How far is the distillery from Louisville?

Neeley Family Distillery is about 45 minutes northeast of Louisville in Sparta, Kentucky. It's in Gallatin County, off the main Bourbon Trail routes, so plan for a bit of a drive through rural Kentucky.

What makes their bourbon different from larger distilleries?

The Neeleys grow some of their own corn right on the property and handle most of the production themselves as a family operation. You're tasting spirits made in small batches with direct family involvement from grain to bottle, rather than mass-produced bourbon.

CRAFT DISTILLERY

Kentucky

James E. Pepper Distillery

Lexington,

Kentucky

— Bourbon, Rye

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

DISTILLERY SNAPSHOT

📜

Original Recipe

1887 mash bill recreated from documents

⚡

Pre-Prohibition

Born with the Republic slogan returns

🏭

Working Production

Smell the mash bubbling while touring

🌾

Same Farms

Corn from original Kentucky suppliers

🧪

House Distilled

Building aged inventory the old way

📍

Historic District

Real bourbon geography not tourist trap

📞 (859) 309-3230

🌐 https://jamesepepper.com/

📍 1228 Manchester St UNIT 100, Lexington, KY 40504, USA

ABOUT THIS DISTILLERY

Back From the Dead After 50 Years

James E. Pepper Distillery sits in Lexington’s historic Distillery District, bringing back a name that disappeared from Kentucky bourbon for nearly 50 years. The original James E. Pepper Distillery operated from 1879 to 1967 before shutting down, but Georgetown Trading Co. revived the brand in 2008 and opened this new facility in 2017. You’ll find them in a restored industrial building that captures the gritty authenticity of bourbon’s working past while housing modern equipment designed to recreate pre-Prohibition recipes. The revival story centers on Amir Peay, who discovered the original James E. Pepper formulas and was determined to bring them back exactly as they were made over a century ago. The distillery uses the original 1887 mash bill for their Old Pepper whiskey and sources from the same Kentucky farms that supplied the original operation. Master Distiller Kyle Henderson oversees production using a combination of traditional methods and modern precision to recreate these historic recipes. What you’ll experience here isn’t just another bourbon tour—it’s a resurrection story told through whiskey. The facility produces both sourced and house-distilled spirits while slowly building inventory for their own aged products. The atmosphere feels more like a working distillery than a polished tourist destination, with the smell of fermenting grain and the sound of bubbling mash tuns creating an authentic production environment.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

WHAT SETS THEM APART

Original 1887 Recipe Found and Resurrected

This isn’t just another craft distillery startup—it’s the authentic revival of a brand that helped define American whiskey before Prohibition. The James E. Pepper name was known for the slogan “Born with the Republic” and “The Oldest Brand of Whiskey Made in Kentucky,” and this operation uses the actual 1887 recipes and mash bills from the original distillery. They source corn from the same Kentucky farms that supplied the original operation and use traditional fermentation methods that disappeared from most modern distilleries. The building itself sits in Lexington’s historic Distillery District, where multiple distilleries once operated, making it part of Kentucky’s authentic whiskey geography rather than a converted farm or repurposed warehouse.

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

FOOD AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Working Distillery First Tourist Stop Second

Tours take you through the working distillery where you can see the fermentation tanks bubbling with mash and smell the sweet, yeasty aroma of whiskey production. Master Distiller Kyle Henderson or his team will walk you through the story of how they discovered and recreated the original 1887 recipes, showing you the actual historical documents they used as guides. The tasting room occupies the front of the building with exposed brick walls and industrial fixtures that feel authentic rather than designed for Instagram. You’ll taste both their sourced Old Pepper expressions and newer house-distilled products, learning how they’re building inventory while maintaining the historical recipes that made James E. Pepper famous.

IS IT WORTH VISITING

History Worth Tasting If You Care

If you’re interested in bourbon history and authentic revival stories, this is worth your time. You won’t find the polished visitor experience of larger distilleries, but you’ll get something more valuable—a genuine look at how historic recipes are being brought back to life using traditional methods. History buffs will appreciate seeing actual documents and learning about pre-Prohibition distilling techniques. Casual tourists might find it less impressive than bigger operations with elaborate gift shops and manicured grounds, but serious bourbon drinkers will value the focus on authenticity over entertainment.

⚠️ VISITING TIPS

Call ahead or check their website for tour availability since they’re a working distillery first and tourist destination second. The building can be tricky to find in the Distillery District, so use the exact address and look for the James E. Pepper signage on Manchester Street. Tours tend to be more intimate than larger distilleries, so you’ll have better opportunities to ask detailed questions about their processes and historical research. Ask specifically about the 1887 mash bill recreation and how they sourced the original recipes—it’s a fascinating detective story that most guides love sharing. Parking is available on-site, which isn’t always guaranteed in this part of Lexington.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

James E. Pepper Distillery — Visitor FAQ

Is this the same James E. Pepper Distillery that operated before Prohibition?

No, this is a modern revival of the brand that closed in 1967. Georgetown Trading Co. acquired the rights to the James E. Pepper name and recipes, then opened this new facility in 2017 using the original 1887 formulations and traditional methods.

Do they make their own whiskey or just bottle sourced spirits?

They do both. Currently they bottle sourced whiskey under the Old Pepper label while their own house-distilled spirits age in barrels. Tours show you their active production equipment and explain how they’re building inventory for future releases.

How did they get the original recipes from the 1800s?

The company discovered historical documents including the original 1887 mash bills and production notes. They researched archives and worked with historians to authenticate the recipes before recreating them using traditional methods and ingredients from the same Kentucky farms that supplied the original distillery.

GETTING THERE

Find James E. Pepper Distillery

📍1228 Manchester St UNIT 100, Lexington, KY 40504, USA

—

📞 (859) 309-3230

The 50 States of Whiskey

Find a Craft Distillery

Search from nearly 1,500 Distilleries
in all 50 States

Never Miss A Thing

Subscribe to our Newsletter

SMART BUYING GUIDES

The Right Gear Matters

Honest recommendations on everything around the bottle.

Best Clear Ice Makers for Bourbon (2026)

The Best Bourbon Decanters: A No-Nonsense Guide to What’s Actually Worth Buying

The Best Home Bar Carts and Bar Cabinets for Bourbon Lovers (2026 Guide)

Best Bourbon Smoker Kits (2026) – Worth the Smoke?

Best Whiskey Glasses for Bourbon: 5 Glasses Every Bourbon Drinker Should Own

NEAT OR NOT

Whiskey Reviews

RD1 Distillery

Kentucky

Neat or Not Rating:

Tom’s Foolery Farm and Distillery

Kentucky

Neat or Not Rating:

Leather & Oak Spirits

Kentucky

Neat or Not Rating:

Barrel 21 Distillery

Kentucky

Neat or Not Rating:

KEEP EXPLORING Kentucky