It Started With a Podcast
You’ve heard the old joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice.”
Here a new take on it: “How do you get to Whiskey Row? Persistence.”
Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil used to be “the two guys who used ten years worth of knowledge gathered from hosting a top bourbon podcast to go into the whiskey blending business.”
Now, they’re about to be known as “the two guys who used their bourbon podcast and blending business to launch one of the coolest new tasting experience on Whiskey Row in Louisville.”
The duo, along with bourbon personality Fred Minnick, hosts the weekly Bourbon Pursuit podcast. It is, by their own proclamation, “the official podcast of bourbon.”
Becoming Master Blenders
A while back, Ryan and Kenny decided to become master blenders. They teamed up with a number of distilleries to blend different products into a variety of offerings under the name Pursuit Spirits. For example, the company’s Pursuit United Triple Mash Bourbon brings together three different mash bills from three different states, and three different distilleries: Bardstown Bourbon Co. (Kentucky), TN Distilling Partner (Tennessee) and Finger Lakes Distilling (New York.)
“Many companies source their whiskeys from the same usual suspects or use multiple mash bills from a single distillery. Even heritage distilleries only have three mashbills that make 30 different labels. Pursuit Spirits sought out the best whiskeys, regardless of location, and put an emphasis on developing products that compete against the most highly acclaimed and allocated bottles on the market. Pursuit Spirits partners with four distilleries across multiple states to create six specific mashbills with customized barrel char levels. Barrels age at their respective distillery to maintain terroir then are hand selected and shipped before being united. It’s a process that requires skillful blending to create a product that won’t be like anything else on the shelf. Enjoy this pursuit.”
Pursuit Spirits
Pursuit Spirits opened a tasting room and warehouse in 2023 at 1700 Mellwood Avenue in Louisville. It offers a couple of behind-the-scene-tours and tastings.
But the search for a new warehouse a couple of years ago, launched these never-ending entrepreneurs into “bourbon’s big show.” The second location they visited on their warehouse search was the former Boomer’s Canteen (“Fresh Sandwiches Made to Order”) on Main Street in downtown Louisville, the once and present Whiskey Row.
The building was build in the 1880s and needed a major amount of work, but was still too nice and too conveniently located to turn into a warehouse. (It’s just a few doors one direction from Bardstown Bourbon Co. and a few doors the other way to Green River Distilling Co.) The ideas flowed and the two men realized they weren’t getting a warehouse, but were about to enter the booming bourbon tourism and tasting experience world — big time.
Making the Move to Whiskey Row
The new experience will be called Pursuit Spirits on Whiskey Row. On a recent tour through the facility, surrounded by the whine of saws and the pounding of hammers, I asked Kenny why the pivot into the top-tier of bourbon tourism?
“This pivot was done to cement a home for ourselves and make a name for Pursuit Spirits. We’re in the bourbon epicenter and there is no better place to have people find out about us than here in our backyard. We’ll be that hidden gem on Whiskey Row, but hopefully not for too long.”
Their vision is at least a month away from sharing with public eyes. During my walkthrough, it was still covered with sawdust and awaiting the installation of everything from glass walls and doors for the tasting rooms, to shelves for bottles and barrels, to marble counter tops and unmatched furniture. But the vibe of the place, with its patchwork of 170 year-old and brand new hard wood floors, along with exposed brick walls, is unmistakable. You can tell the venue will be unlike anything else in town.
As they continued to peel back the layers of the building, Kenny said, “There was just a whole lot of character to it. The vibe we’re going for is not a super corporate feel, but more of a start-up, industrial feeling, with not a lot of polish.”
“We’re excited to be a place that isn’t like anything else on whiskey row. All the other big companies have a traditional feel while this will break that norm. All about experiences. A cocktail lounge that has its own look and feel that’s different from the retail/experience area.”
“Elevator” is a recurring, and often annoying, word around the Pursuit Spirits Tasting Experience. The bad: what passed as a “modern day” elevator had to be replaced. The new elevator was ordered 18 months ago and just installed a few weeks ago.
The good: The original freight elevator that was delivered to the building by horse and wagon had to be replaced too. Not wagon this time: a crane had to lift it out through the roof of the four story building. But they kept the wooden rails so you’ll walk in through a rough-hewn, authentic entrance unlike anything in Bourbon City (that’s what we’re calling Louisville these days).
On the ground floor, after coming under the freight elevator gates, the new experience will include three individual tasting rooms where you can thieve directly from the barrel and fill you own bottle. In addition, there will be a private speakeasy-influenced tasting room, a professional “non-kitchen” offers equipment for bar tenders and caterers, retail space.
In the basement, will be a cocktail lounge called Trial + Error. Kenny said, “It’s called “Trial + Error” because that’s how we got here. Everything we did was through trial and error.”
No taking the speakeasy way out, when it came to designing the bar area. “The best way we have to describe it is, ‘Think about going to your Grampa’s basement, but REALLY well done,’ full of vintage, eclectic touches everywhere,” Kenny said. Cocktails will be bourbon-forward, but the bar will be fully stocked
In addition to standard bar counter and table seating, you’ll can have a drink in the original vault for the building or the cage of another stop on the freight elevator express.
The best news: the boys aren’t abandoning their roots. There will be a podcast studio near the cocktail lounge “We can come here and do a recording,” Kenny said. “We could have Conor, or Brent, or whomever. People could be watching live out there while they’re grabbing a drink. And then afterwards having a meet and greet.”
When Kenny says Conor, he means Mr. O’ Driscoll, the Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. When he says Brent, he means Mr. Elliott, the Master Distiller at Four Roses Bourbon. Maybe these guys are the official podcast of bourbon.
The three floors above will be private short-term rental rooms called The Reserve on Main, operating by the building’s landlord. Regular rooms and master suites will allow guests access a common living room/kitchen area, in addition to the Trial + Error Lounge.
Kenny said they’re building the experience as much for locals as for tourists. Trial + Error Lounge will be open until 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, long after much of Whiskey Row has called it a night.
That shimmering mirage of opening day is (give-or-take) a month away. If this article passes muster, I hope to be invited to the grand opening to see this unique vision spring fully to life. Watch for more photos and a full report soon. I have no doubt, you’ll want to put Pursuit Spirits on Whiskey Row on the itinerary for your next trip to Louisville.
About Pursuit Spirits
(From the company) Pursuit Spirits is a Louisville, Kentucky-based whiskey brand founded by the innovative forces behind the number one bourbon podcast, Bourbon Pursuit. Their journey began with a deep curiosity and an unwavering dedication to the craft, leading them to seek out and blend exceptional American whiskeys. Rather than operating a traditional distillery, Pursuit Spirits has pioneered a modern, customized approach to blending, carefully selecting award-winning bourbon and rye barrels from multiple distilleries across the country. This unique method allows them to consistently craft small-batch expressions with unparalleled flavor complexity. Their award-winning Pursuit United line exemplifies this by harmoniously uniting diverse mash bills and barrel types. Additionally, their distillery-exclusive Mellwood Legacy Collection pays homage to the rich history of their distillery's location. Pursuit Spirits provides more than just bottles; their venue on Whiskey Row offers curated, immersive experiences where guests can participate in exclusive barrel selections and bottle their own whiskey; P. Club, an all-access, exclusive pass to Pursuit Spirits no matter your location; and a cocktail lounge called Trial + Error that seamlessly balances warm, lived-in charm and stylish modern comfort, complete with an extensive spirits menu and a variety of small bites.
