Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace

Shocked to have the lights turned off when we arrived during posted business hours on a Saturday night!!!
Gave this low review for a specific service reason.
We were excited to try this establishment, had been planning to visit all day. We walked past on our way to get dinner on a Saturday night to verify their hours. Posted hours indicated the business closed at midnight. When we arrived at 9:40 pm. Lights were on, we tried the door and it was locked, then someone inside immediately turned the lights off as we stood on the doorstep of the business! I know Bardstown is a «small town» and sometimes that means «small town hours» also, we’re here in the offseason (January), but I wanted to taste some bourbons and bring back several (8 – 10) bottles of bourbon to Michigan for personal collection and for friends, but because they didn’t adhere to their posted hours (and they were closed on the next day, Sunday) we were unable to taste or buy any bourbon from this establishment. Very disappointed after we read all of the great reviews.
In the future for visiting friends/​family, I’ll recommend Talbot Tavern, they have better hours and a friendlier staff who never turned off the lights on us.

Wow a great little bar in here-​Tom the bartender knows his product but he’s a super cool guy as well. I swear this is the smallest state in the world-​we ran into some good friends from the Ville (45 miles away) and had drinks with Chris the birthday boy here-​and it turns out he knows Tom the bartender!
Anyway the prices are not bad at all and they got it from Pappy Van Winkle 25 and Master’s Keep down to Blantons and Four Roses and my favorite Bulleit 10.
Tom alone is worth the trip. Little gift store next door with some decent bargains. If you’re at Mammy’s it’s right yonder past the back parking lot.
And there are no parking meters in Bardstown (unlike Louisville 10 minutes for a quarter!!!).

Excellent tons of bourbon! Love the gift shop next door also so very charming! People are so friendly Hayes is so friendly and welcomes you right at home!

Bourbon marketplace
110 W Flaget St, Bardstown, KY 40 004
We visited the bourbon marketplace at least four times and we’re pleased with the hospitality and friendliness of the folks running this place. Howard is an awesome mixologist in the tasting bar and the lady in the gift shop is outgoing and so accommodating. Really a great experience with lots of nice gifts and a great variety of bourbon and bourbon themed products.
Try the Manhattans they’re delicious.
Urban Cowgill
Oct 2015

I was in town for the yearly Arts & Crafts festival and was near where I was set up, so I had to check it out. By the time I was able to do so, the shop was closed but the bar was open. Very comfy, cute and well done. There are so many options to try bourbon and to relax. When is Rome, try the bourbon! LoL

This place is amazing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It was almost the highlight of my entire trip to the Bourbon Trail. The bartender is excellent and knowledgable and made the tasting really fun and informative. The atmosphere is quiet and comfortable. Serious bourbon drinkers will feel at home, but so will curious Bourbon newcomers. The selection is excellent and the price for a flight was really fair (cheaper than other places in town, like the Rickhouse)

Without question this is a must-​visit in downtown Bardstown. An extremely welcoming yet highly educated crew for all things bourbon.
Half of the establishment is a Bourbon shop loaded with quality bourbon, accessories, and any product related to bourbon. It’s like a one-​stop distillery gift shop with a plethora of brands.
The other half is a wonderful bourbon lounge fitting the heritage of Kentucky’s native spirit. The bartender Tom is the real deal! He knows his bourbon and really is a treat to know. One can enjoy their bourbon by selecting a flight, a taste, or even a signature cocktail. Tom helped me try some phenomenal bourbons based on my preferred flavor profile. Once you are here it becomes very difficult to leave this very enjoyable establishment. Behind the tasting room you can enjoy an expansive, classy patio perfect for any occasion. The owner Howard was a delight in conversation, and a very knowledgeable bourbon connoisseur. He has a passion for what he does!

What a pleasant surprise! If you are in Bardstown, you have to stop and have a drink here! We went on a Saturday so the owner was bartending. We had a wonderful chat and a few drinks with him. His bar front is awesome… he built it himself with barrel staves. You gotta check it out! He has a great selection of bourbon and gave us a lot of good suggestions on things to try based on our taste. Not only is the atmosphere awesome, but he is very knowledgeable. The man knows his bourbon! Check this place out. You won’t be disappointed.

This was certainly the most memorable stop on our abbreviated Bourbon Trail! The very knowledgeable and hospitable bartender, Tom, provided us with excellent drink recommendations (as we are not normally bourbon drinkers), as well as direction on dinner that night and brunch the next morning. We enjoyed chatting with him and some of the other patrons as we had pre-​dinner drinks on our way to The Rickhouse. Be sure to stop by and say hello to Tom!

Loved the drink that Tom the bartender made for all of us… Thanks Tom and Yes we will be coming back again!

Perfect, classy place to have a good drink on our anniversary date night! Would be great for any occasion, though. Thank you Tom for being what I imagine is a REAL and knowledgeable bar tender… and for staying open a little late for us too!

Such a great experience! Howard took care of us at the bar and made sure us beginners learned about and tasted some of the best Kentucky bourbon!

This is a great little find in downtown Bardstown. Essentially, this is a «tasting room,» but not quite a bar. They have plenty of local whiskeys to try, and even some flights. The lower end selections are $ 8 and go up from there. You do get a healthy pour, not just a shot.
There isn’t anything overly difficult to find here. Most of what’s available can be purchased at any local liquor store. In fact, they’ll sell you a bottle in their gift shop, which is gorgeous and features things from local artists as well as whiskeys.

This place is split into a souvenir shop on one side and a bourbon tasting room on the other side. I picked up a cigar from the shop and went next door for a tasting. The bartender was extremely knowledgeable about all the bourbons which made this experience even better. After my tasting I grabbed another drink and proceeded to their outdoor patio to enjoy my cigar. Clean, nicely decorated and a bourbon lovers paradise!

We stopped in at the very end of the last day of our visit along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and our only disappointment was that we didn’t get into this place sooner. Great assortment of gift ideas and and staff really make you feel at home. My wife even got to try her first Mint Julep with mint picked right outside the back door of the bar! Great memories!
Next time we are in town, this will be our FIRST stop!

What a fabulous experience!
We were treated to an amazing bourbon sampling experience at the the bar by Tom. They had every bourbon you could imagine and they served flights of each (with very generous pours).
This is a greet alternative to the distilleries, who make you do a tour to get a one ounce taste. After doing the Maker’s Mark tour, what more do you need see about the process? I wanted to sample! This is a one stop shop for sampling obscure local bourbons and buying some to take home.
The staff were all very friendly and went out of their way to find me some bubble wrap for the bottles I bought for the trip home.
This was the best part of the bourbon trail and is a can’t miss stop along the way!

What is there to say about this place? It’s clean, the staff is incredible, and the prices are outstanding. You have to stop in here!

Great old building setting that compliments the bourbon stuff.
A tasting room and very small bar, a gift/​knicknack room and a bourbon/​wine/​bourbon products room are all well appointed and classically done with brick and wood and leather and such.
The prices are decent, about in line with the touristy stuff in Louisville or during the bourbon festival in Bardstown. Not unreasonable overall for gifts.
The woman working the counter was very friendly and really knew the area and bourbon both.
Well worth a visit if one is in Bardstown.
I hold back a 5^th star because I haven’t actually tried any bourbon there and because I have only visited one time.

What an awesome surprise! Why not come here first and taste some bourbons and then decide go to the distillery of your favorite? Not into bourbon, no problem, have a beer or glass of wine. Great T-​shirts, gift ideas, tempting treats and more. This modern, quaint setting is relaxing and a perfect new addition. We will definitely be back next time we are in town!

We rolled into Bardstown after a few hard days on the dusty Bourbon Trail. We hit the usual tourist stops for dinner, but were soon looking for something a bit more laid-​back and local. We ended up walking around, checking out the sights and sounds when we happened upon this little gift shop/​bourbon tasting room that was still open. We were curious, so ventured inside to see what it was all about.
This was the right call: The Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace has a selection from almost every distillery for tasting, as well as a knowledgeable bar tender who could comment on each of the bottles. They also have a little shop with Bourbon Trail gifts, although it was closed. After a few snifters, the laughs got louder and we were having a great time. They even let us buy some of their in-​house tasting glasses to take home.
This ended up being the last (and best) stop of the night. The owners were really cool and we had an awesome time mingling with the locals and tourist alike who strolled in just like us. Honestly, this was one of the best stops of the whole trip. If in Bardstown for the trail, this is your stop for a low-​key, bourbon lounge. Cheers!