ShelbyKY Tourism, the destination marketing organization for Shelbyville, Simpsonville, and Shelby County, Ky., is launching new marketing, advertising, and public relations campaign focusing on attracting bourbon travelers. The campaign, ShelbyKY – Your Bourbon Destination, is designed to encourage travelers seeking out bourbon experiences to choose ShelbyKY. Highlights of the campaign include ShelbyKY’s two distilleries, central location on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, local farms that grow & process corn used to make bourbon, and bourbon-themed lodging and dining.
Located off I-64 and convenient to the state’s largest cities – Louisville and Lexington – ShelbyKY is the location of Bulleit Distillery and Jeptha Creed Distillery, is within easy driving distance of all distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and is close to the distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. ShelbyKY is home to several farms where corn is grown and processed in the making of bourbon: Tucker Farms supplies corn to Bulleit Distillery, Bagdad Roller Mills processes the corn used for Wild Turkey Bourbon, and the Nethery family farm grows the Bloody Butcher corn used in all of Jeptha Creed’s bourbons, vodkas, and moonshines.
In Shelbyville’s historic downtown, there are bourbon-themed spots for dining, socializing, shopping and spending the night:
- The Old Louisville Brewery Barrel Room is the second location of the Louisville-based brand. Opened in 2019, the Barrel Room is in a reclaimed building on Main Street and has dozens of bourbons available.
- The Red Lion is a multi-experience restaurant and specialty cocktail bar housed in a 200-year-old building on the grounds of the renowned Science Hill/Wakefield-Scearce Galleries. This downtown Shelbyville restaurant offers almost 100 bourbons.
- Wakefield Scearce is known around the world for creating handmade Sterling and Pewter Mint Julep Cups. “Served at the Kentucky Derby, the key ingredient in Mint Juleps is bourbon,” adds ShelbyKY President & CEO Janette Marson. “Julep Cups made at Wakefield-Scearce are inspired from originals, which were made in Kentucky during the 1800s. Over the years, each new President of the United States has been sent a cup hand-engraved with the Presidential Seal.”
- Featured on HGTV and overlooking Shelbyville’s historic Main Street, the owners of Bottled in Bond have transformed this late 1800s space from what was once a clothing factory into what looks like a scene from a James Bond movie. Features from the building’s former glory include original trusses, exposed brick and hardwood floors.
- Also overlooking Main Street, Saddlebred Suites offers visitors 3,000 square feet of an upscale-loft, boutique-hotel experience. Four suites offer guests the option of two-bedroom units or cozy studio spaces. Preserving the historic integrity of the 1890 building, the suites feature exposed brick, newly renovated bathrooms and hardwood floors
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