Promoting 'a way of 'life' drink by drink

Kentucky's bourbon industry forms a coalition to heavily promote Kentucky's signature beverage to the nation and world

by Dan Dickson

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LEXINGTON, KY - The Kentucky Distillers' Association is fond of attaching catchy slogans to its signature product such as "Kentucky Bourbon is much more than a drink - it's a way of life," or "Kentucky is the only place where you can enjoy the true bourbon experience."

The KDA's newest promotion is Team Bourbon, what it calls an unprecedented coalition of 11 tourism partners who will use their marketing and public relations skills to promote the drink all along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. "We're trying to tell people about Kentucky's bourbon lifestyle and to bring them here to visit the Trail," said Eric Gregory, President of the Distillers' Association.

Team Bourbon is made up of cities, towns and counties that have a serious stake in bourbon's success and is represented by the areas surrounding the eight distilleries on the Bourbon Trail – Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Four Roses and Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, Heaven Hill and Tom Moore in Bardstown, Jim Beam in Clermont, Makers Mark in Loretto and Woodford Reserve in Versailles – are promoted by tourism commissions or convention and visitors bureaus from Anderson and Woodford Counties, Bardstown/Nelson County, Shepherdsville/Bullitt County, the cities of Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort and Lebanon, as well as by the Kentucky Department of Travel, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and the Kentucky Distillers' Association. "I don't know in the state's history if there has ever been so many tourism groups coming together for one purpose and promotion for the bourbon industry," Gregory said.

The KDA says the region has seen more people complete the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in the last three months than it has in the last two years. Visitors are coming from around the nation and the world. "They can come to our communities and stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and that's pumping millions of dollars into our local economy," he said. "At a time when we're in a recession period, that means a lot for Kentucky."

Helping to spread the message about Kentucky bourbon to the nation is an unlikely bunch – thousands of runners. They came from 40 states and two foreign countries recently to run in the inaugural Bourbon Chase, an overnight relay race in which teams of runners covered 200 miles of scenic byways along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Runners stepped off near Bardstown, known to many as the Bourbon Capital of the World, and hit the finish line in downtown Lexington, famous for being the Horse Capital of the World. They ran past horse farms and the rolling Kentucky countryside. Team Bourbon, an early sponsor of the Bourbon Chase, helped to make sure the runners got plenty of sips of bourbon when no longer running so they could spread the word when they returned home.

As far as the Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism is concerned, the Bourbon Chase was as much about out-of-towners seeing the scenery and local attractions as it was about bourbon. "Bourbon is probably the No. 1 tourist attraction in those counties. Bourbon is just skyrocketing. Even in the down economy, their tourism numbers are up, as much as 20 to 30 percent," said state Tourism Commissioner Mike Cooper, who added that bourbon is gaining popularity around the world. "It's all the buzz, everywhere. Everybody wants to know about our Kentucky Bourbon, Kentucky horses and the World Equestrian Games," Cooper said.

According to Cooper, the Department of Travel and Tourism is the umbrella organization for all things bourbon. It has a new website, kentuckybourbonspirit.com, which promotes the beverage and links to the kentuckytourism.com website and to all of the local convention and visitors bureau sites that are along the Bourbon Trail.

As a county that is home to a bourbon distillery - Woodward Reserve - Woodford County has an opportunity that excites local promoters. "It is a team approach for promoting bourbon, not just in Woodford County but throughout Kentucky," said Tami Vater, Executive Director of the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce and who's also on the county's Tourist Commission. "We have a lot of people come to our office wanting to know how to get from one distillery to the other. We're on the same page, promoting things consistently, which gives us better market value since we're all preaching the same story," she explained.

There are four distilleries located within 18 miles of Bardstown so bourbon has always been a huge component of tourism and economic development in the area. "We're excited that we can all pull together for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the bourbon experience, the lifestyle and all of the things that go along with the industry," said Dawn Przysta of the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist and Convention Commission. "It's so much a part of what makes this part of Kentucky special and now we're all working together to promote that."

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