The original Horse & Barrel bar was part of the Desha’s Restaurant and Bar complex which operated for 30 years in the heart of bourbon country: Lexington, Kentucky.

Bourbon has long been a passion of ours, so we have gladly indulged in the industry and its growth over the years. In fact, we were the first restaurant group in the country to have our own proprietor’s reserve single barrel selection. We proudly selected that first barrel with Elmer T. Lee soon after he pioneered the genre of single barrel bourbon with the creation of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. That original barrel, signed by Elmer, sits in this room today. There have since been many more single barrel brands created, and we have acquired a variety of personal selections as well as the exceptional small batch Woodford Reserve.

We are also very proud that Whisky Magazine named the original Horse & Barrel Bar the top whisky bar in the United States for 2008. The bar was then qualified for the “Best Whisky Bar in the World” competition which we won in a three-way tie with concepts in Aberdeen, Scotland and Mumbai, India! A beautiful piece of crystal commemorates this accomplishment and is on display by the bar.

We hope you will enjoy navigating the wonderful world of bourbon in our cozy little dedication to that fabulous spirit we all love!

Cheers!