Confession: I love craft beer, I’m a goal setter, and I love checking things off a list – which makes for the perfect combination to make a complete list of every brewery in Kentucky, set a goal to visit them all, and check them off my list. Yes, I’ve been to every brewery in Kentucky. Yes, I know new ones will open soon. And yes, it was so much fun!

You may be wondering, well, how many breweries are there in Kentucky anyway? I wondered that too and found there isn’t a complete list anywhere. So, I made it. l went to 72, but a few don’t actually make beer or have their beer available so I removed them before publishing my list of 68 which will increase again because there are 17 breweries in Kentucky opening soon, this number will continue to increase.

People have asked, what are my favorite and least favorite breweries in Kentucky? That’s a hard question because they are so different. Some have food, some are dog friendly, some have great patios, and some are really unique. I prefer to highlight those that are really unique.

Here are what I think are the most unique breweries in Kentucky, listed in alphabetical order.

  • Bircus Brewing Company in Ludlow is a brewery circus, seriously. I wasn’t there for a performance, but the beer tender juggled knives for us and showed us around. It’s in this old theater with a ticket window, large bar, open area with a stage for performances, and a balcony for second level viewing. They are circus people who discovered they could make more money on refreshments if they made their own beer instead of selling Bud Light. And they did. They were able to expand their circus to their current location and perform for larger audiences. I want to go back for a show!
  • Blue Holler Brew Supplies in Bowling Green is unique because in their tap room, they sell supplies for home brewers. There are places that make beer, there are places that serve beer, there are places that sell beer supplies, this place does it all.
  • Dam Brewhaus in Benton feels like coming home. It’s in a former house with a large yard and patio. Most breweries are either dog friendly or they have food. Dam Brewhause is unique because they have food and are dog friendly. They make the food in a separate building so it’s equivalent to a food truck.
  • Gravely Brewing Co. in Louisville has it all, music, games, beer, food, dogs, cats, patio, and caves. That’s right, legit caves on property. Word is back in the day they used to store alcohol in the caves. It’s been many things since then and Gravely nicely displays this unique feature.
  • Paducah Beer Werks in Paducah was a Greyhound bus station from 1966 until 2010. Now days, you can’t catch a ride anywhere unless you request Lyft or Uber, but you can still see resembles of the past in the décor. The building now houses the brewery and brewpub along with local and touring bands.
  • Rock House Brewing in Lexington is the former office of Lexington Quarry made of limestone that was built in 1923. The building is old and charming and in the North Limestone neighborhood.

There you have it, the most unique breweries in Kentucky. You may have noticed that I didn’t mention the beer at any of the breweries. Obviously, they all have beer and they all have good beer which is what you expect when you go to a brewery. What you don’t expect is what you will find at these unique breweries. I hope you explore Kentucky and experience these unique locations, and the others, for yourself! Cheers!

By: Traci Hall, Traci is the Owner and Founder of Master It. Master It brings people together for fun classes in the community to learn new things and meet new people. She and her dog Annie love hiking, going to the lake, and visiting new breweries.