Lux Row Distillers is open for visitors in 2026 even though its stills are not: owner MGP paused distilling on May 1, 2026, for at least a year, and kept the visitor center running with tours, tastings and the shop. Come for the six-story barrel wall, which the Kentucky Bourbon Trail rates as one of the best photos on the whole trail, plus peacocks on a 90-acre former farm and the Ezra Brooks and Blood Oath lineup. The production tour takes about an hour and ends with a tasting of four whiskeys, and walk-ins often get in.
What the 2026 production pause means for you
In spring 2026, MGP Ingredients announced it would stop distilling at both Lux Row in Bardstown and Limestone Branch in Lebanon from May 1, 2026, for at least 12 months. CEO Julie Francis told Distillery Trail that “the American whiskey market continues to be structurally oversupplied,” and the pause affected 33 employees across the two sites. The same announcement said the visitor centers “will remain open and continue to offer tours, tastings and retail offerings.”
In practice, that means you’ll walk through a quiet distillery. You’ll see the equipment, hear how it works and taste the whiskey, but you won’t feel the heat of a running still or smell fermenting mash. The aging warehouses, the barrel wall and the grounds are unchanged, and those were always the parts people photographed anyway. If watching live production is the main thing you want, pair Lux Row with a working plant such as Bardstown Bourbon Company the same day.
The story: a new distillery on an old farm
Lux Row is young by Bardstown standards. Luxco, the company behind Ezra Brooks and Rebel, began filling barrels with its own new make here in January 2018 and opened to visitors a few months later. MGP bought Luxco in April 2021. The distillery sits on the 90-acre former Ballard Farm, and the farm’s past is still visible: a 19th-century stone house on the grounds and peacocks that wander the lawns, a leftover from the Ballard years that nobody seems in a hurry to change.
The equipment is big for a “craft-feel” visit. When running, a 43-foot column still produces about six gallons of new make a minute, enough to fill a 53-gallon barrel in roughly nine minutes, fed by rows of large fermenters and two 4,000-gallon cookers, according to one detailed tour write-up. The warehouses hold about 20,000 barrels each.
The brands poured here are Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson, Daviess County and Lux Row Double Barrel. In December 2025, Lux Row launched the One Lux Row Bottle Club for regular buyers.
The barrel wall
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail puts it plainly: “Stand at the base of Lux Row’s six-story barrel wall for one of the best pictures on the KBT.” The viewing warehouse holds more than 19,000 barrels, and standing at the bottom of a wall of barrel heads that climbs into the rafters is the moment that makes the visit. Take the photo from low down with a wide lens to get the full height. It’s also a fine place to notice the rickhouse smell, sweet and woody, that people spend years trying to describe.
Tours and tastings
Lux Row books through its tour page, where current prices and times are listed. The site says that when you book a tour, “your first few pours are on the house.”
| Experience | What you do | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production Tour | Walk-through of fermentation, distillation and barrel filling areas, the barrel warehouse, then a guided tasting of four whiskeys | About 1 hour | On the booking page |
| Distiller’s Collection Select Tour | Longer, premium tour and tasting | About 1.5 hours | On the booking page |
| A Taste of Lux Row | Tasting-focused visit | Short | On the booking page |
The production tour has historically been one of the better-value tickets in Bardstown, which is why Lux Row appears on our list of budget bourbon experiences. Earlier reports listed the premium tour on a set late-morning schedule from Tuesday through Saturday; confirm times on the calendar.
Hours and practical tips
Lux Row’s website doesn’t post a simple hours table, and tour times appear on the booking calendar instead. Call (502) 337-7420 if you’re planning around shop hours or a walk-in.
- Walk-ins are often accommodated, so Lux Row is the best backup when a sold-out tour elsewhere leaves a gap in your day.
- Bring a government photo ID. Tastings are 21+.
- The Kentucky Bourbon Trail lists Lux Row as family friendly and pet friendly, rare on the distillery circuit. If your dog is traveling with you, see visiting Bardstown with pets, and read our guide to distilleries for non-drinkers and families for rules on kids.
- Military discounts are available.
- Give yourself time for the grounds: the lawn, the peacocks and the stone house deserve 15 minutes before or after the tour.
Who it suits
Lux Row works well for first-timers who want a clear, friendly walk-through and a fair-priced tasting, for families (it’s one of the few distilleries the Kentucky Bourbon Trail flags as family friendly), and for anyone who needs a last-minute booking. It also suits fans of the brands: tasting Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath and David Nicholson side by side is a quick lesson in how different house styles can come from one company.
It’s a weaker fit in 2026 for anyone whose main goal is to watch whiskey being made. With the stills paused, the production areas are a museum of equipment for now, so put your “live distillery” slot at Heaven Hill Springs or Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Getting there
Lux Row is at 1 Lux Row, on the east side of Bardstown, about three and a half miles and eight minutes from Court Square. Parking is on site. It’s not a walk from downtown, so plan a driver who won’t be tasting, or book one through our bourbon tours and transportation guide.
Pair it with
Lux Row and Bardstown Bourbon Company are neighbors on the east side, about ten minutes apart, and they make one of the easiest two-stop afternoons in town. A good order: Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Core Four at 11 a.m., lunch at its Kitchen & Bar, then Lux Row mid-afternoon. For a longer loop, our three-day bourbon trail itinerary adds Limestone Branch in Lebanon, Lux Row’s sister distillery under the same owner. Compare every tour in town in the distillery tours guide.
Is it worth it?
Yes, especially if you set expectations for 2026. The stills are quiet, so treat this as a warehouse-and-tasting visit rather than a production tour. What you get is a relaxed, reasonably priced hour, a barrel wall you’ll show people back home and a flight of whiskeys you’ve probably seen on shelves without trying side by side. It’s a strong second or third stop of the day and an easy yes when you need something bookable at short notice.
