Nearly two dozen Northern Kentucky bars and restaurants have been named as some of the best establishments in the country for bourbon.
The Bourbon Review, a magazine dedicated to all things bourbon, recently published its 2024 list of “America’s Best Bourbon Bars.” The magazine’s editorial board has been compiling this annual list since 2013. The team combs through the different establishments they’ve visited and written about and uses audience feedback to curate the list. Bars and restaurants make the list for reasons such as having the most expensive whiskey lists, mixing exciting cocktails, having the best single barrels or hiring staff members who are hardworking, passionate and knowledgeable.
The list is divided into five regions: Midwest, South, Northeast, West and “Bourbon Country,” a.k.a. Kentucky. In 2024, 20 Northern Kentucky bars and restaurants were selected to be part of the list, including:
The editorial team combs through various establishments they’ve visited and written about across the country and leverages feedback from followers on social media to curate the list.
Bars make the list for having the most expensive whiskey lists, mixing the most exciting cocktails, selecting the best single barrels, and having teams of hardworking, passionate, and knowledgeable staff.
- Bouquet
- Colonel Pomp's Tavern at Pompillio's*
- Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar*
- Wiseguy Lounge at Goodfellas Mainstrasse*
- Jerry’s Jug House
- Knowledge Bar & Social Room*
- Libby’s Southern Comfort*
- Midway Cafe
- Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar*
- Newberry Bros Coffee Shop & Prohibition Bourbon Bar*
- Purple Poulet Restaurant*
- Revival Vintage Spirits & Bottle Shop*
- Rich’s Proper Food & Drink*
- Smoke Justis*
- The Brass Ring Bourbon Bar
- The Globe Covington*
- The Hannaford
- Three Spirits Tavern*
- Tousey House Tavern*
- Union 42 Bourbon & Brew
“Northern Kentucky’s bourbon culture is booming and each of the 20 bars selected for The Bourbon Review’s list this year has added some unique charm to that culture,” meetNKY President and CEO Julie Kirkpatrick said in a press release. “These establishments and their incredibly talented and knowledgeable staffs have helped attract thousands of visitors to our region and contributed significantly to the nearly $9-billion bourbon industry in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
Northern Kentucky’s The B-Line, a group of bourbon-forward restaurants, bars and distilleries in the region, was the title sponsor of the list. Fourteen of the selected establishments (marked by asterisks in the list above) are part of The B-Line.
Learn more about The B-Line and see event listings for National Bourbon Month this September and more at thebline.com.
See The Bourbon Review's full 2024 list here.
