FRANKFORT, Ky. — Bourbon tourists visiting Kentucky’s capital now have a new place to hunt for bottles — and the location has a connection to bourbon history that’s difficult to duplicate.
The Ashbrook Hotel, a 14-room boutique hotel housed in the former Frankfort residence of Col. E.H. Taylor Jr., has begun selling bourbon by the bottle to hotel guests and the general public. Among the first bottles available are two familiar names for Buffalo Trace fans: Eagle Rare and E.H. Taylor Small Batch.
Inventory is limited, and the hotel says additional bourbon selections will rotate over time. That means The Ashbrook could become another stop for bourbon hunters traveling through Frankfort and Kentucky’s Bourbon Country — particularly those hoping to find bottles that aren’t always sitting on their local liquor store shelves.
It’s the history behind the bottle sales that makes the program especially interesting. The Ashbrook is located at 300 Washington Street in Frankfort in a historic 1800s mansion known locally as “The Queen on the Corner.”
The home once served as the residence of Col. E.H. Taylor Jr., the influential bourbon figure whose legacy is closely connected with what is today Buffalo Trace Distillery. Following a years-long historic restoration, the property opened as The Ashbrook Hotel in 2024. Now visitors can walk into Taylor’s former residence and potentially walk out carrying a bottle bearing his name.
“The Ashbrook Hotel’s building has a bourbon lineage that predates much of the industry, and our new bottle sales program is a natural extension of our history — and of what we’re already offering visitors to our restaurant and bar,” owner Tyler Bromagen said. “We want people to leave our space with something they can’t easily find, and with a unique story attached to it.”
The Ashbrook’s initial bottle lineup includes Eagle Rare Bourbon and E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon.
Additional selections are expected to be offered on a rotating basis. The hotel emphasized that inventory will be limited, meaning specific bottles aren’t guaranteed to be available when visitors arrive. Both hotel guests and members of the general public can purchase bottles on-site.
The hotel plans to announce current and upcoming selections through its Instagram account, giving bourbon hunters a way to watch for new bottle drops.
Frankfort already occupies an important place on Kentucky’s bourbon map, and The Ashbrook’s new bottle program adds another whiskey-focused experience for visitors to the capital city. The hotel itself has leaned into its bourbon heritage. In addition to its 14 guest rooms, The Ashbrook features a restaurant, bourbon bar and private courtyard inside the restored historic property.
The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, according to the hotel, has hosted notable guests including President Woodrow Wilson. But for bourbon enthusiasts, the connection to E.H. Taylor is likely to be the main attraction.
Taylor’s influence on American whiskey extended well beyond the distilling operations associated with his name. His legacy remains prominent in Kentucky bourbon history, while bottles carrying the Colonel E.H. Taylor name have developed a strong following among modern whiskey drinkers.
That gives The Ashbrook an unusual proposition: stay in a piece of bourbon history, have a drink there and potentially take home a bottle connected to the man who once called the property home. Learn more at www.ashbrookhotel.com.
