KENTUCKY – Bourbon lovers have reason to cheer. Buffalo Trace and Barton 1792, owned by Sazerac Company, announce they will reopen to guests on July 1.
Buffalo Trace is the oldest continually operating distillery open today, and Barton 1792 is Bardstown's oldest, but there will be some very modern safety additions to the tours.
“We are taking every step we can to address the health, safety, and comfort of our guests to ensure the best experience possible,” Homeplace Development Director Meredith Moody said. “Our goal is to create a safe haven for all visitors while providing the same rich history and experiences for which we’re known. We can’t wait to reopen to the public and show guests our expanded Visitor Center and tasting rooms.”
Guests will now register for a tour or event before they visit either distillery so that tour and group sizes can be managed to meet social distancing guidelines.
Buffalo Trace's grounds and playground will only be available to guests who have registered and checked-in. This includes usage of the grounds for photography.
For both distilleries, when guests check-in, their contact information will be taken down in case contact tracing needs to be performed and their temperatures will be taken. Guests will be asked to wear masks. Masks will be provided to those who forget to bring one.
Employees of both distilleries are also having their temperatures taken and will wear face masks.
The distilleries have added protective shields to their bars and cash registers. Tours are being kept to small groups for social distancing. Their gift shops are also restricting the number of people allowed in to keep everything as safe as possible.
To help with social distancing, even more, Buffalo Trace is reopening a newly expanded Visitor Center. It triples the size of the original center.
At Barton 1792, the distillery will now utilize Bards Tavern, formerly known as Hilltop Inn, as the Gift Shop and Visitor Center to provide more space. Bards Taven is located just outisde the Distillery gates on Cathedral Manor.
Buffalo Trace Distillery will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Registration for the various tours and events can be made online. The Distillery says it will also continue curbside sales and those orders can also be made online.
Barton 1792 Distillery will be open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Registration for the Barton Tradition Tour can be made online, and curbside sales will also continue. Curbside orders can also be placed online.
You can see a full list of safety procedures for Buffalo Trace and Barton 1792 online.