LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – With tourists flocking to the distilleries, worries about a pandemic hangover for Kentucky’s world-famous bourbon industry are quickly disappearing.

A $ 19 million tourist hub that Heaven Hill Distillery opened a few days ago in the heart of the state’s bourbon country is already overcrowded – reservations fill up quickly to learn about whiskey making and sample its spirits , including its flagship Evan Williams whiskey.

The situation is similar with the numerous other distilleries in the region, which were temporarily closed to visitors last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year later, businesses are facing such overwhelming demand for tours that an industry representative has encouraged people to call ahead or check tour availability online before they leave the highway.

“We saw it coming, but I don’t think we’ll see it coming anytime soon,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

“We were a hot target before COVID cooled us significantly,” he added. “But now we’re getting back to the point where people want out, they want to have fun.”

Gregory predicted that bourbon tourism would quickly revert to prepandemic levels.

“I think next year will be more of a normal year and if this trend continues I think it will be another record year,” he said.

Bourbon is a $ 8.6 billion industry in Kentucky that makes 95% of global supply, the association said. About 9.3 million barrels of bourbon were aged in the state last year, that’s more than two barrels for every resident of Kentucky.

Visitors to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail spend an average of $ 400 to $ 1,200 per trip, Gregory said. More than 70% of visitors are from outside of Kentucky.

To help visitors plan, the organization is promoting a new Bourbon Trail Passport and Field Guide, a 150-page guide to participating distilleries, with cocktail recipes and suggested routes.

After years of constant growth, bourbon tourism collapsed during the pandemic. According to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, visitors took roughly 587,000 tours to distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour last year, 66% fewer than in 2019, when stops exceeded 1.7 million.

In Bardstown, where Heaven Hill opened its tourist hub, the return of travelers will result in significantly more spending in restaurants, shops and motels, said Dixie Hibbs, a former mayor.

The quaint town, about 40 miles southeast of Louisville, is so closely tied to industry that the smell of locally made bourbon wafts into the city center.

“Most people will tell you that’s the smell of money,” said Hibbs.