Photos of Trouble Bar Louisville

Flights, games, and all the bourbon you can drink. It may appear risky to enter any institution with the term “trouble” in the name. But at Trouble Bar, there’s more fun than worry until you get too deep into the whiskey list. Trouble Bar bills itself as a “bourbon inquisitive” bar, with bourbon flights created by people like a local baker and a Kentucky Distilling Association representative, among others. Not that interested? Then get yourself a craft beer, a drink, or a margarita. During the procedure, you may relax in the warm confines of an exposed brick and wood floor lounge setting with modern décor. Here’s the thing: distilleries are large factories. They prefer to plan a day with a terrific morning sampling, a farm-fresh lunch, and a post-lunch distillery visit. 

After that, they have a Happy Hour sampling – or simply a flight of bourbons from one of the distillery bars – before dinner. They will help you get in touch with the distilleries you wish to visit and the most relevant experiences for your party. Trouble Bar, 1149 S. Shelby St., was named one of the 2021 Best Bars in America by Esquire Magazine and is the only Kentucky institution on the list. According to a Trouble Bar press release, the women-owned, Black-woman-led Trouble Bar launched in August 2019 with a 75% people-of-color team offering customized whiskey tastings and classic cocktails. Allow at least twenty minutes to peruse the literary diary of a bourbon flight menu, in which whiskey-industry pals of creators Nicole Stipp and Kaitlyn Soligan Owens have organized their own tasting experiences and written at length about the why of each decision. 

There are plenty of whiskey bars in town, but they wanted to create a venue where everyone, whether they belong to 27 different whiskey clubs or drink Maker’s Mark, could feel at ease. They are also women- and LGBTQ-owned, and it was critical to building a location that can go beyond merely events and provide information to the community. The name of the bar is inspired by a phrase from civil rights pioneer and Congressman John Lewis, who declared that action should “create a good disturbance.” Shelby Park was chosen to encourage travelers to venture outside the downtown and NuLu circle while sampling Louisville‘s bourbon. So, this is one of the best bars Louisville has to offer! If you are in the city, we recommend this spot!