Woodford County’s Tourism Commission has a new marketing campaign declaring the county just east of Lexington “The Birthplace of Bourbon.” Emily Downey is the executive director of the Woodford Tourism Commission. She said the karst landscape and limestone-rich soil made the county a perfect setting for early bourbon makers.
“You look back at the history of Jack Jouett. And what he did on his property with not only bourbon and hand, but then you look at things like James Crow being buried here. We really have a lot of history and heritage to support that, that it could be the birthplace of bourbon.”
Jack Jouett is a Revolutionary War hero who eventually settled in what became Woodford County. Downey said ad campaigns using ARPA funds are underway in cities like Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. They’re also in the process of applying for a trademark for the phrase, “The Birthplace of Bourbon.”
“You have to use it. And then once you use it, then you go back and apply. We did do our due diligence, though, to make sure that we weren't running into any conflicting claims or somebody that didn't really had a large presence in this space before we started using it.”
Other counties tout their historic connection to Kentucky’s signature drink – Nelson County bills itself as the Bourbon Capitol of the World – but Downey said she’s heard no objections from her peers elsewhere.
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