Kentucky bartenders reach for bottles of bourbon more often than most when serving pours or mixing drinks, and they’ve tasted every bottle on the shelf. Still, some bourbons see more action than others. These aren’t the eye-catching trophy bottles sitting way up high, but the versatile workhorses that are always close at hand.
We reached out to experienced mixologists and owners at several top bourbon bars across the state, and they delivered plenty of opinions (and variety) when it comes to their “everyday” stalwarts. These bourbons balance proof and flavor with affordability and availability, and perform well in classic cocktails, in new creations, over ice, or even neat as an end-of-shift sipper.
Clay Livingston
SEVEN Cocktails + Bourbon, Louisville
When SEVEN Cocktails + Bourbon opened in Louisville’s NuLu Marketplace in late 2023, it raised the bar for standout cocktails in Bourbon City. Operating partner Clay Livingston drew on two decades of experience helming bar programs in Louisville, Atlanta, and Chicago to develop the drinks menu, which makes good use of contemporary techniques such as infusing, clarifying, and fat-washing spirits, along with an arsenal of house-made tinctures and bitters. Still, there’s one classic bourbon that always earns a spot on his back bar.
“The top of my list is Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond,” he says. “It packs a flavor punch, has the proof you need for a cocktail, and is reasonably priced. The larger producers [Heaven Hill, in this case] aren’t rushing any stage of production, and they take the time to let barrels reach full maturity. They also produce in such quantities that they can reliably offer an affordable option.”
Harrison and Newman Miller
Mr. Tubs, Bardstown
After years of “turning and burning” bourbon and Cokes at a college bar he owned in Lexington, Harrison Miller got serious about mixology while operating Star Hill Provisions restaurant at Maker’s Mark, where his brother, Newman, was the chef. The two have continued that brotherly synergy with Mr. Tubs, which they opened in downtown Bardstown in 2023, keeping the former laundromat’s original name but swapping washing machines and folding tables for a long bar and a carefully curated bourbon selection.
For his everyday bourbon, Newman is a fan of Wild Turkey 101. “It’s good enough to enjoy on the rocks, and it also makes a great cocktail,” he says. “I’ve also been drinking more ryes lately and really enjoy Green River Rye. We’re lucky to live in the Bourbon Capital of the World, so it’s really something new most days.”
As for Harrison, he sticks with the flagship Knob Creek, from the James B. Beam Distilling Co. “At 100 proof, it has the backbone you want for mixing—especially in my favorite cocktail, an old-fashioned—but it’s also approachable enough to sip neat or on the rocks after a shift,” he says. “Plus, that signature Beam nutty profile plays nicely across a range of cocktails. On a personal note, it’s also what my dad drank, so there’s some history there for me. It’s familiar and comforting but never boring.”
Norma Smith
The Manchester Hotel, Lexington
From behind the central Lobby Bar at Lexington’s Manchester hotel, Norma Smith has a front-row view of the bustling action. Whether headed to Keeneland for the races, traveling the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, or exploring the surrounding Distillery District, many of the hotel’s guests appreciate the bar’s bourbon-centric focus. “I’m a Kentucky girl, and bourbon is part of my heritage,” says Smith, who previously helped open the Lockbox bar at Lexington’s 21C hotel. “It definitely plays into the cocktails I create.”
While Smith tends to choose a bourbon by how well it complements flavors in a particular drink, her go-to all-arounder is Old Forester 100 proof. “It gets the job done if you want a neat pour and works really well in a Manhattan or an old-fashioned,” she says. “Especially with the high-rye mash bill that Brown-Forman is known for, it holds its own in any bourbon-forward cocktail.”
Aaron Lilley
Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar, Covington
Each bartender at Northern Kentucky’s Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar—which celebrated its thirteenth anniversary this past Derby Day—carries a “back-pocket menu” of drinks that are only available when he or she is behind the bar. “Bartenders create their own seasonal menus, which we feel is pretty unique,” says general manager Aaron Lilley. When Lilley is developing his own cocktail recipes or enjoying a pour at home, he typically reaches for one of three Heaven Hill bourbons: J.T.S. Brown Bottled-in-Bond, Fighting Cock, or J.W. Dant.
“They all have a high-rye mash bill and really show up [in a cocktail],” he says. “Plus, [the Shapira family] has been making bourbon for generations. They bring a wealth of knowledge and family history to the process.”
Kristin M. Smith
The Wrigley Taproom & Eatery, Corbin
As a farmer and a chef, Kristin M. Smith loves sourcing seasonal ingredients for her Appalachian restaurant. That ethos extends to the cocktail menu, which currently features a springtime Caipirinha riff made with fresh-pressed cucumber juice and Green Chartreuse. But bourbon is always in season for the Eastern Kentucky native. She stocks about sixty bottles, and more often than not Smith enjoys an evening pour of Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond over a large ice cube. “It’s my go-to after a hard day,” she says. “The value is great, and it’s been around for a long time, so it transcends the trends. And, at 100 proof, it’s very consistent.”
Smith also makes her old-fashioneds and Boulevardiers (her “favorite cocktail of all time”) with Old Grand-Dad. The classic bourbon from James B. Beam Distilling Co. even played a role in the Wrigley’s signature Boulevardier riff. “My general manager, John—we call him Johnny when he’s being sassy—asked me how to make a Boulevardier, and I accidentally said Aperol instead of Campari,” she says. “We loved it, and now we call it the Johnny Boulevard.”
