The first stop south, with lunch on campus
The James B. Beam Distilling Co. is the current visitor name for the Jim Beam home place at 568 Happy Hollow Road in Clermont. It is the nearest major countryside distillery to Louisville and SDF on I-65 south, and it has a restaurant on the grounds, The Kitchen Table, at 522 Happy Hollow Road. Those two facts decide how it fits a day: a morning tour, lunch without leaving campus, and then either Bardstown, about 30 minutes on, or the Four Roses bottling site in Coxs Creek, about 10.
Why Clermont opens the day
Clermont is on the way to everything south of Louisville. Starting here puts the shortest countryside drive first, gets a tour done while the group is fresh, and solves lunch before anyone is hungry in a town they do not know. From there, the Bardstown distilleries are about half an hour away, and the ride home at the end of the day is the only long leg.
Groups heading back to the city for dinner can flip it and make Clermont the last stop, since it is the closest of the southern distilleries to downtown. Either way, send us your tour time and we will build the rest of the day around it.
Getting there
From downtown Louisville, the drive is about 40 minutes, roughly 27 miles down I-65. From SDF, it is about 35 minutes, since the airport is already on the south side of town. From downtown Jeffersonville, allow about 40 minutes. Starting from Stitzel-Weller in Shively, Clermont is also about 40 minutes.
Pickups
Hotel pickups downtown, in the East End and near the airport all work, as do homes in Southern Indiana. For guests flying in that morning, we track the flight; an early landing can go straight to Clermont with bags in the vehicle.
Planning the tasting day
Reserve a morning tour, then eat at The Kitchen Table. Its days and hours are posted separately from the distillery's, so check both before you plan lunch around it. The campus is large, and the distillery publishes a campus map, so wear shoes you can walk in and allow time to move between buildings and the shop.
Where to go next
Heaven Hill and Lux Row in Bardstown are each about 30 minutes away. Lux Row is the natural second stop because its own directions from Louisville run through the Clermont exit. The Four Roses warehouse and bottling site in Coxs Creek is only about 10 minutes from Clermont, which makes a compact half day. Our Bardstown day from Louisville starts here.
A compact half day: Clermont and Coxs Creek
Not every group wants a full Bardstown day. For a shorter outing, pair Clermont with the Four Roses warehouse and bottling site in Coxs Creek, about 10 minutes away. A late-morning tour at the James B. Beam Distilling Co., lunch at The Kitchen Table, the short hop to Coxs Creek, and about 45 minutes home adds up to roughly an hour and 35 minutes of driving. Check Four Roses' bottling-tours page for what it offers on your date before you build the afternoon around it.
The same compact shape works from Southern Indiana, since Clermont is about 40 minutes from downtown Jeffersonville. Send both reservation times and the pickup address, and we will plan the rest.
Reserve your tour directly
Reserve your tour and tasting directly with the James B. Beam Distilling Co. on its website. Send us your times, and your chauffeur handles the driving and the timing between stops.
Choosing a vehicle
A short I-65 run suits every vehicle we have. Couples often take a luxury SUV, birthday groups like a stretch limousine for the photos, and larger parties ride a shuttle so bottle purchases have secure storage. 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
How far is the Jim Beam distillery from Louisville?
The James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont is about 40 minutes from downtown Louisville and about 35 minutes from SDF.
Is there somewhere to eat at the James B. Beam distillery?
Yes. The Kitchen Table restaurant is on the Clermont campus. Its hours differ from the distillery's, so check both on the distillery's site.
What's a good second stop after Clermont?
Bardstown's distilleries are about 30 minutes away, and the Four Roses bottling site in Coxs Creek is about 10 minutes away.