Green River Distilling Co., the Whiskey with No Regrets, in Owensboro, Kentucky, has made its way just over 100 miles east to Louisville’s Whiskey Row. Distilling at KY-DSP-10, the 10th oldest licensed distillery in Kentucky will continue to occur in Owensboro but the new visitor center and tasting room in Louisville will introduce many more bourbon fans to the brand.
The new 4,400 square-foot visitor center is now welcoming guests to the newest stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail™. As you walk in, you’ll see
A horseshoe-shaped cocktail bar, referencing the brand’s iconography, offers a selection of Green River cocktails, neat pours, and education. Throughout the space, Green River relics showcase the brand’s storied history which began in 1885. Original warehouse lighting, distiller’s switchboards, and copper tanks from Owensboro are artfully integrated into the Tasting Room’s contemporary décor. Designed for Green River’s casual brand of timeless fun, the space features a flexible stage for music and VIP experiences, TVs, comfortable seating, and “Shoot the Shoe,” a game of skill using the Green River bottle as a goal.
“For 140 years, Green River Distilling Co. has built a history of quality, approachability and resilience,” said Mark Erwin, CEO of Lofted Spirits. “The Whiskey Row experience will raise the spirits of enthusiasts and bourbon-newcomers while becoming a welcoming spot for locals to unwind.”
Hear about the new Green River decanter from Master Blender Dan Callaway.
Hear from Green River Distilling Co. Head Distiller Aaron Harris.
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Fill Your Own 1890s Style Ceramic Bottle – No Reservation Required
No need to book in advance, guests can simply walk in and sign up for tastings. Offered every hour, tastings include Green River’s Core Flight, Green River Candy Bar pairing, and custom flights. A retail section offers an array of Green River whiskies, including limited editions, with an engraving machine onsite allowing guests to personalize bottles.
Adding a touch of mystique, the “Dept. of Spirit Preservation” is hidden in plain sight. With plush seating and a separate cocktail menu, the intimate speakeasy style lounge is tucked away from the traffic of Main Street.
Within the Dept. of Spirit Preservation, guests can participate in the “Fill-Your-Spirits” personal decanter experience. A brand whose history dates to 1885, the white, ceramic jug references a release from the late 1890s and is offered only through the experience at Green River’s Louisville Tasting Room. Enthusiasts will fill their own jug with straight-from-the-barrel Green River. The Fill Your Own Experience will constantly evolve, offering consumers rotating barrel strength recipes including Green River’s core bourbon, wheated bourbon, and rye at various proof points and ages. Unfiltered and barrel strength, the contents will range in proof from 115 – 130. A limited number of “Fill-Your-Spirits” experiences will be offered daily for $79.99.
“This new space captures both the grit of our Owensboro origins and the spirit of play, surprise and community that defines us now,” said Dan Callaway, Lofted Spirits Master Blender.
The new Green River tasting room is located steps away from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Louisville Experience, which has drawn more than 150,000 visitors since opening in Fall 2023. Green River’s expansion onto Whiskey Row continues the company’s mission to bring new consumers to American whiskey through authenticity, and approachable hospitality.
The Rebirth of ‘Whiskey Row’
Oh my, how times have changed. When Prohibition was enacted in the U.S. in 1920 what used to be a bustling distilled spirits scene on Louisville’s Main Street dried up. After the 21st Amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933, no distilleries returned to Louisville’s Whiskey Row until the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience opened on Main Street in 2013. Since then, there are now 20 active distilleries or distillery visitor center experiences in downtown Louisville with more on the way.
The space was designed by Joseph & Joseph Architects, who were honored by The Kentucky Society of The American Institute of Architects with the 2024 People’s Choice Award for the Bardstown Bourbon Company Louisville Experience. The space was constructed by Buzick Construction. Reed Weinberg and Jenny Johnston of PRG Commercial Property Advisors served as real estate brokers.
Green River Distilling Co. is a celebration of classic Kentucky – honoring the past while staying firmly planted in the present. The 10th oldest licensed distillery in Kentucky (DSP-KY-10), Green River is known as “the Whiskey Without Regrets,” and enjoys a rich history dating back to 1885. Reintroduced in 2022, Green River Distilling Co. proudly calls Owensboro, Kentucky home and serves as the westernmost outpost of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Authentic and approachable, Green River offers a growing portfolio of whiskeys crafted from historic mash bills. Blended to create a smooth and welcoming taste profile, Green River Distilling Co. is a true testament to simplicity and quality going hand-in-hand. Green River is part of Lofted Spirits, one of the largest American Whiskey distillers in the U.S.
Related Stories
– Green River Distilling’s ‘Pride of Owensboro’ Coming to ‘Whiskey Row’ [Renderings] Nov 2024
– Green River Distilling Airdrops the Official Bourbon of the U.S. Army to Celebrate the Army’s 250th Anniversary Jun 2025
– Bardstown Bourbon Co. Opens Immersive Tasting Room, Bar & Retail Experience on Louisville’s ‘Whiskey Row’ Nov 2023
– Bardstown Bourbon Co to Open Satellite Location on Louisville’s ‘Whiskey Row’ [Renderings] Nov 2022
– Bardstown Bourbon Co. Acquires Green River Distilling Co. – Two Kentucky Distilleries Become One Jun 2022
Learn more about Green River Distilling Co.
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View all Kentucky Distilleries.
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Factoid
If you are looking for a historic copper column still from the Owensboro distillery you can see it in Bardstown. Say what? Yes, a section of Green River Distilling’s copper column still can be found at the newly opened The Trail Hotel in Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World. Full story here.
Nearby Attractions
- 21C Museum Hotel Louisville
- Angel’s Envy Distillery
- Art Eatables
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Tasting Room
- Barrels & Billets Custom Bourbon Distillery – It’s not a traditional distillery but a place where whiskey fans can taste and blend their own whiskey and leave with their own custom blend.
- Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey
- Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
- Frazier History Museum which also happens to be the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
- Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
- Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery
- Muhammad Ali Center
- Old Forester Distillery
- The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
- The Kentucky Science Center
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