability, the experience will officially become the 17th stop on The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® when it opens to the public on Tuesday, June 25th.
“We wanted the Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience to be reflective of our approach to flipping the script on the whiskey category by curating an immersive, personalized consumer journey steeped in design, technology and of course, our delicious family of high rye whiskeys,” said Sophie Kelly, Sr. Vice President of Whisk(e)y at Diageo North America. “From our work with Oceanic Global to ensure we’re making sustainable, environmentally conscious decisions, to partnering with The University of Kentucky to bring an organic garnish garden to our cocktail bar, we’re continuing to make friends on the modern frontier to help us bring consumers amazing experiences.”
A little over 30 miles from downtown Louisville and Lexington, the Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience is conveniently located and part of an exciting and growing Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. The creation of a world-class distillery and Visitor Experience has generated more than 75 jobs over the last five years and represents an investment by Diageo of approximately $150 million in Kentucky over that time.
Frontier-forged friendships + a passion for partnerships
While Bulleit was born in Kentucky, it has become one of the fastest growing whiskeys in the world through the support of bartenders, creatives, makers and Frontiersmen and women around the globe. To reflect that approach, Bulleit tapped many of them to help create an awe-inspiring experience including:
- In partnership with the United States Bartender’s Guild, Bulleit will collaborate with Katie Renshaw, “The World Class 2019 U.S. Bartender of the Year” to create the initial signature cocktails that provide visitors with a premium and innovative experience at the new Bulleit Distilling Co. cocktail bar.
- Bulleit will leverage technology to provide guests an experience unlike any other on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® with a heightened multi-sensory tasting experience that goes beyond standard tastings through immersive sensory elements like olfactory balls and a timed light-and-soundscape designed in partnership with Sonos. The experience is intended to enhance the flavors that make Bulleit high-rye whiskeys so unique.
- Visitors 21+ will have the opportunity to make Bulleit their own at the Bulleit Studio where they can use a 43" touchscreen drafting table to design a customized Bulleit label to apply to their own bottle.
- A Kentucky shop, Worn & Co. celebrates unique style through a mix of new and vintage pieces for men and women. Worn & Co. will be outfitting all the Visitor Experience staff’s apparel for a true Frontier style, and will have goods available for purchase in the Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience retail shop.
- Local Graffiti Artist, Braylyn Stewart (otherwise known as ‘Resko’), is a working mural, tattoo and conceptual artist based in Louisville who designed an eco-friendly, green fuel-powered graffiti bus for the Visitor Experience Tour, adding a unique element of local creative flare.
To celebrate other people and partners who have had a significant impact on the brand, Bulleit has created an interactive “Frontier Gallery” as part of the Visitor Experience tour. From cultural tastemakers, to longstanding whiskey ambassadors, the gallery serves as a technologically advanced hat tip to deserving brand icons.
Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience tour highlights sustainability, technology and modern entrepreneurial spirit
In addition to showcasing the power of partnerships, the Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience highlights a number of sustainable practices achieved through a commitment to leveraging modern technology to distill, age, bottle and share the Bulleit family of whiskeys, including:
- A new partnership with the non-profit Oceanic Global to ensure the tasting experience and cocktail bar aligns with The Oceanic Standard (TOS), a badge and certification for venues that have adopted sustainable operating practices and are committed to eliminating single-use plastics.
- Through an organic cocktail garden developed in partnership with The University of Kentucky, Bulleit is integrating local, sustainable options into the bar program by building a greenhouse on the Bulleit Distilling Co. property to provide ingredients and garnishes for the onsite cocktail bar.
- Reducing its carbon footprint, Bulleit partnered with the Kentucky Propane Education & Resource Council, in its commitment to using propane to power Visitor Experience buses.
- Bulleit Distilling Co. along with Diageo has made a commitment to sourcing 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. Bulleit Distilling Co. is home to the first industrial solar array in Shelby County, which is capable of collecting enough energy to run most on-site exterior lighting as well as some mobile equipment.
The details
All whiskey sales and sampling will be limited to guests 21 years of age and over, but the destination will be open to people of all ages. Upon opening to the public, the Visitor Experience will offer guided tours with Bulleit tastings for $20. Entry to the cocktail bar, retail shop featuring many local Kentucky partners, and access to outdoor grounds, will be free of charge. Tickets will be available for purchase on-site, but Bulleit recommends buying them ahead of time at www.Bulleit.com. At the outset the Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience and cocktail bar operating hours will be Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET. The Bulleit Distilling Co. will also be hosting community events throughout the summer and is available for private events. For more information, please contact 502-647-5799. In addition, the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery will remain open to the public for visitors, and also a destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® in Louisville, KY.
To keep up to date with the latest news from the Bulleit Distilling Co., make sure to follow @Bulleit on Facebook and Instagram. Whether enjoying a cocktail at the Bulleit Distilling Co., or at home with friends, please do so responsibly.
About Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Bulleit is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America, founded in 1987. The brand attributes that growth to bartenders and cultural partners who've adopted it as their own. The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey portfolio is distilled and aged in the Bulleit family tradition, using a distinctive high rye recipe, which gives them a bold, spicy taste. Most recently, Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon won a Double Gold medal and Best Straight Bourbon at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
In 2017, Bulleit celebrated its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art distillery located in Shelbyville, Ky. In 2019, a Visitor's Center will open at the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville to share our modern, technological and sustainable approach to making great whiskey. For more information, visit www.bulleit.com or follow @Bulleit on Instagram.
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.
Follow us on Twitter for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.
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Media Contacts
Allison Fleischer, Diageo
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Alex Stathis, Taylor
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