How do I book a bourbon tour with Sipping in the South?

Choose your experience, group size and date online and your date is confirmed the moment you book, with no payment due up front. Our team then confirms each distillery reservation and sends your final itinerary. If a preferred stop is unavailable, we offer an equal alternative before anything is final.

Where do Sipping in the South bourbon tours operate?

We operate private Kentucky bourbon tours across Louisville, Bardstown, Lexington, Frankfort, Loretto and the greater Bluegrass region. Pickup is included anywhere in the Louisville area; pickup elsewhere in Kentucky is available for an additional charge.

What is included in a bourbon tour?

Experiences include luxury transportation, guided distillery visits and tastings, full trip planning, and, on full-day tours, lunch and on-board amenities such as snacks and a cooler of drinks.

Do you offer bourbon classes or education?

Yes. Options include Bourbon 101 and Bourbon 201 group classes, 'A Little Bit of Bourbon' at $45 per person (4-guest minimum), and 'History of Horses & Bourbon', a 90-minute session at $60 per person (8-guest minimum).

Do you have short or last-minute bourbon experiences?

Yes. We offer last-minute half-day getaways in Frankfort, Bardstown, Loretto and Louisville, from $125 per guest.

Prohibition: Prohibition Ends and NASCAR Is Born

The Journal

Stories · July 2, 2026 · 2 min read

Prohibition Ends and NASCAR Is Born

Prohibition did more than close distilleries; it put bootleggers on the back roads.

Before NASCAR became the high-speed show we see today, it started on quiet backroads with the rumble of bootlegger engines. Here’s the bourbon connection you never knew you needed.

Before NASCAR became the shiny, high-speed show we see today, it started in a very different world. Picture quiet backroads, the rumble of bootlegger engines, and the soft clink of whiskey jars tucked under false floors. Those early drivers weren’t dreaming of trophies. They were trying to get illegal Kentucky-style whiskey from one place to another without getting caught.

Before the Checkered Flag

During Prohibition, many families in Kentucky and across the Southeast made whiskey to survive. Getting it to customers took real courage. Runners took everyday cars and rebuilt them into powerful machines that looked plain on the outside but could fly along dirt roads faster than any lawman wanted to chase.

From Whiskey Routes to Racetracks

When these runners weren’t on delivery runs, they often raced each other just for fun. The same cars that dodged revenuers became the early stock cars. Word spread, crowds gathered, and before long, racing became organized. That spirit eventually grew into what we now know as NASCAR.

The Proof: Junior Johnson

Junior Johnson is one of the clearest examples. He learned to drive by hauling illegal whiskey for his family. His ability to slide through curves, read a road instantly, and stay calm under pressure carried him to NASCAR stardom and the Hall of Fame. His story is the perfect bridge between bourbon country and the racetrack.

The Legacy

NASCAR today might look polished, but its roots are still visible. The pride in skill. The love of speed. The Southern grit. It’s bold, it’s rebellious, and it’s completely American. And it feels a lot like bourbon.

Angelique Rison Founder Sipping in the South

Where Prohibition Still Echoes

Prohibition still shapes the bourbon stories we tell on the back roads today. Learn more at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, read the history of Kentucky bourbon, and hear Prohibition tales firsthand on Legends of the Backroads.

Back to the Journal Explore Our Tours