Part of the thrill of visiting a distillery is, yes, sampling the spirits. But distillery tours have also become a booming tourism business in Kentucky. And Northern Kentucky is no exception. Newport’s New Riff Distilling released its first batch of bourbon in 2018 after four years of patient aging. The high-rye, full-bodied spirit is savory, spicy, bottled in bond, and there are a couple different ways to get up close and personal with the magical mash. New Riff offers its own regular distillery tours and tastings. There are three options to choose from: the Bonded Tour, the Barrel Proof Tour and the Distiller’s Tour. During the Bonded Tour, guests can get a detailed look at New Riff’s distilling process “from grain to barrel.” The Barrel Proof Tour takes guests to the West Newport Campus twice a month to visit the aging warehouse to experience the intoxicating scent of the evaporating “angel’s share,” see the building’s early 1900s architecture (it used to be a storage facility for the Greenline trolleys and buses) and sample spirits directly from the barrel. And the Distiller’s Tour gives you “unprecedented access” to New Riff distillers to learn about the process and taste limited offerings and unreleased barrel samples. To sample more, take The B-Line, a localized extension of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour centering on New Riff, Boone County Distilling Co., Old Pogue Distillery and the Neely Family Distillery, plus a collection of bonus bourbon-centric Northern Kentucky bars and restaurants at which to stop and sip. B-Line locations include Coppin’s at Hotel Covington, Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar, Prohibition Bourbon Bar and more. Download an official B-Line guide online and collect stamps from at least six stops to get some swag. B-Line, findyoursippingpoint.com.
Veteran Cincinnati Hip Hop artist Santino Corleon (now going by just Santino) kicked off what is looking to be a helluva 2020 by signing a record deal and getting some prime national TV exposure. If you saw the commercials for Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time — the game show’s prime-time tournament on ABC featuring its greatest champions — you got a little taste of Corleon’s talents. Santino’s song “GOAT” — a possible future “Jock Jam” classic — was featured in the promos for the show. The single was the first music released as part of Corleon’s new record deal, as he became one of the first signings to 83 Sound, the label founded by producer Cook Classics (whose work includes hits like Panic! At the Disco’s “High Hopes” and Ava Max’s “Sweet But Psycho”) and Platinum-selling Pop artist and songwriter Outasight. Santino, facebook.com/santinocorleon.
Twenties, the descriptively named 1920s-themed cocktail bar that took over the former Myrtle’s Punch House spot in East Walnut Hills, is a jazzy sort of destination that plays on century-old cocktail culture with a drink menu featuring classic libations and updated takes — think an Old Fashioned made with mezcal or rum instead of your standard bourbon (but they have the bourbon version, too) — as well as local craft drafts, wine and spirits from Cincinnati distilleries. The generously sized bar features ample seating throughout the space as well as in the cozy catacomb-style cellar, which is more like a speakeasy with cool ambient lighting and less about skeletons. TVs play black-and-white films for some anachronistic flair, and they recently opened a billiards parlor inside. For a real deal, the bar offers $7 select drinks on Thursdays. If you’re looking for a spot to try out your new futuristic flapper look, this might be the place. Twenties, 2733 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, facebook.com/twentiescincy.
If Rock legends KISS are going to roll around the country to graciously give fans one more chance to see them/give them money on their “farewell” (insert eye-roll emoji) tour, the band could have at least hired a merch director who knows how to spell the names of the cities they are visiting. When the group came to rock Riverbend one last time over the summer, they were selling the local version of their city-specific tour T-shirts, which were created to make fans feel like KISS cares so much about our town, they went and made an exclusive Cincinnati shirt. Or, rather, “Cincinnatti” shirt. The misspelled tees — photos of which quickly went viral on social media — were priced at $50 and are probably collector’s items of some sort, so hold onto yours if you bought one. Heck, maybe that was the game plan all along — if nothing else, KISS are pretty savvy when it comes to making money off of merchandizing. Maybe Jean Simons held back a few boxes for himself to sell on eBay as he gets further into his twilight years?
2. The Hannaford
3. The Southgate House Revival
2. The Crow’s Nest
3. Blue Note Harrison
