14 Ways to Celebrate the Old Fashioned
June 1-14
For the first 14 days of June, Louisville raises a glass to its official cocktail — the Old Fashioned 🍊🥃 — a bourbon classic with roots tracing back to the historic Pendennis Club before becoming a worldwide icon. The spirited celebration kicks off on June 1 (Kentucky’s birthday 🎂) and wraps up on National Bourbon Day, June 14.
Whether you prefer your Old Fashioned smoked, frozen, stirred, sipped, baked, or even soaked into a bubble bath 🛁, there are plenty of ways to celebrate in Bourbon City.
👉 Click here to learn more about Louisville's Official Cocktail-- the Old Fashioned.
From hands-on cocktail classes to haunted tours and bourbon-infused experiences, here are 14 fun ways to celebrate Old Fashioned Fortnight in Louisville:
🥃 Sip Your Way Along the Urban Bourbon Trail® | Looking for the perfect Old Fashioned? Start with the 21 standout stops along the Urban Bourbon Trail®, where Louisville’s top bourbon bars and restaurants serve up pours with plenty of personality.
🤳 Snap a Pic with Tom Bullock @ Sway (Hyatt Downtown) | While exploring downtown Louisville, stop by to snap a selfie with the striking Tom Bullock mural. Created by local artist Kacy Jackson, the colorful tribute honors Louisville native Tom Bullock -- legendary bartender, cocktail pioneer, and author of The Ideal Bartender, one of the first cocktail books published by a Black American. More than a century later, Bullock’s influence on cocktail culture -- and Louisville’s love affair with the Old Fashioned -- still lives on in Bourbon City.
🔐 Step Into a Speakeasy at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience | Travel back to the Prohibition era during the Speakeasy Tasting Experience at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, where secret passwords, bourbon history, and guided tastings make you feel like you’ve stumbled into Louisville’s best-kept secret.
🕯️Pour Your Own Bourbon-Inspired Candle at Maddox & Rose | Mix and match custom scents at Maddox & Rose in NuLu to create a bourbon-inspired candle that’ll make your home smell warm, cozy, and cocktail-hour ready
☕ Start the Day with a Kentucky Coffee at Jackdaw| Need a little pick-me-up? Head to Jackdaw Coffee & Bourbon Bar inside Cambria Hotel Louisville Downtown and order a Kentucky Coffee -- a caffeinated twist with all the flavors of an Old Fashioned. While you’re there, come back later for one of their rotating bourbon cocktails like a Blackberry Old Fashioned.
👻 Meet the Ghosts of Whiskey Row | Louisville Food Tours’ “Phantoms of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails & Bites” tour combines haunted history, hidden speakeasies, bourbon lore, and tasty bites along Whiskey Row. Expect mobsters, bourbon barons, and maybe even a lingering spirit or two.
🐎 Sip Under the Lights at Twilight Thursdays at Churchill Downs | Nothing says Louisville quite like bourbon and horse racing. Grab an Old Fashioned and head to Churchill Downs for Twilight Thursdays, featuring evening racing, live music, food trucks, and summertime vibes at the track
🍊 Learn Cocktail Secrets at Angel’s Envy Distillery | Go behind the bar at Angel’s Envy Distillery during a cocktail class led by expert bartenders who will teach you how to craft elevated bourbon cocktails like a pro.
🛁 Bathe in an Old Fashioned at Moss Hill Bath & Body | After two weeks of bourbon-filled fun, unwind with Moss Hill’s bourbon-inspired bath and body collection featuring Old Fashioned-scented bubble bath, soaps, lotions, and more. You’ll also find Louisville-inspired favorites like Mint Julep, Bathe in Bourbon, and Kentucky Lily.
⚾🥃 Blend Your Own Bourbon at Big Bat Bourbon Experience | Step into the world of whiskey-making at the Big Bat Bourbon Experience, where guests can travel back to the 1800s to taste, blend, bottle, and even name their own custom bourbon. This immersive hands-on experience is perfect for bourbon lovers looking to create the ultimate base for their own signature Old Fashioned back home.
🚶♂️🥃 Walk Through Bourbon History on Whiskey Row | Take a guided Whiskey Row Walking Tour and explore the storied stretch that helped shape America’s bourbon industry. Along the way, you’ll hear tales of bourbon legends like Pappy Van Winkle and Evan Williams while sampling spirits from some of Louisville’s best-known distilleries.
🍳 Brunch & Bourbon with Mint Julep Experiences | Why choose between brunch and bourbon when you can have both? Mint Julep Experiences combines a delicious local brunch with guided distillery tours and tastings for the ultimate Sunday Funday.
🥃 Craft Louisville’s Official Cocktail at Frazier History Museum | Shake, stir, and sip your way through an interactive cocktail class at the Frazier History Museum presented by Old Forester. Led by Certified Bourbon Stewards, this hands-on experience is perfect for both bourbon beginners and seasoned enthusiasts.
🎶 Extend the Celebration at National Bourbon Week in Bardstown | Just down the road from Louisville, Bardstown’s National Bourbon Week features distillery events, tastings, educational experiences, live music, and bourbon celebrations galore -- making it the perfect road trip for serious bourbon lovers.
Honorable Mentions
- Bourbon Shopping in NuLu 🛍️ - Pick up cocktail bitters, bourbon-smoked spices, barware, candles, and locally made bourbon goodies while exploring Louisville’s most walkable neighborhood.
Bourbon & Biscuits at Home 📺🍰🥃 - Can’t make it to Louisville June 1–14? Bring Old Fashioned Fortnight home with you by tuning into Bourbon & Biscuits to learn how to make an Old Fashioned Bundt Cake and a Frozen Old Fashioned because Kentucky summers are hot, bourbon slushies are delicious, and Louisville never misses an opportunity to turn its favorite cocktail into dessert form.
Heading to Bourbon City soon? Check out the 150+ concerts, festivals & events happening throughout Bourbon City this summer. Plus, we have a hotel package that is sure to "life your spirits."
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