Visitors Get an Inside Look into the World of Whiskey Making, Beam Family History, and Eight Generations of Craftsmanship.
The James B Beam Distilling Co., home of the World’s #1 bourbon Jim Beam®, is excited to announce several new visitor experiences and an expanded events calendar this year. New offerings include brand-specific consumer experiences for Knob Creek® and Jim Beam® and for the first time ever, consumers will have access to the state-of-the-art Fred B. Noe Distillery with a limited series of “Behind The Beam” events where guests can enjoy a personalized tour and tasting led by one of our Master Distillers, Fred or Freddie Noe.
These newly designed experiences have been thoughtfully curated to make guests feel part of the First Family of Bourbon and immerse them into their 229 years of whiskey-making expertise. In 2022, The James B Beam Distilling Co. underwent a multi-million-dollar campus renovation including a revamp of the American Outpost, opening of The Fred B. Noe Distillery, and adding The Kitchen Table restaurant, further establishing the distillery as a must-visit tourism destination. Since then, daily visits have increased by 60%, and last year alone, The James B. Beam Distilling Co. welcomed over 126,000 visitors. This is part of a larger post-pandemic tourism trend and travel boom, and according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail surpassed a record-breaking two million visitors in 2022.
For the first time in 229 years, father and son Master Distillers are working alongside one another to continue inventing and reinventing the American Whiskey category. Fred Noe, 7th Generation Master Distiller, oversees some of the most well-known whiskeys in the world including Jim Beam®, Basil Hayden® and Knob Creek®; while his son Freddie, 8th Generation Master Distiller is at the helm of innovation in American Whiskey and oversees The Fred B. Noe Distillery which opened its doors in 2021 for small batch production of Booker’s®, Baker’s®, Little Book®, Legent®, and more.
The James B Beam Distilling Co. Visitor Experiences
In addition to the new tours outlined below, guests can still book the classics like the Basil Hayden Culinary Tasting Experience, Family Reserve Tasting, Beam Made Bourbon Distillery Tour & Tasting, and Meet the Family Tasting.
- Behind the Beam ($350): Get a glimpse behind the scenes at the production methods that helped the First Family of Bourbon build the world’s favorite Bourbon and an innovative portfolio of small-batch whiskeys. In Behind the Beam, guests are guided on a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly opened Fred B. Noe Distillery, have a front row seat to the bottling process of Knob Creek® Single Barrel Reserve and enjoy tasting and storytelling led by a Master Distiller. Following the tour, guests are treated to some of Beam’s finest whiskey and a few of the most sought-after new releases paired with a Kentucky-inspired lunch at The Kitchen Table. Behind the Beam dates and themes can be found here.
- Behind The Beam – Maturation Matters
Bourbon lovers can join Fred and Freddie Noe on an experience through the historic warehouses of James B. Beam Distilling Co. where guests will learn the secrets of how time, temperature and wood impact the World’s #1 Bourbon. - Behind The Beam – Little Book® + Country Ham
When Freddie Noe set out to make his own mark on the bourbon industry, he wanted to honor his grandfather Booker by creating a product with one attribute in mind: flavor. Join Freddie Noe as he takes you through the process of blending a new batch of Little Book and enjoy a tasting against other traditional bourbons to showcase the contrast and what blending can do to elevate flavors. After, you’ll join Freddie to see how his innovative flair extends to a famous family heirloom: Freddie’s country ham. Whether it is in bourbon or cooking, the Beam family has always pushed the boundaries of flavor. - Behind The Beam – Cocktails
Fred and Freddie love nothing more than using Beam bourbons to make cocktails. Yet with so much mixology experience, what are the favorite cocktails of the Master Distillers of the First Family of Bourbon? An immersive mixology experience in which you’ll explore which cocktails pair best with Beam Distilling brands.
- Behind The Beam – Maturation Matters
- 8 Generations Tasting Experience ($40): Taste through 229 years of whiskey making and discover the unique fingerprint each generation has left on this iconic spirit through a 40-minute guided experience. Guests will discover the Beam and Noe families’ rich legacy while tasting seven unique whiskeys, each a captivating chapter narrating their pioneering journey. From pre-prohibition classics to innovative contemporary expressions, this guided exploration lets guests experience the evolution of American Whiskey firsthand.
- Knob Creek Tasting Experience ($25): Embark on a guided tasting experience featuring Knob Creek’s lauded small-batch bourbons and rye whiskeys. Learn the secrets behind Knob Creek’s unique aging process through a 30-minute guided tour and discover how each different varietal tells its own story and learn how the release of Knob Creek® was a major step toward making the small-batch whiskey movement what it is today.
- Jim Beam Tasting Experience ($20): Journey through the iconic expressions of the World’s #1 Bourbon brand in this immersive experience with a curated selection of Jim Beam® expressions, allowing guests to appreciate the subtle nuances of each bottling. From Jacob Beam’s pre-prohibition roots to the modern-day leadership of Master Distillers Fred and Freddie Noe, this 30-minute guided exploration showcases the evolution of this iconic brand.
The Kitchen Table Restaurant and The Clermont Supper Club Dinner Series
The James B Beam Distilling Co. has released 2024 dates for the Clermont Supper Club dinner series at The Kitchen Table, the full-service restaurant inspired by the original Beam family kitchen table, a place of storytelling, whiskey sharing and recipes. Guests can purchase dinner tickets and join Master Distillers Fred and Freddie Noe for an evening of Beam family-inspired fare, unique cocktails, tasting of new whiskeys and behind-the-scenes barrel stories directly from the First Family of Bourbon themselves. Dinner details and tickets can be found here.
Upcoming Clermont Supper Club Dates
- Thursday, June 13 – Bardstown Bourbon Collection™
- Thursday, July 18 – Knob Creek®
- Thursday, August 15 – Bakers® 13
- Thursday, September 12 – Little Book®
- Thursday, October 17 – Beam Family
- Thursday, November 14 – Distillers’ Share™
- Thursday, December 12 – Holiday Edition
Visit beamdistilling.com for more information about The James B. Beam Distilling Co. and to purchase tickets to any of these experiences. While tours are limited to guests age 21+, guests of any age can visit the grounds and The Kitchen Table restaurant.
About the The James B Beam Distilling Co.:
Founded by America’s first family of bourbon, the James B. Beam Distilling Co. has crafted genuine American Whiskey since 1795. Its portfolio includes globally coveted and award-winning whiskey brands including Jim Beam®, Basil Hayden®, Knob Creek®, Booker’s®, Baker’s®, Little Book®, Legent®, Old Tub®, Old Overholt®, Old Crow®, and Old Grand-Dad®. Maintaining the whiskey traditions of eight generations of family distillers while advancing the category through innovation, the Beam family has defined what American Whiskey could be and should be for more than 225 years. The James B. Beam Distilling Co. crafts American Whiskey with genuine, quality ingredients that are distilled and aged without compromise at its family distilleries in Clermont, Kentucky.
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