Many of Louisville’s best breweries are near downtown. While we are the Bourbon City, the local craft beer scene continues to grow. Plus several fantastic brewers utilize bourbon barrels for aging beer. The downtown beer scene and eatery options make staying in downtown Louisville a large draw for many visiting or those taking a staycation in the city.
On our Ultimate Brews Cruise, Bourbon City Cruisers is your guide to local beer. You’ll stop by a few great Louisville neighborhoods to grab a flight at a brewery or taproom, sample local beer or even buy some to take home! Book a private charter for your group today.
Located at Slugger Field, the stadium where the Louisville Bats and Louisville City FC teams play, Against the Grain offers great barbecue and beer. Rotating taps mean there’s always something new to try. Whether you like hops, smoke, malt, dark or light beers, Against the Grain has an array of housemade options.
Pair it with pork rinds, beer cheese or smoked wings from their menu of Southern favorites. Against the Grain’s taproom also has a noteworthy selection of bourbon and craft cocktails like a smoked Bloody Mary.
What to try: If you’re lucky, you can snag a bottle of their highly rated Bo & Luke imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels. Other popular brews include Citra Ass Down double India pale ale, The Brown Note American brown ale and Kentucky Ryed Chiquen rye beer aged in rye whiskey barrels.
Akasha Brewing Company
Located in hip Nulu neighborhood, Akasha’s brewery is prime for relaxing with a pint. With board games, outdoor picnic tables and big TVs, you’ll want to stay a while in the comfortable taproom. Try a locally-brewed kombucha here if you aren’t in a beer mood.
What to try: They’ve revived a favorite from one of the largest and most-loved breweries of Louisville’s past, Fehr’s. Originally offered in 1872, Fehr’s XL lager is known for its crisp, clean flavor and throwback pre-Prohibition recipe.
Falls City Brewing Company
Located not far from NuLu’s main East Market Street corridor, Falls City Brewery brings back a classic Louisville beer brand and offers new flavors. It’s Louisville taproom offers a beer for every occasion on tap and expansive beer garden to enjoy it in.
What to try: Falls City’s flagship English-style Pale Ale is based on the original 1905 recipe and a good place to start. Only three styles of beer originated in the US and Kentucky Common is one of them. Try Falls City’s version for a taste of old-school brews. Other popular offerings include Hipster Repellant IPA and Streetlamp Porter.
Goodwood Brewing Company
Located near Nulu’s main drag on Main St., Goodwood Brewing’s boasts that every beer is touched by wood and brewed with limestone water. Going beyond just bourbon barrels, Goodwood ages beer in all kinds of old barrels for nuanced stouts, lagers and ales.
What to try: Goodwood’s Louisville Lager is the first and only beer brewed with 100% Kentucky-grown grains. It’s then aged with white ash, the same wood used to make Louisville’s famous Slugger bats, for a light-bodied lager. You may even see an offering from its Rarewood Series of limited release, experimental barrel-aged, imperial and sour brews.
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
Located at Fourth Street Live in the heart of downtown, Gordon Biersch is a national chain but they do make beer in-house. Inspired by authentic German lagers, Gordon Biersch operates 35 brewery restaurants around the country.
A full menu compliments the beer on tap including pub grub favorites like nachos, burgers, sliders and chicken wings.
What to try: Pick a malty German classic like a Marzen or Altbeir or try the Kentucky-meets-Germany barrel-aged Winterbock that’s aged in Old Grand Dad bourbon barrels.
BBC Brewery
Located downtown across from the KFC Yum! Center, the arena where the University of Louisville basketball teams play, BBC Brewery’s downtown taproom houses a European style pub and dining room. BBC has been a Louisville favorite for more than 20 years. It’s 3rd and Main St location resides in an 1880s renovated building on the National Historic Register.
Food options include American fare like sandwiches, burgers and pizza.
What to try: Dark Star Porter is always on tap for fans of a smooth and robust beer. Other standbys include Bourbon Barrel Stout aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels and fruity Luna de Miel raspberry meade.
Book a Louisville Beer Tour
Visit Louisville’s best breweries on your Bourbon City Cruisers experience! Book an Ultimate Brews Cruise to travel privately with your group to the best beer destinations downtown. You might even see some hidden gems like the Louisville Beer Store or Sergio’s World of Beers that locals love for beer shopping.
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About the Author
Rachel Nix has been sharing stories about Louisville’s best food, drink and tourism destinations for nearly 10 years. She joined Bourbon City Cruisers’ sister company Mint Julep Experiences in 2017 as Director of Marketing.
Her extensive bourbon education includes becoming an Executive Bourbon Steward through the Stave & Thief Society and graduating from Woodford Reserve’s Bourbon Academy. She is a Certified Tourism Ambassador and enthusiastic advocate for her adopted hometown of Louisville. When she’s not promoting Bourbon City Cruisers and Mint Julep’s portfolios of southern experiences, she can be found walking her dog or enjoying a drink on a patio.
