396: Bourbon Lens Explores the Untold Connection Between Louisville’s Water and Kentucky’s Bourbon Legacy

Podcast visits the historic Louisville Water Tower for a deep dive into Kentucky's drinking water history and its surprising role in bourbon production

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bourbon Lens podcast, hosted by Jake, traveled to the historic Louisville Water Tower for its latest episode, sitting down with Kelly Deering Smith, Vice President of Communications and Marketing at Louisville Water, to unpack the 166-year history behind Kentucky’s drinking water — and its lesser-known ties to the bourbon industry.

Louisville Water’s story dates back to 1860, when the utility first began pumping water from the Ohio River, serving just 512 customers. Today, it stands as the largest drinking water provider in the state of Kentucky, supplying more than one million people across the region.

Kelly Deering Smith, vice president of communications and marketing at Louisville Water said, “I’d like to think I have the coolest job at Louisville Water because I get to share stories and tell people all the great things about something most people take for granted,” Smith said.

Smith detailed how public trust in the utility was hard-won. Residents accustomed to free well water were initially resistant to paying for a municipal water system. “They said there’s no way I’m gonna pay for something when I can go to my well and get it for free. So we had a really hard sell. The reason you actually got Louisville water in the eighteen hundreds has to do with fire protection,” Smith explained.

The episode also highlights the deep, decades-long relationship between Louisville Water and the region’s bourbon distillers. “So our story with bourbon literally goes back to 1860. And we also had a special rate for distillers,” Smith said. Today, more than 20 distilleries in the region rely on Louisville Water for their recipes.

Smith noted the significance of the utility’s trademarked brand of tap water: “In Louisville, it is a water so good. It’s called Louisville Pure Tap. It’s a registered trademark done back in 1997.”

The Louisville Water Tower itself, a National Historic Landmark, now operates as home to the Waterworks Museum, offering public tours, school field trips, and educational programming. “The Louisville Water Tower is where Kentucky’s drinking water story begins,” Smith said.

The full episode is available now on the Bourbon Lens podcast, with more information on Louisville Water available at LouisvilleWater.com.

About Bourbon Lens
Bourbon Lens is a podcast dedicated to exploring Kentucky’s bourbon culture, history, and the people and places that shape it. New episodes are released weekly, featuring conversations with industry experts, historians, and Kentucky insiders.