BOURBON DISCOVERY TOUR Bardstown Meets the Clyde
If taters are affectionately known for nerding out over bourbon then the Bardstown Bourbon Discovery Tour may as well be called a Tatermobile. Bardstown pulls out all the stops by decking out a trailer, filling it with bourbon and touring their National Brand Ambassador and Master Distiller to communities across the country. Oh and they bring swag. Because taters love swag! When Bardstown made the Clyde Theater in Fort Wayne their first stop on their Indiana tour, Taters made it a point to catch up with the folks at Bardstown to discuss their latest project.
With their motto of “Never Stand Still” Bardstown created what they describe as a “sleek, ultra modern, brand new mobile tasting bar” as a way to bring the southern hospitality of the Bardstown Bourbon experience to the consumer. It was a process that took about eight months to fully develop. In response to the pandemic it was important to create an attractive mobile venue that was both flexible to work in large spaces and safe enough to provide multiple points of engagement for the consumers.
The unit itself has three (or maybe it’s four!) such points of engagement. On each side of the trailer is a service window that allows patrons to view what is essentially part bar and part stage. Starring on stage is National Brand Ambassador, Sam Montgomery, discussing the latest offerings from Bardstown as well as her latest cocktail creations. Visitors can step into the unit and meet representatives from Bardstown, view promotional videos and collect a bit of swag. Of course every stop on the tour includes a permanent venue that can provide cocktails, tastings and bottles for purchase. Importantly, the venue is a fourth point of engagement and social interaction with visitors.
Sam was gracious enough to spend some time with Taters to tell a bit of her story. She started as a mixologist at Bardstown in 2018 and was fortunate to help develop much of the visitor experience that continues to evolve today. Bardstown describes it as an effort to “combine distilling, culinary and beverage expertise to create a modern, authentic bourbon experience.” Even now as Sam takes the Bardstown experience on the road as the National Brand Ambassador she’s still a mixologist at heart. You can catch her live on tour or virtually through interactive cocktail classes via Zoom and Instagram. “The virtual cocktails were so great during the pandemic as a way to socialize but since then they’ve become more of a community,” Montgomery says. “We continue to see the number of participants grow regardless of the fact that the world is opening up again.”
On this trip to Fort Wayne patrons are treated with a visit from Master Distiller, Steve Nally, when they step into the unit. It’s not often that a tater can rub elbows with someone who has approximately fifty years of Bourbon experience, including as Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark and Wyoming Whiskey. Top it off with an autograph, selfie station, video booth as well as a handful of swag and it’s the closest thing to tater paradise other than travelling to the mecca itself.
Rich in history but relatively young in the industry, Bardstown wants to be known as an “approachable brand.” And they are putting in the hard work to make the introductions. Thus far the Discovery Tour has landed in Tennessee, Florida, Texas and Kentucky before it’s stop Indiana. This summer includes stops in Illinois and Wisconsin next on the list. To date they have already racked up over 10,000 miles on the tour. Rumor has it that the tour has been so popular that they are working on a second – and even more flexible – touring pop-up venue. Says Montgomery: “The tour’s main purpose is to continue to grow the bourbon community and to share the story of Bardstown Bourbon. The tour will reach both coasts before the end of the year so make sure you’re keeping up with the brand on our IG, @bardstownbourbonco , to learn where we’re going next!”
If you can’t visit the Bourbon Trail, maybe the Bourbon Trail will visit you!
