Copper & Kings

Kentucky’s bourbon history runs deep, but there’s another spirit in Louisville that demands attention. Just a short drive from downtown in the Butchertown neighborhood, Copper & Kings is unapologetic about making brandy in the heart of bourbon country. 

Visitors to the distillery can enjoy a tasting and tour, offered seven days a week and taking place each hour. Before the tasting, you’ll get a look at the copper-pot stills that turn the fermented fruit mash into brandy, but the main event is in the cellar, where good vibrations are a crucial part of the brandy-making process. 

Here, brandy is aged in bourbon barrels that are being blasted all day, every day with rock ’n’ roll music. A curated list of bass-heavy tunes is an important component of what Copper & Kings calls sonic aging. The thumping bass of the music creates vibrations in the outer walls of the barrels that push into the liquid on the inside, creating constant motion. Copper & Kings puts a list of the day’s music on a whiteboard near the stacked barrels so tour takers can see the setlist. (When we visited, the playlist included the Ramones, Talking Heads, Madonna and The Cure.) 

Back upstairs, enjoy more tastes at the rooftop bar, which offers great views and a pavilion with a firepit. Order up a classic Old Fashioned or brandy sour, or go for one of the Rooftop Originals. Visitors who taste or see something they like can explore the gift shop to take home brandy, bourbon and more. 1121 E. Washington St., Louisville, Kentucky 40206 502/561-0267, copperandkings.com