PAST reFLeCTION, FuTure FOCuS

During the pandemic, New Riff bottled and sold a couple of barrels’ worth of 15-year-old bourbon. It wasn’t for their profit or edification — all proceeds went directly to local tourism boards and the families of struggling on-premise accounts. The bottles sold out in about an hour. According to Erisman, the idea of selling off special juice to support others was an easy call. “All of these places valued us over the years, and we’re beholden to this community,” he said. “Not to slight Cincinnati, where most of our staff live, but we felt we needed to concentrate our support efforts to northern Kentucky. It was important for us to make sure our neighbors were taken care of.”

It's not surprising to hear stories like this. It’s what the hospitality industry does. These stories still matter in the post-pandemic landscape because they strike a familiar chord to anyone attached to either making, distributing, selling, or serving distillate. In Covington, a community built around attracting visitors, these stories feel cathartic. At the same time, they’re treated as reflections of the past because of what’s happening in the present. “It’s no longer about the community rallying around each other for survival’s sake,” Robinson explained. “It’s now a matter of enjoying everything. In Covington, that means enjoying local.”

This sense of locality starts with the region’s burgeoning craft distilling scene. Covington is the hub for the scene’s five craft distilleries, located within an hour or so of downtown: New Riff Distilling in Newport; Second Sight Spirits in Ludlow; Boone County Distilling Co. in Independence; The Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta; and The Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville. A few new distilleries are also preparing to launch in the area. Their central nervous system is the northern Kentucky B-Line, a part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which connects tourists to distilleries and the restaurants that support them. The trail also allows the region to show off a side of the distilling industry overlooked by the big boys. “These craft producers are awesome because they’re all about showing off the real craft behind the bourbon,” stated Kirkpatrick. “Guests coming here aren’t going to see some staged tour. They’re going to really dig in and see how things are made.”

reADY FOr THe reSurGeNCe

Covington’s bourbon-kissed hospitality industry seems poised for the next level. One of the reasons for this could be attributed to an odd pandemic-related side benefit for these new distilleries. “These newer distilleries were stagnant during the pandemic, waiting for their bourbon to age,” Wainscott said. “They could get away with just waiting around and allowing bourbon to do its thing.”

When these new places open and potentially join the B-line, they could add another reason for people to stop and explore this gateway to bourbon country instead of driving straight through. That’s certainly a scenario local hospitality businesses would embrace because they embrace the community so tightly already. “Everyone around here is all friends, and we do what we can to work together. That goes for the distilleries too, and I know that for a fact,” said Robinson. “We all love the community, being part of the neighborhood, and connecting with other businesses.”

Of course, through all this community support and growth, there is one constant that drives the Covington area — and the state of Kentucky — forward. “People may drive here from an hour away or across the country, and they’ll do it for the bourbon,” Wainscott said. “They’ll sit down at a place like Libby’s, order a glass, and engage in conversation with others. It’s great, and bourbon brings all of that together.”

Rich Manning is a freelance food and drink writer based in Fountain Valley, CA. He lives about 15 minutes south of Disneyland, but he hasn’t gone there in ages — he’d rather visit the nearby breweries and distilleries instead. You can check out some of his other written hackery by visiting richmanning. pressfolios.com. He can be reached at richmanning72@gmail.com.

Written by SAILOR GUEVARA

Photography by ELIESA JOHNSON