Who says you have to go south for great Kentucky bourbon?

Recently, I was on a trip thousands of miles away from Northern Kentucky, and as one of my husband’s favorite pastimes is making friends with strangers, we met a lot of people (mostly at bars over drinks).

Almost every time we told them we were from Kentucky, they had the same response: “Oh, I love bourbon” or “I’ve always wanted to visit the bourbon trail.”

Sadly, we had to disappoint them by telling them we don’t live in that part of Kentucky, but it got me thinking… why can’t NKY be that part of the state (or Commonwealth, for those who are particular)?

Let’s start our look at NKY’s bourbon scene with a dive into the NKY spots on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

There are five official Kentucky Bourbon Trail locations in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties: Boone County Distilling Company, Second Sight Spirits, Wenzel Distillery, Pensive Distilling Company and New Riff Distilling.

These five distilleries each offer a unique experience. While they may not be nestled in the bluegrass hills among pastures of horses and fresh air, they still offer a true Kentucky experience.

Boone County Distilling sits in the most suburban location of the five in Independence. The distillery’s tagline “Made by Ghosts” refers to its roots, which they say date back to 1833 when William Snyder bought a steam mill in Petersburg, Kentucky, and turned it into Petersburg Distillery.

The modern Boone County Distilling was reopened in 2015, and the spirits continue to make spirits.

The other four spots are dotted throughout the river cities.

Second Sight Spirits, a distillery and lounge in Ludlow, will soon be off the list as it is set to close at the end of November. In September, owners cited costs, tourism and “staff health,” among other reasons, for not renewing their distilling license for 2027. So, stop by while you can!

Wenzel bourbon mixing. Photo provided | Wenzel Distilling on Facebook

Next up in NKY is Wenzel Distillery, located right on Madison Avenue in Covington, dangerously close to the CityBeat offices (don’t ask about the happy hours).

Pretty new to the scene, this craft distillery — the first bourbon distillery in Covington since before Prohibition — was founded in 2022. In 2025, the facility expanded to include a gift shop, production area, bar and event space, and in 2026, it took home five medals at the 2026 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco.

Across the Licking River, we’ve got Pensive Distilling Company, which was founded in 2001 by Scott Quigley. Located in a historic building right on Monmouth Street, it offers a range of spirits from vodka to moonshine and, of course, bourbon.

A bottle of Pensive Distilling Company’s bourbon. Photo provided | Pensive Distilling Company via Facebook

Home to a true speakeasy during Prohibition time, if you stop by its location in Newport, you can grab a bite to eat, a craft cocktail, and maybe, if you take a tour and figure out the secret password, they’ll let you through the stairs behind the bookcase to the upstairs speakeasy.

Last but certainly not least, we’ve got New Riff Distilling in Newport.

Ken Lewis founded this independent, family-owned distillery in 2014. Their Newport location offers distillery tours, a gift shop plus the Aquifer Tasting Room, a cocktail bar and tasting room with light bites and even some mocktails.

The distillery sells products in all 50 states and internationally, and its New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon won the 2026 World’s Best Bourbon at the World Whiskey Awards and the 2024 Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Behind the scenes at New Riff. Photo provided | New Riff Distilling via Facebook

But what else? Because the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail locations are certainly not the end-all, be-all of bourbon in NKY.

Well, enter the B-Line.

The B-Line, aka The Bourbon Line, is a self-guided NKY bourbon tour that includes eight distilleries, 10 bourbon bars (all of which have over 100 bourbons on offer) and 10 bourbon-centric restaurants.

There are stops from Covington and Newport all the way down to Augusta and Maysville.

How do you actually do the B-Line?

Well, you can just visit any of the nearly 30 stops on the tour, but you can also participate by picking up a “B-Line pass” at any of the participating locations or downloading an online version. Once you check in at two distilleries, two bars and two restaurants, you’ll get a free gift.

Find a list of all participants plus download itineraries for the best B-Line experience at thebline.com.

So, now that you’ve made it this far into the story, I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, and so I feel like I can make this confession to you….

I don’t really like bourbon.

I KNOW, I know; how could I? But I still wanted to leave you with some local bourbon cocktail recommendations, so I consulted some of the greatest bourbon-loving minds out there (people I know and who are on staff at CityBeat), and I’ve put together a list I know won’t disappoint.

If you’re in the mood for an Old Fashioned, there’s more than enough great ones around, but the one at Wiseguys Lounge stands out with a sweet/orange-y side (or so I’m told).

While only seasonal, the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar’s smoked Fireside Old Fashioned with sooty Fei House Souchong demerara syrup was also mentioned several times as a favorite; it’s on the fall menu, so grab one while you can.

If you’re looking across the river, the Slim Pickens, a basil-coffee Old Fashioned at Longfellow, was another on my recommended list.

Looking to feel like it’s Derby Day year-round? Head over to Pensive Distilling, which serves its Authentic 11 Mint Julep with house-made mint syrup and its own 80-proof bourbon.

Now, for the only bourbon drink I enjoy, a Manhattan, I’ve got to recommend the one they’re mixing up at Proof Bar in Wenzel Distillery. Enjoy it on their rooftop patio with a nice view of Covington.