Kids on Kentucky Distillery Tours: Who Allows Them and How It Works
Updated November 2026 · BourbonTown Tours
Yes, kids can go on many Kentucky distillery tours, but never into the tasting. Woodford Reserve tours guests of all ages, the Trace Tour at Buffalo Trace is open to all ages, and Jim Beam, Maker's Mark and Angel's Envy allow minors on select tours with an adult. On a BourbonTown Tours private tour, guests under 21 can come along but can't drink, and some distillery experiences require everyone to be 21, so we confirm that when we build your itinerary.
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Quick Facts
- Tasting age: 21 at every Kentucky distillery, with ID checked before anyone samples.
- Buffalo Trace: the Trace Tour is open to all ages; every other tour is 12 and older with an adult.
- Woodford Reserve: guests of all ages may tour with adult supervision; only guests over 21 taste.
- Angel's Envy: children are welcome on Signature Tours with a minor ticket; strollers are not permitted on the tour path.
- Jim Beam: minors may join select tours, including the Beam Made Bourbon Distillery Tour, but not the tasting room.
- BourbonTown Tours: kids ride in the vehicle and join the tours their stops allow, never the tasting; where an experience requires everyone to be 21, we find that out when we build your itinerary.
Which Kentucky distilleries allow children on tours?
Most large Kentucky distilleries allow children on at least one tour, and none lets anyone under 21 taste.
- Buffalo Trace (Frankfort): the Trace Tour is open to visitors of all ages. Every other Buffalo Trace tour is open to guests 12 and older who are with an adult. Families with kids under 12 should plan around the Trace Tour, which our Buffalo Trace distillery guide covers.
- Woodford Reserve (Versailles): guests of all ages may visit and tour. An adult supervises children at all times, only guests over 21 take the optional tasting, and tasting-only experiences are 21 and older. Families can plan the rest of a Woodford visit with our Woodford Reserve distillery guide.
- Maker's Mark (Loretto): guests under 21 must be with a parent or guardian. The Classic Maker's Mark Tour allows children, some experiences sell special under-21 tickets, and others are strictly 21 and over. More in our Maker's Mark distillery guide.
- Jim Beam (Clermont): guests under 21 may join select tours, including the Beam Made Bourbon Distillery Tour, but cannot enter the tasting room. See the Jim Beam distillery guide.
- Angel's Envy (Louisville): children are welcome on Signature Tours. Anyone under 21 needs a minor ticket at booking and stays with an adult the whole time. Families booking a minor ticket can read more on our Angel's Envy distillery tour page.
What kids can and cannot do at a distillery
Kids walk the production floor. They do not sit at the tasting. Each distillery handles that moment its own way. At Angel's Envy, minors cannot sit at the table during the tasting but can sit a few feet away. At Jim Beam, underage guests wait just outside the tasting room with an adult for the final 15 minutes of the tour. Buffalo Trace has a playground open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Angel's Envy keeps children off Bottle Your Own, cocktail classes and the Finishing Room & Bar. Plan for heat. Angel's Envy says most of its working distillery is not climate controlled, with 30 to 40 minutes of walking through hot, humid areas.
How BourbonTown Tours handles guests under 21
On our private days a child or teen rides with the family and joins the tours that admit them but never drinks, and because some distillery experiences require everyone to be 21, we check each stop when we build your itinerary. Kids still never sit at the tasting, and the stops we pick depend on which experiences allow them.
Some families still split the trip: they put the adults on a private distillery day and give the kids their own day at places built for them, such as the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory or the stops in our family-friendly activities guide. For a distillery the whole family can see, book the Trace Tour at Buffalo Trace or a Woodford Reserve tour direct on a family day.
How to plan a family bourbon trip in Kentucky
- Check the age rule on the exact experience, not only the distillery. Maker's Mark and Angel's Envy allow kids on some experiences and not on others.
- Use all-ages tours for the family day: the Trace Tour at Buffalo Trace and the Woodford Reserve distillery tour.
- Put adult-only experiences, such as tasting-only sessions, on a separate day.
- Bring ID for every adult who plans to taste. Woodford Reserve requires a government-issued photo ID to sample.
For more ideas on the kids' day, see family fun in bourbon country beyond the distilleries.
Frequently asked questions
Can kids go to Buffalo Trace Distillery?
Yes. Buffalo Trace's Trace Tour is open to visitors of all ages, and its other tours are open to guests 12 and older who are with an adult. Guests under 21 do not taste. Every guest checks in at the Freehouse Welcome Center, where Buffalo Trace checks ID and hands out wristbands, and the grounds include a playground open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Are children allowed on Woodford Reserve tours?
Yes. Woodford Reserve allows guests of all ages to visit and tour its distillery in Versailles, as long as an adult supervises children at all times. Only guests over 21 take the optional tasting at the end, and tasting-only experiences are 21 and older. Plan for 32 steps on the tour path and summer heat that can top 90 degrees inside the distillery.
Can minors go into the tasting room at a distillery?
No. Kentucky distilleries keep guests under 21 out of the tasting itself. Jim Beam has underage guests wait just outside the tasting room with an adult for the final 15 minutes of the tour. Angel's Envy lets minors sit a few feet from the tasting table but not at it. Woodford Reserve limits its tasting to guests over 21.
Can children come on a BourbonTown Tours private tour?
Yes, with limits. A child or teen can ride with the family on a private day but cannot drink, and we check each stop's age rules when we build your itinerary, since some experiences require everyone to be 21. Some families still prefer two separate days: one for the kids at places like the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, and a private distillery day for the adults that we plan around your dates.
Which Kentucky distillery tours are best for families?
Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve are the easiest for families. The Trace Tour at Buffalo Trace is open to all ages and is its ADA-accessible tour, and Woodford Reserve lets guests of all ages tour with adult supervision. Maker's Mark allows children on the Classic Maker's Mark Tour. Check each listing before booking, because adult-only experiences run alongside the family-friendly ones.
Plan the adults' distillery day
Send your dates and group size and we reply the same day between 8 AM and 8 PM Eastern. Private tours run $425 per person for two guests down to $275 per person at ten or more, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee.
