In a city where bourbon is less a drink than a civic religion, Pursuit Spirits is planting a flag right in the heart of the congregation. On Thursday, August 14, the Louisville-based whiskey brand founded by Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman will open Pursuit Spirits on Whiskey Row—a 7,600-square-foot, two-floor ode to the bourbon experience, equal parts history lesson, cocktail temple, and love letter to Louisville’s whiskey roots.
Inside Pursuit Spirits’ New Whiskey Row Flagship
Housed in an early-20th-century brick building with restored hardwood floors and a repurposed elevator shaft turned art installation, the new space is a sensory collage: past and present stitched together with a bourbon-scented thread. The lower-level lounge even hides an old vault-turned-private nook, the kind of spot that makes you think of Prohibition whispers and secret pours.
“This is the culmination of years of hard work,” says Coleman, co-founder and COO. “We wouldn’t be here without our listeners, our guests, and the diehard fans who love the whiskey we create.”
Bourbon Tastings, Cocktail Adventures, and More
Unlike a traditional distillery tour, Pursuit Spirits offers experiences built for modern bourbon hunters. Guests can take part in The Whole Shebang! tasting or make their own barrel selection, bottling whiskey straight from the source. Three new experiences join the roster:
- Mellwood Past and Present ($35) — A 45-minute deep dive into Louisville’s Mellwood Distillery history.
- Choose Your Own Cocktail Adventure ($40) — A hands-on class with Pursuit’s bartenders where classics are reimagined on the fly.
- Founder Hour ($150) — An intimate session with Cecil or Coleman exploring R&D experiments, barrel samples, and blends that may never see a shelf.
Trial+Error Cocktail Lounge: Where Bourbon Meets Creativity
At the heart of it all is Trial+Error, the basement cocktail lounge that began as the Bourbon Pursuit podcast studio and evolved into an unpretentious gathering place. Lead bartender Jordan Harris’ menu turns tradition on its head: the T&E Old Fashioned uses Cherry Bark & Orange Demerara; the kenNY Sour blends bourbon with maple and Syrah; and the Rye-an Rita swaps out tequila for rye whiskey with honey and citrus. The bar‘s rotating cocktail list is filled with playfully serious concoctions, such as:
I’m Working Late:
Pursuit United Double Oaked Bourbon, Mr. Black Cold Brew Liqueur, Banana Liqueur, Espresso, Vanilla, Chocolate Bitters
Cherry Styles:
Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye, Dark Chocolate & Black Pepper Campari, Cherry Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Cocoa Bitters
Paint the World Pink:
Fords Gin, Raspberry Pink Peppercorn Shrub, Tonic
Pursuit Spirits on Whiskey Row opens August 14 at 722 W. Main St., Louisville. Retail and guest experiences run Tuesday–Saturday, while Trial+Error serves cocktails Tuesday–Saturday into the evening.
As co-founder and master blender Cecil puts it: “The space is a physical extension of everything we’ve built—our whiskey, our podcast, and our commitment to uniting people through our common interests.”
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
