Michter’s offers a unique “Bottle Your Own” experience at their Fort Nelson Distillery in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. You’ll find their distillery right there on Main Street, directly across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum. It’s a highly sought-after opportunity for whiskey enthusiasts. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect and how to secure a spot.

The Experience

The Bottle-Your-Own experience at Michter’s is a unique chance to get a single barrel, barrel-strength bourbon that’s exclusive to the distillery. You will not see this in a store. Unlike regular tours and tastings, this isn’t a guided experience that you can book online. Instead, it’s a first-come, first-served offering on days when it’s available. Guests who get to participate get to fill their own bottle directly from a barrel, seal it, and even sign the label. The bottle itself is a special edition, and the whiskey is a unique barrel-strength single-barrel bourbon (often with a proof around 112 or higher), which is a different product from the distillery’s regular US*1 lineup.

How to Get a Spot

Getting a spot for the bottle-your-own experience is the most challenging part, as it can’t be reserved in advance. Michter’s doesn’t offer it every day, and when they do, it’s limited to a small number of people. Your best bet is to arrive at the distillery well before opening time. Many people report getting there an hour or more before the doors open to secure one of the limited spots. You’ll need to check with the staff when you arrive to see if the experience is being offered that day and get on the list. For me, it was pure luck.  I stumbled in after opening just to see if they had any special bottles for sale that day. I absolutely love their ten year Bourbon & Rye expressions.  They are coveted as two of the best in the industry and hard to get. They switch things up quite a bit and one never knows what they’ll have.  No special bottles the day I was there but they did have a few openings for the Bottle Your Own experience. I bit. I was fortunate enough to arrive just a few minutes before the start.

There were about a dozen of us that were escorted inside the distillery. We each took a turn filling our bottles.  It’s a fool-proof experience they have orchestrated to make it quick and easy. First, you pulled a lever up that fills the bourbon in a tube from a pre-determined barrel selected Master Distiller Dan Mckee. Next, you simply pulled the same lever down and it filled your bottle.  I moved to the next station where I inserted the stopper and registered and labeled my bottle. Quick & easy, it only took 20 minutes for the entire group to complete the process.

Since the availability is unpredictable and spots are extremely limited, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan. Michter’s also offers several guided tours and tastings that can be booked online and are a great way to learn about their unique production process and sample a range of their whiskeys.  If nothing else, stop by their bar on the second floor where you can secure pours from hard to obtain bottles. 

This area on Louisville’s Main Street is building up nicely with many Distilleries now offering retail and bars on this ‘Urban Bourbon Trail.’  You can also find, within a very short walk, Angel’s Envy, Bardstown, Pursuit Spirits, Evan Williams, Old Forester, and others.  You can easily spend a good part of a day here. I would recommend staying at the Seelbach Hilton or Embassy Suites, both on Fourth Street, and an easy walk to this area. Make plans to go and tell them The Nashville Whiskey Guy sent you!