New bourbon tasting room, distillery in Lexington joins the Bourbon Trail

The latest stop on Kentucky’s famed Bourbon Trail opens Wednesday in Lexington.

That’s when RD1 Spirits opens its newly constructed research and development distillery, RD1 Distillery. The brand’s tasting rooms and a distillery is the anchor tenant of a mixed-use development off Leestown Road called Turner Commons.

The $5 million bourbon attraction, with the financial backing of University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops , anticipates welcoming 30,000 guests annually.

It is the latest stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that saw almost 3 million guests across the state’s distilleries last year, said Kentucky Distillers’ Association President Eric Gregory.

“The rebirth of the bourbon industry in Lexington continues with RD1 Spirits,” said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton at an event Tuesday. “In 1865, the Ashland Distillery became central Kentucky’s first federally licensed distiller, known as Registered Distillery No. 1 ... RD1 Spirits mixes history with new approaches, and I want to congratulate everyone involved with this exciting venture.”

The new spot, approximately 10,200 square feet, is three times the size of RD1’s former tasting room and gift shop in the Distillery District in the former Pepper Distillery rickhouse. Two private tasting rooms at 113 Turner Commons Way can seat up to 36 people.

An indoor bar has seats for 26 and a wrap-around patio can seat another 26.

The patio looks out onto Turner Commons, which will become a 42-acre entertainment district with an anticipated completion of the end of summer next year, said developer Daren Turner.

RD1 is the anchor tenant of the mixed-use development where an entertainment venue called The Rail, AirBnbs, other retail spots, restaurants and more are being added to the property.

Battle Axes, an ax throwing and entertainment venue, is already on the property.

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said she and the Beshear administration are “committed to helping distilleries like this get up and going.”

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority approved more than $500,000 in economic incentives for the project in December 2023.

Turner Commons is in District 11, which is already home to a variety of housing types, Red Mile, Rupp Arena and other such destinations as the existing Distillery District.

Councilwoman Jennifer Reynolds, who represents District 11, said with the addition of RD1, “this corner of the city will soon be bustling with even more activity.”

“I think we have something very special going on here, and I’m elated that you are going to invest not only in Lexington, but this part of town,” she said.

Stoops, a shareholder in RD1 Spirits, told the Herald-Leader his investment in the brand aligns with his goal to be more embedded in the community. He said he felt “good about the leadership and the people involved.”

He added, “It’s been really great to see it grow.”

RD1 broke ground in January 2024 after receiving approval from Lexington’s Urban County Planning Commission in December 2022 and zoning change approval from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council in February 2023.

The spirits business launched in 2020 and named its first beverage releases after William Tarr, who owned the city’s first registered distillery.

Aside from Stoops, other partners include national brand ambassador Barry Brinegar, RD1 Spirits CEO Mike Tetterton, Marsha Couch and Raj Patel.

“For me, being a partner with good people, people that are winners, that’s Mike Tetterton and Daren Turner,” Stoops said.

“They both have won in business, and they’re both very good people. So, not only winners, but the part I just touched on, they’re just quality individuals and those are the people that I like to be associated with.”

RD1’s bourbon and whiskeys are produced in Beaver Dam by Western Kentucky Distilling Co. and is distributed in 26 states.

“I think getting this ironed-out, getting some people in here, get them to see the area. There’s a vision of what’s going to happen for the rest of the development is important because until you see it, you can’t really envision it,” Stoops said.

Stoops said he was “that guy” who didn’t have recommendations of where to start on the Bourbon Trail.

Now, he’ll point visitors to RD1 where he said his go-to is the classic: A bourbon on the rocks.