Stitzel Brothers Distillery

Remnants of early distilleries are hard to find in Louisville. The few that remain provide a glimpse into the evolution of the industry. In Louisville, in the late 1890s, there were 24 distilling operations. Today, only three of those sites have structures remaining from the distilleries of the era.

Of those remaining buildings, only two sites retained bourbon-aging warehouses. From these remains, the architectural evolution of warehouses can be seen in each period of construction.

One of the earliest structures remains at the site of the original Stitzel Brothers Distillery in western Louisville at 25th & Maple St. The advances in aging-warehouse design were refined in later periods, replicating earlier elements on a larger scale.

The Stitzel Bros. built a new warehouse in 1918. This warehouse displays an architectural design that integrates function and production and is eight stories tall. Its exterior is solid masonry, which originally supported an interior racking system.

After extensive remodeling, most of the interior has been removed, while the exterior still provides a good example of the evolution of industry facilities.

Though most of the Stitzel Bros. distillery complex has been demolished, within the four remaining structures the evolution and growth of the bourbon industry in Louisville can be seen.