Shelbyville, KY (August 2022) — ShelbyKY Tourism, the destination marketing organization for Shelbyville, Simpsonville, and Shelby County, Ky., is launching a new marketing, advertising and public relations campaign focusing on attracting bourbon travelers. The campaign, ShelbyKY – Your Bourbon Destination, is designed to encourage travelers seeking out bourbon experiences to choose ShelbyKY. Highlights of the campaign include ShelbyKY’s two distilleries, central location on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, local farms that grow & process corn used to make bourbon, and bourbon-themed lodging and dining.

Located off I-64 and convenient to the state’s largest cities - Louisville and Lexington – ShelbyKY is the location of Bulleit Distillery and Jeptha Creed Distillery, is within easy driving distance of all distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, and is close to the distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. ShelbyKY is home to several farms where corn is grown and processed in the making of bourbon: Tucker Farms supplies corn to Bulleit Distillery, Bagdad Roller Mills processes the corn used for Wild Turkey Bourbon, and the Nethery family farm grows the Bloody Butcher corn used in all of Jeptha Creed’s bourbons, vodkas, and moonshines. 

“Shelby County is home to two distilleries, Jeptha Creed Distillery and Bulleit Distilling Company, both of which play a major role in tourism in the County,” says Shelby County Judge-Executive Dan Ison. “With Shelby County's position on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and as one of the fastest growing counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we are excited to see the continued growth of tourism and the bourbon industry in Shelby County.”

In Shelbyville’s historic downtown, there are bourbon-themed spots for dining, socializing, shopping and spending the night:

  • The Old Louisville Brewery Barrel Room is the second location of the Louisville-based brand. Opened in 2019, the Barrel Room is in a reclaimed building on Main Street and has dozens of bourbons available.
  • The Red Lion is a multi-experience restaurant and specialty cocktail bar housed in a 200-year-old building on the grounds of the renowned Science Hill/Wakefield-Scearce Galleries. This downtown Shelbyville restaurant offers almost 100 bourbons.
  • Wakefield Scearce is known around the world for creating handmade Sterling and Pewter Mint Julep Cups. “Served at the Kentucky Derby, the key ingredient in Mint Juleps is bourbon,” adds ShelbyKY President & CEO Janette Marson. “Julep Cups made at Wakefield-Scearce are inspired from originals, which were made in Kentucky during the 1800s. Over the years, each new President of the United States has been sent a cup hand-engraved with the Presidential Seal.”
  • Featured on HGTV and overlooking Shelbyville’s historic Main Street, the owners of Bottled in Bond have transformed this late 1800s space from what was once a clothing factory into what looks like a scene from a James Bond movie. Features from the building’s former glory include original trusses, exposed brick and hardwood floors.
  • Also overlooking Main Street, Saddlebred Suites offers visitors 3,000 square feet of an upscale-loft, boutique-hotel experience. Four suites offer guests the option of two-bedroom units or cozy studio spaces. Preserving the historic integrity of the 1890 building, the suites feature exposed brick, newly renovated bathrooms and hardwood floors.

“ShelbyKY’s location at the crossroads of America and the heart of the Bourbon Trail® has made it one of the fastest growing communities in Kentucky,” adds Ray Leathers, executive director, Shelby County Chamber of Commerce. “Local government, industry and agriculture have teamed to make Shelby County a destination for expanding business and flourishing tourism. Development is already underway to add more than 10 million square feet of new industrial facilities, while doubling bourbon production. Lakes, parks, and the small-country-town atmosphere create an excellent quality of life enjoyed by residents, which will be readily apparent to visitors who come to experience ShelbyKY – Your Bourbon Destination.”

ShelbyKY Tourism office has already placed digital advertisements on social media and search engines with the Your Bourbon Destination branding. Print advertising in regional and national magazines and other outlets will begin in the coming weeks, as will press, radio, and television coverage in key markets for ShelbyKY, including throughout the southeastern United States, Chicago and Indianapolis.

About ShelbyKY - ShelbyKY (Shelbyville, Simpsonville and Shelby County) is Your Bourbon Destination. Home to two distilleries - Bulleit Distillery and Jeptha Creed Distillery - and located on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, ShelbyKY offers an array of bourbon-themed lodging, shopping and dining. ShelbyKY is perfectly positioned for ease of access to Kentucky’s two largest cities – Lexington and Louisville. Pair dining at classic favorites like Claudia Sanders Restaurant and new staples such as The Red Lion at Science Hill with Kentucky’s only designer outlet mall, and there’s much to see, do and taste in ShelbyKY. Home to 90-plus Saddlebred horse farms, ShelbyKY offers a rare peek into the world of the Saddlebred show horse and is known as the Saddlebred Horse Capital of the World. Outdoor adventures await those who enjoy fishing, canoeing, horseback riding and golf. We invite you to follow #VisitShelbyKY and www.facebook.com/VisitShelbyKY.

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Media contact: Debra Locker Griffin – debra@lockerpr.com // 859.536.0282