Kentucky Bourbon Trail Hires New Manager

The Kentucky Distillers' Association is trying to better handle the growing number of visitors to the six distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and has hired its first-ever trail manager.“I think where I can step in is to suggest, hey if you’ve done this one here’s how you can check out some of these others. Here’s some other things to do in the area. So I think that’s one of the things that will be job one with me," said Adam Johnson, currently serving as executive director of the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau.“Also they just knew what a bourbon guy I was," he said.Johnson's new job as Kentucky Bourbon Trail's manager will begin in February when he'll help manage the visitor experience.“I want to expand some of the options on there with, hey here’s a great place for you to go eat, here’s another great attraction for you to check out. So I just think my connections, having worked in the travel industry in Kentucky for a while, is going to help me with that," Johnson said.The Bourbon Trail had nearly 450,000 visitors last year, and the trail’s Passport Program, which requires visiting all six distilleries, had almost 12,000 members.The key is to offer everyone a chance to connect to bourbon, from the casual taster to the aficionado, he said. That includes expanding transportation between like distilleries like the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's new bike routes between the facilities that was announced this week.