FRANKFORT, Ky. — Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. has won two North American honors at the 2026 World Travel Awards, earning recognition for its hands-on bourbon experience as the Franklin County distillery projects more than 150,000 visitors this year.
Whiskey Thief was voted North America’s Leading Distillery Tour and North America’s Leading Whisk(e)y Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony, held Oct. 11 in Jamaica.
The Kentucky distillery won both categories in a field that included Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, Angel’s Envy and Rabbit Hole. Whiskey Thief Head of Experiences Amy Fox and CEO and founder Walter Zausch accepted the awards on behalf of the company.
The World Travel Awards winners are determined through votes cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee receiving the most votes in each category earning the honor.
“These two wins belong to our team,” Zausch said. “More than 80 people make every guest’s visit memorable, and we are on pace for more than 150,000 visitors in 2026 to experience Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.”
Whiskey Thief operates on a 127-acre farm in Franklin County, with production capacity of approximately 1,000 barrels a year. Its signature experience puts guests at the barrel, allowing them to sample whiskey directly from the cask and fill bottles themselves.
“We were the first in Kentucky to put every guest at the barrel, and we’ve been democratizing the barrel pick ever since,” Zausch said. “Being voted the best in a field of nominated distilleries that built American whiskey tourism tells us people don’t just want to watch how bourbon is made. They want to be part of it.”
The distillery welcomed more than 110,000 visitors in 2025. Bottles filled by guests through its thieving experience increased 23% year over year, according to the company.
The awards add international recognition to that visitor growth, highlighting an experience built around direct participation in Kentucky’s bourbon culture.
“Congratulations to Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. for winning North America’s Leading Distillery Tour 2026 and North America’s Leading Whisk(e)y Distillery Tour 2026,” said Graham Cooke, president and founder of World Travel Awards. “This is a remarkable achievement, reflecting how the brand continues to set the benchmark. The commitment of the entire team at Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. serves as an inspiration to us all.”
Whiskey Thief also is nominated for World’s Leading Distillery Tour and World’s Leading Whisk(e)y Distillery Tour for 2026. The global field includes distilleries such as Suntory Yamazaki, Jameson and The Macallan.
Public voting for the world awards is open through Oct. 30 at worldtravelawards.com/vote.
Tour times are limited; reservations are recommended at whiskeythief.com.
About Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. – Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. is the first and only Kentucky distillery where every visitor can taste bourbon straight-from-the-barrel from five barrels, and thieve their own bottle by hand, uncut and unfiltered. Distilling since 2012 on their 127-acre working farm in Franklin County, Ky., Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. celebrates single-barrel bourbons and rye whiskeys distillated from grain grown on-site. At the farm in Franklin County, and tasting room in Louisville, guests fill their own bottle straight from the barrel, at barrel strength. Learn more at whiskeythief.com.
