It’s crazy to think that a distillery that opened in 2016 already needs some elbow room, but when you’re making bourbon in Kentucky, it’s basically par for the course.

Angel’s Envy will soon open the doors to its latest $8.2 million expansion, which adds 13,000 square feet to the Main Street distillery and will allow more than 100,000 guests per year. The project has been underway since late 2020, and the folks over there have been tight-lipped about what we can expect from the new space — until now.

Every time I’ve stopped by Angel’s Envy during the last year or so, I noticed the construction was always behind closed doors, or more like behind huge black tarps. I tried sneaking a peek on several occasions, but they would threaten to take my bourbon away and I would quickly oblige.

Finally, last week, a small group of local media was invited to witness the incredible vision and foresight Angel’s Envy has to propel them to the next level of bourbon tourism in Kentucky.

When your distillery and all its components already fill out 90,000 square feet, 13,000 more feet isn’t a tremendous amount to add. But what they’ve managed to do with that new space completely changes the game.

We’re talking five more private tasting rooms, a full kitchen for caterers, several new event spaces, a new bar, doors that open by themselves when tours begin, a “Bottle Your Own” experience room, and an expanded gift shop for more merchandise. Yes, you really do need some Angel’s Envy socks. Trust me.

Dee Ford, the Brand Home General Manager at Angel’s Envy, told us that this expansion will allow them to accommodate 64,000 more people per year, which is about how many they’ve had to turn away the last couple of years due to space and tour limitations.

Many tourists come to Kentucky believing they can just walk up to a distillery and jump on a tour, but unfortunately, that just isn’t the case anymore. Ford said she hated sending people away who just wanted some kind of distillery experience but didn’t have a reservation, and now there’s room for tastings and special bottles and all the shopping a bourbon fanatic could want.

“We’re really proud of the expansion and the opportunities it will give us,” Ford said. “We can’t wait for the public to see what we’ve created for them.”

Angel’s Envy chose the same style of building for the expansion, so you really don’t notice a huge difference when looking at the old vs. the new from the outside, and inside, the connected buildings work as one seamless hub of activity. The five new private tasting rooms are pristine and intimate, allowing you to hear every word the guide says as he explains how to taste bourbon.

One cool new feature that I particularly liked was a new room/foyer where all tours now begin. This is where you meet your guide and he or she gives you the rundown of the rules. Then, as you are about to embark on your excursion, two large wooden doors swing open like magic, welcoming you inside the working distillery.

The newly expanded Angel’s Envy and all of its new facilities will open to the public on Tuesday, June 14, which is fittingly National Bourbon Day.