Flood Recovery at Buffalo Trace: Bottling Resumes, Tours Limited

The flooded Buffalo Trace Distillery is seen on April 7. (Photo: Buffalo Trace)

Buffalo Trace Distillery has resumed limited operations and reopened to some visitors following significant progress in flood recovery efforts.

Floodwaters, which peaked nearly a week ago, left parts of the historic bourbon distillery under water. Cleanup crews have now removed more than 75% of flood-related debris and damage. Power has been restored to key areas, allowing both the main bottling hall and Blanton’s Bottling Hall to resume production.

While recovery work continues, Buffalo Trace reopened to visitors on Monday. The modified visitor experience includes a small pop-up retail space in the Freehouse building and outdoor tastings under a canopy. Access is limited to those with existing tour reservations. Walk-ins are not allowed, and additional reservation slots may be released based on capacity.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our contractors and dedicated teams, we’ve made tremendous progress in the Distillery’s flood recovery plan. While there’s still work to be done, the resilience and determination demonstrated this past week is truly inspiring,” Sazerac and Buffalo Trace Distillery CEO and President Jake Wenz said in a news release. “Each day significant progress is made allowing the Distillery to return to normal operations and I am optimistic that, with this same spirit, we’ll be operating normally soon. We want to thank all of the contractors, our leaders, and our team members for their hard work.”

At this time, regular tours remain suspended. The distillery has not revealed a timeline for a full reopening but says updates will follow as conditions improve.

Buffalo Trace also plans to announce community relief efforts in the coming weeks. In the meantime, those interested in contributing can donate here to the Franklin County Flood Relief Fund, established to help local residents affected by the flooding.

For more information, see Friday’s flood update from Buffalo Trace here.