Who this day is for
This is the bourbon day for locals across the river. It starts with home or hotel pickups in Jeffersonville, Clarksville or New Albany, skips the downtown Louisville start entirely, and keeps the driving short, about 1 hour and 55 minutes in total. The two stops are Jeptha Creed, a farm distillery with a lunch option listed by the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and Bulleit Distilling Co., both in Shelbyville. It is written for Indiana residents and for hosts showing visiting friends a Kentucky distillery without a long day.
The day at a glance
Legs are approximate and measured from downtown Jeffersonville. Check each distillery for its current tour times.
- Pickups. Jeffersonville, Clarksville or New Albany. More than one address is fine; each adds time. Next leg: about 40 minutes (about 45 from New Albany).
- Stop 1: Jeptha Creed Distillery. Late-morning visit and lunch. Next leg: about 20 minutes.
- Stop 2: Bulleit Distilling Co.. Afternoon tour. Next leg: about 55 minutes home to Jeffersonville (about 60 to New Albany).
- Total driving. About 1 hour 55 minutes from Jeffersonville.
Why this order works
Jeptha Creed goes first because it is the lunch stop and the closer of the two. Bulleit follows in the afternoon, and from there the ride home is a straight run west on I-64 and across the river. The whole day fits comfortably into a Saturday with friends in town, and nobody has to drive back after the tastings. Starting at Jeptha Creed also means the group eats before the Bulleit tour instead of after it, which makes the afternoon tasting more comfortable.
Stop-by-stop notes
Jeptha Creed Distillery, Shelbyville
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail lists Jeptha Creed as family friendly, with food options and live music. Confirm the menu and any event dates on the distillery's own website, especially if the group is hoping to catch music.
Bulleit Distilling Co., Shelbyville
Bulleit's visitor center is on Benson Pike. Groups can use the group-request contact on Bulleit's visit page. Sealed bottles from either stop ride home in the vehicle.
Swaps and variants
South variant: Jeffersonville to the James B. Beam Distilling Co., about 40 minutes, with lunch at The Kitchen Table. Then the Four Roses warehouse and bottling site in Coxs Creek, about 10 minutes, and home, about 45 minutes. Total driving is about 1 hour and 35 minutes. Check Four Roses' bottling-tours page for what is offered before you plan around it.
Longer day: add Buffalo Trace after Bulleit, about 40 minutes farther east, and plan on about an hour and a quarter home. Fly-in: Clark Regional Airport in Sellersburg is about 50 minutes from Jeptha Creed or James B. Beam.
Pickup notes
We pick up at homes, hotels and venues across Southern Indiana. For group pickups from more than one address, list each one on the quote and we will build the route. Guests staying in downtown Louisville can join the same day; Jeptha Creed is about 40 minutes from downtown too.
Tips for this day
Mixed groups do well here, since the Trail lists Jeptha Creed as family friendly. Plan a bottle budget that stays in the vehicle rather than carrying purchases around; sealed bottles from both stops ride home with you, and our shuttles have secure bottle storage if several households are buying. Concierge stocking is available on request when you reserve.
Hosting visiting friends
Plenty of people who live in Jeffersonville, Clarksville or New Albany end up as the bourbon guide for visiting family and friends. This plan is built for that role. Your chauffeur collects everyone from your house or their hotel, the drive to Shelbyville is shorter than most countryside days, and the host gets to taste instead of drive. Guests flying into SDF can be picked up at the airport on the way, and anyone staying in a downtown Louisville hotel can join from there. Hosts often choose this plan for birthdays and reunions, since everyone rides together from the first pickup and nobody has to find parking at either distillery.
The route across the river
From Southern Indiana, the drive crosses the Ohio River into Louisville and heads east on I-64 toward Shelbyville. Your chauffeur picks the bridge and interstate route based on traffic at pickup time, so the times on this page are approximate and can change with construction or event traffic downtown. The return trip reverses the route, ending at whichever address you want dropped off last. If one guest lives on the Louisville side, add that address too; we can usually fold it into the route.
If plans change on the day
A short day leaves room to adjust. If lunch at Jeptha Creed runs long, the 20-minute leg to Bulleit gives a little slack before the afternoon tour, and the ride home is under an hour, so a late finish rarely spoils the evening. If a tour looks at risk, your chauffeur will tell you early so you can contact the distillery.
What to send us
Send every pickup address in the order you would like them collected, the Jeptha Creed visit time, the Bulleit tour time, your headcount, and whether anyone needs a different drop-off at the end. For the south variant, list the James B. Beam and Four Roses Coxs Creek reservations instead.
Reserve your tours directly
Reserve each tour and tasting directly on the distillery's website, then send us the times. Your chauffeur builds the day around them and handles every drive in between.
Choosing a vehicle
Neighbors and visiting friends from several households usually share a shuttle so everyone rides together from the first pickup. A couple hosting one other couple fits a luxury SUV. See our fleet page for vehicle sizes. Every chauffeur is background-checked and trained; our safety standards are on the safety page.
Keep planning
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do a bourbon tour from Southern Indiana?
Yes. We pick up in Jeffersonville, Clarksville and New Albany, and Shelbyville's distilleries are about 40 minutes away.
How long is the drive from Jeffersonville to the nearest Kentucky distilleries?
About 40 minutes to Jeptha Creed or the James B. Beam Distilling Co., the two closest countryside stops.
Can you pick up at more than one address?
Yes. List every pickup when you request a quote and we build the route.
Do we reserve the distillery tours?
Yes. You reserve directly with each distillery and send us the times.