Old Forester Distillery Tour Barrels Made Before Your Eyes
A Whiskey Row visit with the cooperage, the stills and the tasting under one roof.
Old Forester dates to 1870, when George Garvin Brown began selling bourbon in sealed bottles, and it is the only bourbon sold by the same company before, during and after Prohibition. Its distillery on Whiskey Row brings the whole process into one building, including an on-site cooperage where you can watch barrels raised and charred.
Watching a barrel catch fire a few feet away tends to be the moment people talk about at dinner.
Old Forester · FAQ Good to Know
On West Main Street in downtown Louisville, on Whiskey Row, a short walk from most downtown hotels.
Yes. The distillery has its own cooperage on site, and tours usually include watching barrels raised and charred.
Yes. The tour covers the full process in one building, from grain to barrel to bottle, which makes it a good introduction before a day in the country.
In 1870, George Garvin Brown began selling Old Forester only in sealed glass bottles, at a time when most whiskey was sold from the barrel. The sealed bottle was a promise of consistent quality.
Madeline & Mose is an independent Louisville concierge. Tours at Old Forester are run and priced by the distillery under its own policies; we reserve them for you and plan the day around them. Old Forester is a trademark of its owner.