We had some exciting news here on The B-Line earlier this year—the addition of not one, but two new stops for bourbon lovers to enjoy. In February we announced that Coppin’s Restaurant at Hotel Covington and Neeley Family Distillery would be joining The B-Line family.
If you’re not familiar with them, you’ll be making plans to “find your sipping point” when you’re finished reading.
Coppin’s Restaurant at Hotel Covington
First off, I would like to introduce Hotel Covington, named the #1 hotel in Kentucky by U.S. News & World Report. This gem of a hotel sits on Madison Avenue in downtown Covington, Kentucky. In 2016, Hotel Covington came alive inside of an old department store—Coppin’s. The restaurant and department store are both namesakes of John R. Coppin, who commissioned the first “skyscraper” in the Commonwealth. This building was also home to the region’s largest high-end department store. When renovating the building into today’s hotel, the developers kept the 20-foot ceilings, the original pillars, and the incline in the floor which allowed shoppers to see the entire sales floor upon entry.
Coppin’s Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a unique menu for each meal. The menu offers mouth-watering dishes with some southern flair like their famous fritters, a buffalo cauliflower sandwich, pimento mac & cheese, and the Goetta eggs benedict at brunch. I guarantee you won’t leave Coppin’s hungry.
Don’t think we forgot about their carefully crafted cocktail menu. With drinks like their “Open The Roebling”, made with bourbon, blueberry champagne shrub, ginger, lemon, and Jamaican #1 bitters, you surely will be impressed. Also, make sure to ask about the story behind their signature drink, “Liquid Knowledge”.
Of course, Coppin’s has an extensive selection of bourbon to enjoy if you’re not into mixed drinks. Every restaurant that qualifies for a spot here on The B-Line must maintain a collection of at least 50 different bourbons.
If you’re making your way around The B-Line during Spring and Summer, stop by their walk-up window for a late-night bite. Grab some fried Brussel sprouts, smoked wings, or a bourbon pecan chocolate cookie. Who doesn’t love some southern comfort food after a day of sippin’ bourbon?
Neeley Family Distillery
Next up, we have the Neeley Family Distillery. Located in Sparta, just beyond one of the gates of the Kentucky Speedway, this family owned distillery comes from 11 generations of illegal moonshiners. Yes, you read that correctly.
When their master distiller, Royce Neeley, was away at college his mom was suspicious of how he was getting by without asking for any money. She made her way down visit him and found out he had been distilling and selling moonshine straight from his dorm room.
After a somewhat intense family conversation, Royce Neeley decided to put his inherent distilling talent to creating a family-focused business that would make and sell moonshine legally—a family first. He became the youngest distiller in the history of the Kentucky Distillers Association.
Since 2015, Royce and his family have been distilling using the same family recipes they started out with 11 generations ago. They also added Kentucky bourbon to their spirits lineup. Their bourbon is made from a sweet mash recipe similar to their moonshine and fermented in beautiful cypress fermenters.
Recently, they were accepted to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® which made them our fourth distillery on The B-Line. They’re open Tuesday through Sunday for tours and tastings.
Make sure you book one of their tours. Every distillery in the Commonwealth of Kentucky is rich with history, but in the case of the Neeley family, you get to actually meet living, breathing distilling history. You’ll want to hear first-hand the stories this family tells.
