Lexington Distillery District: Food, History & Bourbon Tour

Experience the vibrant Lexington Distillery District with a food, history, and bourbon tour. Sip on limestone filtered bourbons, sample Kentucky cuisine, and explore the revitalized history of this 25-acre property.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • James E. Pepper Distillery - Your fun foodie guide will take you through the historic James E. Pepper Distillery property, which began making bourbon in 1879. Today, this spot has been revitalized as a lively downtown Lexington destination, with diverse food and drink offerings…and lots of fun!
What's Included
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Join the adventure in Lexington’s vibrant Distillery District for an unforgettable experience. This historic area, once the site of one of Kentucky’s most significant bourbon distilleries, was established in 1880 by the renowned third-generation distiller, James E. Pepper. Today, the district has been transformed into one of Lexington’s most thrilling…

Location
RELIC Lexington
Manchester Street
We look forward to meeting you inside RELIC, a public warehouse of vintage, rustic, and reclaimed home decor. Come early to check out lots of great Kentucky-made products!
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(89 Ratings)
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Ronaldrj9061tf
Apr 22, 2026
Great afternoon tour of some of the downtown restaurants in Lexington. - Lilly was a wonderful guide. The history of Lexington is fascinating. The art, architecture and murals around town are amazing. Each restaurant that we visited was very unique.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Beaverdamdan
Apr 1, 2026
Great Tour and Host - We really enjoyed the walking food tour. Each destination was a short and easy walk filled with conversation from our host and new acquaintances. Like others have said, don’t eat before you go, you’ll have plenty to eat and drink. The bourbon tasting was informative and a unique experience. We enjoyed every stop along the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Contractsdave
Mar 30, 2026
An Essential Way to start your Bourbon Trail experience - This was such a great way to start our siblings weekend on the Bourbon Trail. Caroline was wonderful and shared so many cool, fun pieces of information about the distillery district and even broader history of Lexington. The food and tasting hosts along the way are must see destinations for anyone visiting the area - Dark Arts, Wise Bird, Elkhart Tavern, Pepper Distillery, Ethereal Brewing, good fellows pizza and Crank and Boom. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacation28586699572
Mar 9, 2026
Kentucky Bourbon Fun - Me and my man had a wonderful experience with our tour and tour guide Kat! I am a native Kentuckian who decided to bring my boyfriend who is from Colorado. The admission fee was very affordable and the amount of food and drinks that we got was perfect ! The crowd size was absolutely perfect since it was just me, my man, and the tour guide. I highly recommend the Distillery District Food & History Tour to locals and to those visiting KY!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kavlee89
Jan 19, 2026
Good food and History! - This was a lovely experience Kat was knowledgeable and easygoing. Food was delicious. Lasted about 3.5 hours. Would definitely try other tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristin919
Oct 17, 2025
Fabulous and tasty learning adventure!!! - Absolutely fantastic tour! Energetic and fun tour - our 21+ “kids” had a great time too!!! Highly recommend this for a great afternoon in Lexington!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_k
Oct 14, 2025
It was so fun! Kay was... - It was so fun! Kay was great and very informative. Lots of excellent food, drinks and conversation!!
Review provided by Viator
Wanderer58576701694
Oct 5, 2025
Great food tour! - Elena was a great tour guide! We had plenty of delicious food and learned so much along the way. The tour included everything from fascinating local history and Kentucky legends to fun facts about Lexington today. Highly recommend this experience to anyone wanting to explore the city through its stories and flavors!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisakind65
Sep 9, 2025
An off-the-beaten-path tour - We never would have found this area were it not for booking this tour. The distillery district is off the path from the usual downtown haunts. It is a collection of nearly 10 bars and restaurants, most with outside seating. Our tour guide, Kay, was enthusiastic and engaging and the food and drinks were delicious-we were quite full by the end! We ended the tour at a quiet little speakeasy and a perfect Manhattan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deltaboy
Sep 18, 2025
Pleasant, informative tour but could be shorter, less expensive. - We enjoyed this slow paced walk, talk and tasting around the District. Guide was informative about the area and the city. Food offerings were okay. Believe it could be a faster tour (a bit too much lingering and small talk), cut an hour off of it and lower the tour price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $125
up to 14 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).