It’s been a whirlwind since we launched The B-Line in 2018. We’ve shown journalists from both the USA and international countries around The B-Line stops, set up our bright red signature canopies at local events to help spread the word of this new bourbon experience here on the edge of the Bourbon State, and even taken a trip on The Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, so we could add a taste of it to The B-Line.
As you can see from the smiling photos of people who have already completed their Line Guide (at the bottom of the page), the word is out—lots of folks are taking a bourbon tour of Northern Kentucky via The B-Line!
Sometimes when you’re close to something, you get a little too familiar with the details and forget that not everyone knows your story. We get plenty of questions from people who’ve heard about The B-Line, but aren’t quite sure what it is exactly, to remind us to explain ourselves every so often. If you’re new around here, we’ve got answers to your Frequently Asked Questions about The B-Line.
What exactly is The B-Line?
The B-Line is the bourbon tour of Northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio river from Cincinnati. It’s comprised of 15 bourbon loving spots: 5 bourbon distilleries, 4 bourbon-centric restaurants, and 6 bourbon bars. You can pick up a copy of your Line Guide at any of the stops, or get a digital version of The B-Line Line Guide for your phone. The Line Guide is sometimes called a passport. Once you have yours, check in at 2 of the distilleries, 2 of the restaurants, and 2 of the bourbon bars and you’ve done The B-Line! Then you can get your free bourbon swag .
Do you have to pay for your B-Line Guide?
No, The B-Line Line Guide is free, as is the tour itself—you don’t have to pay a fee to go on The B-Line. You will need to buy something at the bars and restaurants, but it doesn’t have to be bourbon, or even alcoholic. Tours at all of the distilleries have a small charge. By the way, make sure to make a reservation for The B-Line distillery tours as well as any other Kentucky Bourbon Trail© tours you’re interested in.
Get a Line Guide and start getting it stamped to earn your free bourbon swag!
Do you have to stay in one of The B-Line’s partner hotels?
Hotel Covington, in downtown Covington, KY
You can stay anywhere you like. We do highly recommend our award-winning partner hotels, Hotel Covington and The Aloft, though, for a stay in our area for any reason!
The Aloft Hotel, on the Riverfront in Newport, KY
Do you need a reservation?
You will need reservations to tour the distilleries, but otherwise the B-Line is a completely self-guided bourbon experience. You can visit any of the stops on any day and at any time you choose, providing they’re open at that time, of course!
How close are The B-Line Stops? Do you provide transportation to them?
Many of the stops on The B-Line trail are within a couple of minutes walking distance of each other. For example, Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar, Wiseguy Lounge, Bourbon Haus 1841, and Bouquet Restaurant are all in Mainstrasse Village in Covington, Ky., just a few doors away from one another. You could also easily walk over to The Globe, Coppin’s, or Rich’s Proper Food & Drink in Covington’s downtown business district from them, too.
A few of our stops are a bit farther away, like Tousey House Tavern, located in Burlington, Ky. One of them, the Old Pogue Distillery, is in Maysville, Ky., aka “The Birthplace of Bourbon”—a charming riverside town that’s well worth the 45-minute drive from the Covington and Newport, Ky. area.
We do not provide transportation, but we do offer a discount for Lyft and Uber (near the bottom of that page) to help you stay safe.
Tour with Us Kentucky
Another option is to book a tour with the boutique transportation service provider Tour With Us KY. They offer several B-Line distillery tour packages.
We hope this gives you a good idea of how it all works. And we hope to see you on The B-Line one day soon! Cheers, y’all!
