Nobody does bourbon tourism quite like Kentucky. From farm-to-table dining experiences to historic cocktail bars, tasting private barrel selects and meeting the descendants of some of the most famous drink dynasties, the home of bourbon is a proverbial playground for avid enthusiasts in search of something seriously special. At the same time, in a year that saw the most expensive ever bottle of bourbon sold at auction and Sotheby’s Great American Whiskey auction hit historic heights, rare bourbon is having its own ‘collectibility moment’. As such, there’s never been a more exciting time to physically explore the more premium side of bourbon.
Enter Mint Julep Experiences. Providing the Bourbon State with award-winning tours since 2008, this tour operator has been lifting the curtain on some of bourbon’s most iconic distilleries for nearly two decades. And in 2026, it is giving bourbon lovers unrivalled access via two ultra-premium experiences they’ll be unlikely to forget in a hurry.
Arguably the unicorn of the Kentucky bourbon category, Pappy Van Winkle usually elicits sounds of excitement among bourbon lovers upon its mere mention. Receive an invitation onto A Van Winkle Experience and you’ll not only get a behind-the-scenes look at the brand, but you’ll also have no less than five members of the family of this bourbon dynasty acting as your hosts. The exclusive experience, which is only available to guests upon request, starts at Louisville’s historic Pendennis Club in the company of third- and fourth-generation Van Winkles Julian and Preston. Guests will be ushered through the unmarked doors of the members-only institution, where they’ll learn how to make the cocktail it is credited for inventing – the Old Fashioned – using the Van Winkle family recipe.
Thirsts quenched, the evening will continue with a guided tasting of 12-, 15- and 20-year Pappy Van Winkle expressions accompanied by tales from Julian and Preston about their family’s values, how they shaped the style of their bourbon-making, and the importance of Pappy’s enduring legacy. Part of that legacy is the Pappy & Co. lifestyle brand, set up by Pappy’s great-granddaughters Louise, Carrie and Chenaul Van Winkle, who will curate a private shopping experience for guests while they enjoy culinary samples and barrel-aged Old Fashioneds. The visit culminates in a private bourbon-paired dinner with James Beard semi-finalist chef Noam Blitzer. Guests will then take a private transfer to the Omni Louisville hotel, after a night in one of its suites; its rooftop pool just the place to reflect on the previous day’s experience.
A further jewel in the Mint Julep crown is The Samuels Family Legacy Experience at the iconic Maker’s Mark distillery. Spread over eight hours, this private evening gives guests after-hours access to the sprawling estate and is hosted personally by owners of the behemoth family business Bill Samuels Jr and Rob Samuels.
Guests start at the historic Samuels House, originally built by the founding family of Maker’s Mark in the 1820s. A tasting will be led by one of the distillery’s experienced hosts, accompanied by Southern-inspired bites and cocktails to boot. After a walking tour of Whisky Creek – with access to the farm’s innovation garden, mushroom quarry and the all-important production site – guests will arrive at the exclusive Private Selection Cellar for a tasting of Maker’s 46, Nature Distilled Private Selection and Wood Finishing expressions, before getting to dip their own signed bottle of Maker’s 46 Cask Strength in that emblematic red wax Maker’s Mark is famous for.
The evening closes on a high with a cocktail-paired, farm-to-table dinner curated by chef Jamie Prouten of the distillery’s restaurant Star Hill Provisions, who combines Southern-inspired hospitality with Bourbon County cuisine. This seriously intimate setting should help conversations turn to the tales – and whiskies – of one American bourbon’s most storied brands.
With this new pair of offerings, Mint Julep Experiences is opening doors that few travellers ever have the opportunity to enter, helping to forge a deeply personal connection to Kentucky bourbon – its people, its heritage, and the stories that have shaped it for generations.
For more information on Mint Julep Experiences on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, visit mintjuleptours.com/louisville
