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12 hours ago
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New whiskey tasting room coming to NuLu in 2025. Here's where to find it
A new whiskey tasting room will open later this year in NuLu. The WhistlePig PiggyBank is expected to open in late August at 403 E. Market St., which marks the Vermont-based whiskey maker WhistlePig's first Kentucky location. The whiskey maker plans to offer by-appointment-only tasting experiences with different tiers of tastings as well as custom cocktails and retail merchandise. "We're super excited to come down and be a part of the (Kentucky) Bourbon Trail," Meghan Ireland, chief blender at WhistlePig, told The Courier Journal. "We've launched our first bourbon in 2022 ... and its price category right now really has allowed us to reach a whole new set of consumers." WhistlePig, which was founded in 2007 at an old 1800s farmstead in Vermont, started as a rye whiskey company. "We like to call it, bringing rye whiskey back to the U.S., but have since really started to grow into other branches of whiskey, including single malt and bourbon, which is part of the reason we're coming down here to the heart of American whiskey," Ireland said. More: Here are 23 food, drink, music and art festivals you can attend this summer in Louisville While the space is currently a construction zone, WhistlePig is ready to bring its vision to life. Upon entering the space, which was once a bank and has been repurposed into a tasting room, visitors will see a host stand and a set of stairs leading up to the mezzanine level private tasting room. On the other side of the space, guests will be greeted by a grand bar where they can sip cocktails. Additionally, the space will feature an outdoor patio for guests to lounge that boasts a "fire pit vibe." There will also be an area where people can buy bottles and wearable merchandise as well as take advantage of photo opportunities. The space will lean deeply into the bank theme throughout. WhistlePig will use the old bank vault to display its "vault" of products including, "super-archived offerings, really rare whiskeys," Lexi Kuerschner, marketing lead for WhistlePig said. More: When is National Bourbon Week? Here are 5 things to know and do to celebrate this year "We got super excited around the idea of the vault, that is something we have been calling our high end and collectible whiskeys for the past two or three years," Ireland said. "We saw this bank come up (for sale) with the vault, and we were like, that's spot on." In addition to the vault, the bank theme will be noticeable at the bar where guests can watch the bartender create a "bank shot," which is a drink that will travel through a bank deposit tube to the guest at the bar. "There's really going to be something for everyone," said Kuerschner. "It's really going to be a unique spirit experience in the sense that you'll be able to taste our entire portfolio in one place, which you cannot get anywhere else." Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@ or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_. This story was updated to add a gallery. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: WhistlePig to open new whiskey tasting room in NuLu in 2025
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23-05-2025
- Business
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Yum Brands considers moving its Louisville headquarters. Here's what to know
Yum Brands, the Louisville-based fast-food chain giant, is considering moving its corporate headquarters, which for now is expected to remain in Louisville. Yum Brands, the parent of KFC alongside Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger and Grill, is looking at properties in Louisville's downtown as well as its East End in addition to considering a renovation of its current headquarters. "No firm decisions have been made; this is an ongoing process," a Yum Brands spokesperson said in a statement May 23. "We look forward to continuing to be a part of the Louisville community." The news of the possible headquarters relocation, first reported by Louisville Business First, comes three months after Yum Brands announced it would be moving the KFC division of the company out of its Louisville headquarters and to Plano, Texas, sending a shockwave across the metro which has been home for the company since 1997. The move to Texas cost Yum Brands approximately $7 million. Additionally, earlier this year, Yum Brands CEO of five years David Gibbs announced his retirement. Gibbs is expected to retire in the first quarter of 2026, The Courier Journal previously reported. Here's what we know about the potential relocation of the Yum Brands headquarters: Background: KFC corporate to move 100 jobs out of Louisville, relocate its headquarters. What to know While the company spokesperson did not directly respond to The Courier Journal's question about why the company is considering relocating its corporate headquarters, the decision is related, in part, to employee collaboration. "As Yum! Brands charts its next chapter in Louisville, we are assessing whether enhancements to our current offices or moving to new ones will best foster connection, collaboration and innovation to drive our business objectives. As part of that process, we are evaluating several office options downtown and the east end," the company statement said. Earlier this year when the company announced it was relocating its KFC division and employees to Texas, it also said the move would "foster greater collaboration among brands and employees." More: Employers, like KFC, are leaving Louisville and taking jobs. What it means for the city Earlier this year, The Courier Journal reported that Jefferson County Public Schools is looking for a location to house a new, consolidated administrative office. To fund this effort, the school district is selling three administrative buildings. JCPS is looking for a building between 168,000 and 250,000 square feet that would have space for 850 employees and a large meeting space that would hold a minimum of 500 people. The current Yum Brands headquarters off Gardiner Lane opened in 1970 as international headquarters of the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp., coinciding with the 80th birthday of Harland Sanders, according to Courier Journal archives. The public was allowed to pay their respects to the late founder during a public visitation there in December 1980. After his death, his on-site office was converted into the Colonel Sanders Museum. The colonial style headquarters building, knowns as the 'White House,' sits on a nearly 10-acre campus, with an assessed value of $5.31 million, according to the Jefferson County Property Valuation Administration. A six-story technical center was added to the campus in 1986. The Sanders' handwritten recipe is guarded inside the White House by a 770-pound safe encased in two feet of concrete and watched by video cameras and motion sensors, according to a 2024 National Register of Historic Places registration form. While a Yum Brands spokesperson reiterated a definitive decision has not been made on if the company will leave its current office or renovate it, they did confirm, "Simultaneously, as we evaluate all options, we have had conversations with JCPS about our campus and if it would suit their needs." JCPS did not directly respond to questions about conversations with Yum Brands. The district also did not respond to questions about if the current Yum Brands headquarters would satisfy its needs or if it has sold its current administrative facilities. "We are using a (request for proposals) process to find a new location for an administration building. We anticipate bringing a recommendation to the Jefferson County Board of Education in the near future," a JCPS spokesperson told The Courier Journal. More: Yum! Brands decision to relocate KFC from Louisville to Texas came with a price tag Education Reporter Krista Johnson contributed to this report. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@ or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Yum Brands considers headquarters move three months after KFC goes to Texas
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16-05-2025
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'It's not that complicated': LMPD chief responds after woman dragged from car
Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey said he was well aware of a Louisville woman's social media post showing her being pulled from her car by an LMPD officer. "So, the question was about the video circulating on social media with the woman that alleged she was pulled from a car," Humphrey said during his bi-weekly press conference on May 15. "It's not an allegation. We pulled her out of the car. And we are aware of it." That woman is Kearie Watts. After spending Mother's Day at her grandmother's house in the Parklands neighborhood, Watts told The Courier Journal she began to drive home. Phone metadata from a video shot by her passenger shows that Watts was driving on 36th Street between Grand and Hale a little after 3 a.m. on May 12. At the same time, officers were called to the area following a ShotSpotter notification and multiple calls reporting a person shot. Watts told The Courier Journal she saw a "bunch of police cars parked with their lights on." She said there was no yellow crime scene tape. She was trying to get to the highway to head back to St. Matthews. "When the police officer, he approached me, he didn't ask me to leave, he told me to get off his crime scene, and I was interfering," Watts told The Courier Journal. "I didn't know. As we're exchanging words, there are still police pulling up, so at this point, I can't even back out. As we're talking, another police officer was now putting yellow tape out. "I never would have pulled onto the street because it's common sense that you don't do that if there was yellow crime scene tape." Watts said the officer also told her to go through an alley instead, but she said she didn't want to drive down a dark alley so late at night. Veah Kinslow, Watts' passenger, began to take video of the exchange between the officer and Watts. She said the phone metadata, which she provided to The Courier Journal, says she began recording at 3:16 a.m. at 1120 S. 36th Street, which is the same location as the nightclub shooting where police responded "a little past 3 a.m.," per a statement released by the department. The video begins with Watts in the driver's seat with both hands in her lap, her left hand holding her phone. The driver's side door is open. An unidentified officer reaches his left hand into the car and grabs Watts by her white crop-top shirt and pulls her to the pavement outside her vehicle. His right hand grabs her bicep as he pulls her. Her phone hits the ground, too. Kinslow begins to scream. "The car is still in drive," she says. The officer placed Watts in handcuffs, but she was not arrested or given a court date. "A standard use of force report investigation will be done, and we'll make sure that everything was done the right way," Humphrey said. The post to her Facebook page about the incident has been shared more than 950 times. Watts provided the name of the officer, but The Courier Journal has not been able to confirm it with LMPD. "What I will say is that when the police tell you to leave, I'd advise you to leave. So you won't get pulled out of your car," Humphrey said. "Now, if that officer did anything wrong in the meantime, we'll take care of that. You can trust we'll take care of that. But when we're dealing with a shooting, the last thing we need is somebody who can't follow simple directions. Like, leave. It's not that complicated." Stephanie Kuzydym is an enterprise and investigative sports reporter. She can be reached at skuzydym@ Follow her at @stephkuzy. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: LMPD chief Paul Humphrey talks about woman dragged from car
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14-05-2025
- Sport
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Sovereignty skipping Preakness after Kentucky Derby win should lead to change
The worst phrase spoken in any language, dialect or accent is, 'This is the way we've always done it.' Following tradition is fine until it no longer makes sense to continue in the same manner. The Triple Crown is headed for that territory where tradition needs to change. Advertisement Tuesday's news from trainer Bill Mott that Kentucky Derby-winning colt Sovereignty will not participate in the Preakness Stakes is another warning shot to the entire industry. Something's got to move. Either leave the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes at their current dates and move the Preakness Stakes to July. Or bump the Preakness back to Memorial Day weekend and the Belmont to the Fourth of July. There will be no Triple Crown pursuit. No potential rematch and budding rivalry with Journalism, who was the betting favorite he beat by 1 ½ lengths. And no way this announcement will help build off the momentum from the 17 million viewers who watched the Derby, which was the biggest audience since 1989, on NBC or streamed on Peacock. Just hours before the decision was made not to run him, jockey Junior Alvarado, who has been aboard Sovereignty on all three of his victories, was telling The Courier Journal that he was Triple Crown-worthy. But the spacing between races was asking a lot of the horse. Advertisement "Two weeks between races, that's how it's been forever, I understand that, but it takes a toll," Alvarado said. "Horses try hard when you have a horse like mine who has to overcome that much ground and that much of a kick back, it takes a little bit to recover." Alvarado said he was behind whatever Mott decided because he wanted "to make sure when I get back on Sovereignty in the next race, I want to have the horse I had in the Derby." Two weeks is cutting it close on recovery time, especially during this critical juncture in horse racing where the safety of horses is at a premium. After winning Kentucky Derby 150 last year, trainer Kenny McPeek slow-walked whether Mystik Dan would participate in the Preakness, primarily based on the timeline. Advertisement McPeek wasn't afraid of running a horse back quickly; he noted he once did it on just seven days of rest. But Mystik Dan had a lung infection last November after running 13 days between races, and McPeek didn't want to risk that again. Not even for the Preakness. Any change to the schedule would have a ripple effect, and that has to be weighed. But it all should be on the table for discussion, and the three racing associations and tracks involved need to be in on the conversation because having the Preakness two weeks after the Kentucky Derby is untenable. This isn't about keeping one race viable, the entire industry stands to benefit from the Triple Crown remaining relevant. As it stands, four of the last seven Derby winners failed to compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown: Advertisement In 2019, Country House came down with a respiratory infection after being awarded first when Maximum Security was disqualified for interference in the second turn. The son of Lookin At Lucky never ran again after the Derby. In 2021, Mandaloun skipped the Preakness to rest and didn't race again until June. At the time, trainer Brad Cox said on a National Thoroughbred Racing Association conference call, "We just feel like in the best interest of the horse, to run him back in two weeks is just not the right thing for him." (Technically, Medina Spirit was still considered the Derby champion during the running of the 2021 Preakness despite having tested positive for the drug betamethasone just six days prior. His disqualification would not become final until February 2022.) In 2022, Rich Strike trainer Eric Reed opted to keep the Keen Ice colt on the same schedule that helped him win the Derby as an 80-1 long shot. He sat out the Preakness and waited to run in the Belmont Stakes, where he finished sixth. Advertisement It'd taken nearly 40 years for a healthy Derby winner to skip the Preakness. Spend a Buck did in 1985 because of a gimmick promotion that would lead the colt to win a $2 million bonus at Garden State Park in New Jersey. Horses in this era are no longer bred for three races in five weeks. The 2023 Preakness attracted only Derby winner Mage from the Run for the Roses. Last year, Mystik Dan, Catching Freedom and Just Steel were the only other Derby horses continuing to Pimlico Race Course. This year, only Journalism and American Promise are left considering a run. The lack of participation speaks volumes. The Maryland Racing Commission has had previous discussions about moving the Preakness, but so far, it hasn't amounted to anything more than talk. They were considering moving the race back to four weeks after Derby, which would then make it just a week before the Belmont. When the idea was floated publicly in 2023, the New York Racing Association said it had no plans of moving its race. Advertisement The way it's always been done mentality is still winning. Problem is, in actuality, it has not always been done that way. The Triple Crown didn't fall into its current order of Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes until 1932. So that means for nearly the first 60 years of the races, there wasn't any continuity. Derby ran on the same day as the Preakness or after it 13 times, including a stretch from 1923-31. Changing the dates won't destroy tradition. Not attracting the best quality in the field of each race will. Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@ follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at to make sure you never miss one of his columns. This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby winner skipping Preakness 2025 should lead to change
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03-05-2025
- Entertainment
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Like 'a hug from my mom': Anna Nicole Smith's daughter wears mom's dress to Derby Eve gala
Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, said wearing her mother's dress to the Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala was "as close as I can get to a hug from my mom." Dannielynn attended the Friday night party with her dad, Larry Birkhead, who met Smith at the same event more than 20 years ago. Smith previously wore the dress ― a stunning, sleek black floor length gown embellished with rhinestone straps across the back ― to the Barnstable gala 21 years ago, Larry said in an Instagram post. "Life full circle," he wrote. "She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom's and 'super cool.'" Follow The Courier Journal's live Derby Day coverage here. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Anna Nicole Smith's daughter wears mom's dress to Kentucky Derby gala
