How do I book a bourbon tour with Sipping in the South?

Choose your experience, group size and date online and your date is confirmed the moment you book, with no payment due up front. Our team then confirms each distillery reservation and sends your final itinerary. If a preferred stop is unavailable, we offer an equal alternative before anything is final.

Where do Sipping in the South bourbon tours operate?

We operate private Kentucky bourbon tours across Louisville, Bardstown, Lexington, Frankfort, Loretto and the greater Bluegrass region. Pickup is included anywhere in the Louisville area; pickup elsewhere in Kentucky is available for an additional charge.

What is included in a bourbon tour?

Experiences include luxury transportation, guided distillery visits and tastings, full trip planning, and, on full-day tours, lunch and on-board amenities such as snacks and a cooler of drinks.

Do you offer bourbon classes or education?

Yes. Options include Bourbon 101 and Bourbon 201 group classes, 'A Little Bit of Bourbon' at $45 per person (4-guest minimum), and 'History of Horses & Bourbon', a 90-minute session at $60 per person (8-guest minimum).

Do you have short or last-minute bourbon experiences?

Yes. We offer last-minute half-day getaways in Frankfort, Bardstown, Loretto and Louisville, from $125 per guest.

Stories worth sipping slowly.

Bourbon stories, Kentucky places, local flavors, and the little insider things we learn along the way. This is the journal, straight from our travels on the trail.

A bourbon flight of four glasses on a barrel-wood board overlooking Kentucky hills and marigolds

Kentucky Travel · 3 min read

What Is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? Discovering Kentucky Bourbon Country

There’s something special about spending a few days in Kentucky. The rolling hills, beautiful horse farms, historic towns, incredible food, and genuine Southern hospitality have a way of making you feel right at home. And somewhere along…

Read Story

Stories

What Makes a Great Bourbon Guide? Lessons From the River

Most people think a great guide is the one who knows the most. I don’t. One of the best guides I have ever watched was on a river. Before we ever pushed off from the bank, he explained his job. He told us how well he knew the river, how he…

Derby

Kentucky’s Fifth Season: The Derby Experience Beyond the Two Minutes

Around here, we have a fifth season. Derby season. For a few weeks each spring, Kentucky feels different. The horses are running. The bourbon is pouring. Dogwoods are blooming, hats appear everywhere you look, and Louisville seems to find…

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Derby · 9 min read

First Kentucky Derby: What to Know before you Go

The first Kentucky Derby itinerary I usually see is packed to the edges. Horse farm at 8:00. Bourbon tasting at 11:00. Lunch at 1:00. A 7:00 formal dinner. A 9:00 party. Somewhere in there, someone has to change clothes, find parking,…

Kentucky Travel · 3 min read

More than Transportation in Bourbon Country

Kentucky Derby and The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Transportation The Full Pour Experience: From First Pickup to Final Pour in Bourbon Country Most people think they are booking transportation. What they are really booking is the entire…

Bourbon Education · 8 min read

The Art of the Sip: A Bourbon Tasting Guide for Beginners

There’s a moment on almost every bourbon tour when someone looks at me and asks: What the heck is all the fuss about bourbon tasting? “How do you actually taste this stuff?” Not in a rude way. In a genuine way. Because let’s be honest.…

Bourbon Education · 5 min read

The Spirit of Kentucky: A Brief History of Bourbon and the People

One of my favorite things to do on a bourbon tour is stand at the edge of a rickhouse and look at thousands of barrels aging in front of me. And I always think the same thing. How did we get here? Not to this building. But to this moment.…

Bourbon Education · 5 min read

Bourbon Myths: The Things I Hear on Tours That Make Me Smile

One of the best parts of my job is listening to the questions people ask on bourbon tours. Some are thoughtful. Some are hilarious. And some are bourbon myths that have been floating around for so long that people assume they must be true.…

Bourbon Education · 8 min read

Bourbon Translation Guide: What Everyone Is Talking About

You’ve made it. We’ve talked about how bourbon is made, what happens inside the barrel, how to taste it, the history behind it, and a few myths that probably need to disappear forever. Now it’s time to learn the language. Because sooner or…

Bourbon Education · 7 min read

The Science of the Stave: Why the Barrel Matters

One of the questions I get asked all the time on bourbon tours is this: “If bourbon is just corn, water, and yeast, why do two bourbons taste completely different?” The answer is simple. The barrel. In fact, most people are surprised to…

Bourbon Education · 6 min read

From Grain to Glass: How Bourbon Is Really Made

From Grain to Glass: How Bourbon Is Really Made July 26, 2026 One of my favorite things to do on a bourbon tour is ask a simple question: “What do you think bourbon is made from?” Most people immediately answer, “Corn.” And they’re right.…

Kentucky Travel · 6 min read

Bourbon Country vs Wine Country: A Study in Experience Design

Bourbon Country vs Wine Country #Bourbon Country: The Napa of the South Picture this: you’re planning the ultimate adult getaway. The headline is Bourbon Country, the next legendary destination for spirits lovers. Kentucky’s charm sets the…

Stories · 1 min read

The Seven Personalities You’ll Meet in a Distillery Line

Louisville’s bourbon culture runs deep, and nowhere is that more evident than during a bourbon release day. If you’ve ever found yourself waiting in line for bourbon in Kentucky, you know these moments reveal as much about people as they…

Stories · 1 min read

Founder Angelique Rison shares her journey.

From Corporate America to Bourbon Country: How Sipping in the South Began. After more than two decades in corporate leadership and over ten years traveling Kentucky, my path to Bourbon Country was not accidental. It was shaped by…

Bourbon Education · 4 min read

What Corporate Leaders Really Want From a Bourbon Retreat

What Corporate Leaders Really Want From a Bourbon Retreat From KPIs to Kentucky hospitality, why the best business conversations don’t always happen in a boardroom. I come from Corporate America. I know my way around a KPI, a strategic…

Kentucky Travel · 3 min read

The Moment That Shaped How We Guide Derby

Ninety days after moving to Kentucky, a friend showed me the Derby most people never experience. Then she leaned over and said six words that changed everything. Ninety days after moving to Kentucky, I was still learning how to find my way…

Food & Drink · 3 min read

Couples Who Sip Together, Trip Together

There’s something really sweet about discovering bourbon as a couple. It doesn’t have to be serious or full of people talking about tasting notes. It can be relaxed, warm, and full of shared moments. There’s something really sweet about…

Stories · 2 min read

Prohibition Ends and NASCAR Is Born

Before NASCAR became the high-speed show we see today, it started on quiet backroads with the rumble of bootlegger engines. Here’s the bourbon connection you never knew you needed. Before NASCAR became the shiny, high-speed show we see…

Bourbon Education · 8 min read

Bourbon Math: Why You’re Seeing More Aged Bourbon

Bourbon Math: Why You’re Suddenly Seeing More Aged Bourbon on the Shelf Walking through your local liquor store lately, you might have noticed something different. Bottles that were once as elusive as Derby tickets are sitting on shelves.…

Bourbon Education · 1 min read

What Gives Bourbon Its Beautiful Amber Color?

When people ask what makes bourbon brown, they usually think it’s just the charred oak. The truth is, it’s a combination of three things working together. When people ask what makes bourbon brown, they usually think it’s just the charred…

Bourbon Education · 1 min read

Taster’s Tip: Prepping Your Palate

Why you should avoid coffee, orange juice, and spicy foods before a bourbon tasting. If you really want to enjoy the full flavor, a little prep goes a long way. If you really want to enjoy the full flavor of your bourbon, skip the coffee,…

Bourbon Education · 2 min read

Toasted vs. Charred: Can It Be Both?

Toasting and charring is no gimmick, it’s wood science. Here’s why some distillers do both, and when a second barrel means it’s no longer bourbon. Yes, and here’s how. Toasting and charring is no gimmick. It’s wood science. Toasting is a…

Bourbon Education · 2 min read

The ABCDEFGs of Bourbon

To make the rules of bourbon easy to remember, I created a quick guide. The A through G of bourbon. A is for America Bourbon must be made in the United States. About 95% of the world’s bourbon is made right here in Kentucky, including most…

Bourbon Education · 2 min read

All Bourbon Is Whiskey, But Not All Whiskey Is Bourbon

If a bottle says “Bourbon Whiskey” and stops right there, that means it followed every rule to earn the name bourbon. Bourbon is a type of whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. To be legally called bourbon, it has to meet a very…

Bourbon Education · 2 min read

Allocated vs. Rare vs. Dusty

Allocated Bourbon – Newer Releases that are produced in limited quantities and distributed selectively. They are often difficult to find due to high demand and limited supply (sometimes purposefully). Rare Bourbon – This is a broader term…

Kentucky bourbon country field at golden hour

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