Close Up Shop with our Founder

Close Up Shop with our Founder is an intimate bourbon experience located in Louisville, Kentucky. In a city traced by the Ohio River and at the center of Kentucky’s bourbon country, this 90-minute private tasting at Uncle Boojie's Disillery Co. shifts focus from production lines to the human stories behind the barrels. Guests arrive at the Homeplace, check in with a QR code, and receive a wristband before being welcomed by founder Steve Smith.

The evening opens with a handcrafted specialty cocktail of your choice, followed by Boojie’s dessert of the day — most often a dense chocolate brownie or a warm blackberry cobbler crowned with melting ice cream. Those first sips and bites set the stage for a guided tasting of four single barrels, each poured and paired with a deliberate sensory element intended to illuminate nuance: toasted oak, caramelized grains, smoke, or a bright citrus finish. What separates this offering from a standard tasting is the narrative.

Steve shares provenance and barrel lore, explains how small choices in char level and maturation yield surprisingly distinct expressions, and sometimes signs bottles for guests who want a tangible keepsake. Each participant departs with a keepsake tasting glass, a little token that makes the evening feel both intimate and celebratory. Logistics are straightforward but important.

The experience accommodates groups of 4 to 12 and mandates a minimum spend of $1,000; a 20 percent gratuity is added automatically. Guests must be 21 or older to enter bonded areas; infants under six months are the only common exception. Uncle Boojie's reports the venue is ADA accessible with no stairs, but professional photography or videography requires prior written permission.

Pets are not allowed except service animals, and smoking is limited to designated outdoor spaces. This tasting is ideal for visitors who want a concentrated immersion in Louisville’s spirits scene without the crowds. It pairs well with an afternoon exploring nearby riverfront trails, gallery district shopping, or dinner in the city’s vibrant dining neighborhoods.

The mood is relaxed but focused: the technical language of cooperage and maturation appears alongside approachable tasting notes and a warm dessert interlude. For bourbon lovers, small groups, and curious travelers, Close Up Shop with our Founder is a rare, human-scale encounter with Kentucky whiskey culture. It’s less about spectacle and more about stories, flavors, and the sensory details that turn a barrel sample into a memorable evening in Louisville.

Plan to arrive a few minutes early to browse the Homeplace gift shop and extend the conversation at the bar after the tasting ends; staff are available to recommend bottles and shipping options for collectors who want a specially signed souvenir to ship home. Reservations are recommended for popular weekend evenings. Always.