Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KY, has opened the Stephen B. Beam Tasting Lodge, a new 1,250 square-foot tasting space dedicated to an expanded barrel program.
The lodge is named after Limestone Branch Distillery’s founder, and is meant to pay homage to his love of Yellowstone National Park.
The new building will accommodate customers selecting barrel picks of Yellowstone Bourbon Hand Picked, Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey and Minor Case Rye 6-Year.
“It’s humbling and exciting to have the Tasting Lodge named in my honor because it’s an expansion of our dream to bring our family recipes and traditions to customers in small batches since opening Limestone Branch Distillery more than 10 years ago,” says Limestone Branch Distillery Master Distiller Stephen Beam. “And for the first time, we’re able to offer Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey and Minor Case Rye barrel selections for customers to taste and choose from in addition to our Yellowstone Bourbon Hand Picked Kentucky Straight Bourbon,” said Beam.
Kentucky’s bourbon industry topped records in 2023 with 2.5 million visitor experiences, according to the Bourbon Economic Impact Report published in February by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. As one of the state’s craft distilleries, Limestone Branch designed its Tasting Lodge to accommodate up to 20 guests at a time in a dedicated, stand-alone building. The distillery will offer VIP opportunities for cocktail mixology classes, premium tastings and private events in addition to exclusive barrel pick program experiences for consumer and retail customers.
“As we continue to expand our barrel program to include more unique and sought-after selections, we wanted to create a dedicated space for customers to fully experience these offerings,” says Luxco Barrel Program Manager Casey Shirley. “The addition of the private Tasting Lodge provides the ideal location for customers to get to know our award-winning brands a little better and sample and select the perfect barrel.”
For customers who are not able to visit Kentucky, they have the option of receiving mailed selection kits of the distillery’s barrel offerings. These kits contain sample selections picked by the Limestone Branch team, branded glassware, a tasting notebook and a step-by-step tasting video led by Limestone Branch Distillery Executive Bourbon Steward Stephen Fante, with in-depth information about the specific offerings.
