KENTUCKY (WKYT) - Call it a bourbon boom! The world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail is announcing a 160% increase in total bourbon distillery visits since 2020.

The total number of visitors to the 41 bourbon distilleries on the trail: 1.5 million. This good news is slightly below pre-pandemic numbers, but it has distillers in good spirits.

It doesn’t matter if it’s cold, snowing or even if the omicron variant is raging, by the looks of things, it’s never a bad time to be on the Bourbon Trail.

With the obstacles of inclement weather and COVID-19, why are people from all over the country still visiting and seeking an experience with Kentucky bourbon?

“They want to get back to pre-pandemic, pre-March 2020. People want to get back to pre-that, said Four Roses distillery visitor Scott Beegle. “That’s why you are seeing this uptick.”

As far as the history and heritage go, visitors want to see a bourbon celebrity, Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott.

“He’s one of the guys in the bourbon world that is the John Calipari of the basketball world,” said Beegle.

Kelli Wright, a guest experience manager for Four Roses, says keeping visitors safe and comfortable is key.

“We took extra protocols and I think guests were eager to return to something that was completely Kentucky,” said Wright.

Can the Bourbon Trail handle more visitors on its path?

Adam Johnson, the Senior Director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences believes so.

“If we can get staffing up a little bit, get some more tour slots, the demand is there,” said Johnson.

If you’d like to book a tour on the Bourbon Trail, you’re encouraged to act early, slots are filling up.