Stitzel-Weller Distillery Tour, Louisville, Kentucky
Updated November 2026 · BourbonTown Tours
Stitzel-Weller is a Louisville distillery that opened on Derby Day in 1935, founded by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., Alex T. Farnsley and Arthur Phillip Stitzel, and BourbonTown Tours can add it to a private bourbon day for your group. It sits on our Louisville list with Old Forester, Michter’s, Angel’s Envy and Rabbit Hole, so a city day loses almost nothing to the road. Private bourbon tours from Louisville shows how we place an out-of-downtown stop like Stitzel-Weller at the start or end of a city route.
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Quick Facts
- Stitzel-Weller Distillery is in Louisville, in the Louisville cluster.
- Tickets: the reserved Stitzel-Weller visit is in the private tour rate, and we book it once your tour is confirmed.
- Custom tours typically run three stops, and we can add or subtract on your planning call.
- Private tours run $275 to $425 per person depending on group size, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee.
- Stitzel-Weller pairs with other stops on our Louisville list: Old Forester, Michter’s, Angel’s Envy and Rabbit Hole.
- Stitzel-Weller is open Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10 to 6 and Sunday noon to 6, and closed on Tuesdays; tours are by reservation.
- Sunday hours are shorter and vary by distillery.
What Stitzel-Weller is today
Stitzel-Weller Distillery is at 3860 Fitzgerald Road, Louisville, KY 40216. It opened on Derby Day in 1935 and reopened to the public in 2014. Today the site is home to Blade and Bow, I.W. Harper and Orphan Barrel whiskeys, and visitors can taste on site and stop at the Garden & Gun Club, which serves cocktails and small plates.
The History of Stitzel-Weller
Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., Alex T. Farnsley and Arthur Phillip Stitzel founded the distillery in 1935. It was first known as the Old Fitzgerald Distillery and sits on a 53-acre site in Louisville. It opened on Derby Day.
Discover the Making Process with Stitzel-Weller Distillery Tour
Witness the art of bourbon making at Stitzel-Weller. The tour guides you through the intricate processes that have been perfected over decades. The visit covers fermentation, distillation and aging in charred oak barrels.
Tasting the Stitzel-Weller Difference
The visit ends with a tasting of the brands based here, such as Blade and Bow and I.W. Harper.
The experience is further enriched by a tour of the historic location and buildings. Their products include:
- Blade & Bow 22 Year Bourbon
- Blade & Bow Bourbon
- I.W. Harper 15 Year Bourbon
- I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve
- I.W. Harper KY Straight Bourbon
Where Stitzel-Weller fits in a Louisville day
Stitzel-Weller is the history stop on a Louisville day, and its address tells you how we route it. It sits at a 40216 address, away from the Whiskey Row stops downtown, so we put it at the start or the end of a city day rather than in the middle. A morning start at Stitzel-Weller, then Old Forester or Michter’s downtown, lunch, and Rabbit Hole or Angel’s Envy to close keeps the drive short and the order logical. Groups that want a slower finish can end here instead, because the Garden & Gun Club on site serves cocktails and small plates. Custom tours typically run three stops, and we can add or subtract on your planning call.
Frequently asked questions
When did Stitzel-Weller open?
Stitzel-Weller opened on Derby Day in 1935, founded by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., Alex T. Farnsley and Arthur Phillip Stitzel. It was originally known as the Old Fitzgerald Distillery and is built on a 53-acre site in Louisville. Today it sits on our Louisville list, so it fits a city day with the other urban stops.
Where is Stitzel-Weller?
Stitzel-Weller is in Louisville, in the Louisville cluster, the set of stops in or near the city. Our Louisville list also holds Old Forester, Michter’s, Angel’s Envy, Rabbit Hole, Peerless and the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience downtown, so a city day loses almost nothing to the road. Pickup and drop-off are at your hotel or door in Louisville.
Are Stitzel-Weller tickets included in a BourbonTown Tours private tour?
Yes. Your Stitzel-Weller reservation comes with the private tour, and we make it once your tour is confirmed. Only lunch and driver gratuity sit outside the rate, and your group rides alone to Fitzgerald Road, never with strangers. Bottles are always on the guest, so any bottle you buy on the visit is yours to pay for.
How much does a private tour with Stitzel-Weller cost?
Private tours run $275 to $425 per person depending on group size, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee. A box lunch can be built into the quoted price on request. The rate covers everything except lunch and driver gratuity. A group that ends the day here can slow down at the Garden & Gun Club on site, which serves cocktails and small plates. A deposit reserves your date. Your quote includes the full details.
How many distilleries can you visit in a day with Stitzel-Weller?
Custom tours typically run three stops, and we can add or subtract on your planning call. A tour day runs 6 to 8 hours, and that total has to absorb the hops between stops and lunch as well as the visits. Inside Louisville the stops are a short drive apart, so a city day keeps most of its hours for the distilleries.
Visit Stitzel-Weller with BourbonTown Tours
We can build Stitzel-Weller into a fully private tour: your group only, never mixed with strangers, with distillery tickets included.
BourbonTown Tours has run 3,000+ private tours since 2012. Every tour is private to your group, never mixed with strangers, and covers everything except lunch and driver gratuity. Distillery tickets are included.
Private tours run $275 to $425 per person depending on group size, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee.


