Kentucky Craft Bourbon Making Big Moves Mammoth Cave Area

Cave City, Kentucky, located near the famous Mammoth Cave National Park, is expanding its footprint into Kentucky craft bourbon attractions. On December 12th, Cave City will host a ribbon-cutting celebration welcoming Dueling Grounds Distillery and MB Roland Distillery to downtown, marking a new milestone in the city’s growing craft spirits scene. The event will feature local officials, tastings, and exclusive bottle releases, marking the beginning of a new era of tourism and community pride ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 launch of Cave City Distilling Company.

Cave City serves as the welcoming front door of Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the world’s longest cave system and UNESCO World Heritage site. The park welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. For generations, Cave City has served as the welcoming front door to this global landmark, where small businesses and craftspeople showcase the region’s authentic culture. Now, with the addition of these new tasting rooms and the forthcoming Cave City Distilling Company, the community is set to complement its world-famous caves with world-class bourbon and hospitality.

These developments mark a significant milestone for the city’s downtown revitalization and reinforce Cave City’s growing reputation as one of Kentucky’s top tourism destinations. The openings bring together local entrepreneurs, veteran distillers, and civic leaders in a shared effort to celebrate Kentucky’s rich distilling heritage, creating more than 20 skilled jobs in distilling and hospitality, while driving tourism and long-term economic growth.

Dwayne Hatcher, mayor of Cave City, shared the city’s excitement, noting, “We are proud to welcome these two strong distilling enterprises to downtown Cave City and to look forward to the full-scale launch of Cave City Distilling Company in 2026. Their commitment to innovation, local jobs, and community partnership will help make Cave City a premier destination for bourbon and spirits enthusiasts from around the world.”

For the distillers themselves, the milestone represents years of passion, patience, and place-based pride. “At Dueling Grounds Distillery, this opening is the culmination of years of creativity, hard work and partnership with our Western Kentucky distillery community,” said Marc Dottore, founder of Dueling Grounds Distillery. “Bringing three craft distilleries together to create a bourbon destination is unprecedented in this part of the state. We’re honored to share our craft and our story with Cave City visitors.”

At MB Roland, the expansion brings the distillery’s signature “grain-to-glass” craftsmanship into the heart of a tourism corridor. “For MB Roland Distillery, this creates the opportunity to showcase our handcrafted, Pre-Prohibition style of spirits and Western Kentucky craft distilling to a new and appreciative audience,”  said Paul Tomaszewski. “In conjunction with Dueling Grounds Distillery and Cave City Distilling Company, we are excited to bring bourbon tourism to such a beautiful area that has a wealth of character and charm.”

Looking ahead, Luke Jean, founder of Cave City Distilling Company, views the 2026 launch as both an investment in the city and a tribute to Kentucky tradition. “Cave City Distilling Company is ready to take our next big step, bringing full-scale production and a tasting experience to life in 2026,” Jean said. “We’re proud to carry forward the legacy of Mammoth Cave Bourbon Whiskey  while helping shape the future of this community.”

Eric Gregory, President of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) shared, “As we welcome millions of visitors from around the world to experience Kentucky Bourbon, they’re also discovering the breathtaking beauty of the Commonwealth. Pairing a globally enjoyed spirit with a globally traveled destination showcases the bold innovation that is shaping the future of our industry.”