If you’re not already familiar with the distillery taking Newport by storm, let us introduce you. New Riff Distilling is right off I-471 in Northern Kentucky. It’s both one of the stops on The B-Line and the northernmost stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®. After opening in 2014, they have been making waves in the bourbon industry.
At the distillery, New Riff offers regularly scheduled classes, tastings, and events along with a variety of tours. Distillery tours include the Bonded Tour Tuesday-Sunday for $10 and the Inside the Lab tour on the last Thursday of every month for $35. The gorgeous glass building also doubles as an event space with spectacular views of Cincinnati and NKY. It is perfect for weddings or other special events.
This past year, they expanded and opened their West Newport Warehouse Campus. The west campus is comprised of a brand-new rickhouse capable of holding 20,000 barrels and two historic buildings which were once home to Northern Kentucky’s Greenline trolley. The restored historic buildings are used as a distribution and bottling center, office space, and a gorgeous tasting room. Twice a month they offer the chance to visit the west campus and even taste New Riff Bourbon theifed directly from a barrel.
A physical expansion is not all that happened for New Riff in 2018. After four years of aging, they released three (yes, I said three) of their own whiskeys. The addition of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, and Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is what has this distillery thriving. We mustn’t forget Kentucky Wild Gin, which also comes in a bourbon-barreled variety, and is absolutely to die for.
The distillers at New Riff are very passionate about creating something unique, while honoring the traditional Sour Mash Kentucky Regimen. They take a lot of pride in their standard of “Bottled in Bond Without Chill Filtration.” Hence their tagline, “a new riff on an old tradition”.
I don’t want to spoil all the fun, come see for yourself why New Riff Distilling makes a perfect first stop on your B-Line adventure.
