Bourbon sales have calmed down after growing steadily for nearly three decades, but it’s showtime for the category in the days leading up to the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2. “The Bourbons we see take off specific to the derby are the ones that are official sponsors, such as Woodford Reserve ($36 a 750-ml.) and Old Forrester Ready To Drink Mint Julep ($25 a 1-liter),” says Marty Holland, manager, The Party Source, Bellevue, Kentucky. “Those brands definitely move the needle leading up to the Kentucky Derby.”
Located in northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, The Party Source is still experiencing steady Bourbon sales for brands costing around $60 a 750-ml. and under, such as Maker’s Mark ($27 a 750-ml. of the parent brand to $215 for Maker’s Mark Greats of the Gate 2026) and Wathen’s Single Barrel ($60). “People are getting a little savvier and some Bourbons are not quite as difficult to get a hold of anymore,” Holland says. “Bourbon sales are plateauing in our market. The producers putting out good quality Bourbons at a decent price are the ones consumers are enjoying.”
LeNell’s Beverage Boutique in Birmingham, Alabama is experiencing similar Bourbon pricing trends. “Due to the boutique nature of my shop, folks come here looking for off-the-beaten-path finds ,” says owner LeNell Camacho Santa Ana. “Of course, there are still a gazillion folks chasing allocated items, but more people are simply asking, ‘I want to try something I haven’t had before.’ They’re mostly looking for finds under $100 and especially below $50. We don’t need more limited release high-dollar bottles. We need some great daily drinkers.”
The Party Source is planning to host a Kentucky Derby viewing party ($100 a couple) at the Merchants Club, a cocktail bar and lounge tucked behind the retailer. “The lead up to the Kentucky Derby is good. We will have Mint Juleps, fried chicken and other Southern foods and a fancy hat contest,” Holland says. “There is a lot of pomp and circumstance associated with the Kentuck Derby. It gets people excited. It’s a source of statewide pride.”
The event will feature tastings of local Kentucky Bourbons. “We will have some brand ambassadors in,” Holland says. “We are working with some of the smaller Kentucky distillers. Our bar will have a Mint Julep welcoming cocktail.”
Traditionally, Kentucky Derby Day is a good day of business for The Party Source. “We do sell a lot of the Old Forrester Ready To Drink Mint Julep ($25),” Holland says. “They can just pour it over ice and put a mint leaf on it. We sell a ton of fresh mint and seven-pound bags of shaved ice. It’s imperative you used shaved ice to make a traditional Mint Julep.”
Single barrel Bourbons still create a buzz, and The Party Source typically has about a dozen selections available. “We are careful with what we are selecting and how much we are selecting,” Holland says. “We don’t want to overextend ourselves and sit on a barrel. Some of the smaller distilleries offer half barrels and quarter barrels. It could be an 80- or 40-bottle commitment, instead of a 160-bottle commitment.”
The Party Source’s primary social media platforms are Facebook and Instagram and the store is looking into running ads on YouTube. The store holds weekly Bourbon tastings and sells ¼ ounce pours of single barrel Bourbons for $1. “It eliminates the possibility of buyer’s remorse,” Holland says. “Tastings are the No.1 way to grow a brand in our neck of the woods.”
Most of Camacho Santa Ana’s sales are “driven by my email list of customers who have signed up to hear from me.” Tastings at LeNell’s Beverage Boutique are free and educational. “Sales are always good when I host an author to do a book signing or host a distiller meet and greet tasting,” Camacho Santa Ana says. “All of my events have some sort of educational component that helps boost sales. People want to learn why something is special enough to be stocked in my store.”
Camacho Santa Ana believes Bourbon sales are returning to normal. “While this is a very difficult time in our industry, I remind myself Bourbon sales have been high for a very long time, so slowing down feels like a return to normal over this hyped-up wild time we’ve experienced the last 10 plus years,” she says. “Tariffs have hurt the industry a lot, but also overinflated prices in an economic downturn have also affected what people are willing to spend money on.”
Holland is optimistic about Bourbon’s future. “Bourbon is a little more approachable, especially for someone who is getting into aged, distilled spirits,” he says. “It’s a nice entry point. For the industry to cool down isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We needed to get back to center to some degree.”
Holland notes some of the pricing was aimed at collectors and not consumers. “It’s going to shake out,” he says. “The industry got too big, too quick. This cooling is going to shake off some of the smaller brands, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing for the Bourbon industry.”