Whiskey blending returns to Cincinnati at new downtown distillery

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Willow Run Distillery is a whiskey bar inspired by the rich history of Cincinnati’s golden age of whiskey and the revival of the art of whiskey blending.

Willow Run Distillery was founded in 1865 by an Irish immigrant.

The distillery is returning almost 150 years later with some modern twists and is another reason for the rise of the city centre.

“We pay tribute to the founder of Willow Run, who played a huge role in Cincinnati’s history,” says Willow Run partner Kathy Tobin.

She tells FOX19 NOW about W.J. McRoberts, who was “an Irish immigrant who came here and was the founder of a distillery.”

As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, McRoberts “carried people across the river who were escaping to freedom in bourbon barrels,” Tobin explains.

In the 1800s, Cincinnati had about 100 barrel blenders that blended whiskeys of different ages in the barrels to create all sorts of unique flavors.

Now Willow Run is “bringing Cincinnati and bourbon back to its roots,” Tobin says.

“You’ll also be able to blend six different bourbons with wood finishes,” Tobin says. “We have everything from 200-year-old oak to smoked oak to maple, all these different flavors. This way, you can taste them all individually and mix them to your liking to create your own recipe.”

If you don’t have time for a full custom blend, the owners say they have an option that takes less time.

“We have three wood series bourbons,” they say, “Curious Caste, which is easy to drink. Opulent Oak, our rich and complex bourbon, and Smokey Staid, our smoked luxury bourbon. You can try them all individually and then try them as a cocktail.”

Although this whiskey bar has an 1800s style, there are a few modern variations.

One is the Bourbon Whiskey Master, which uses artificial intelligence to create a custom blend after answering a few questions.

After answering 13 questions about “What do you like to drink, how often do you drink, what do you like at the beginning and what do you like at the end,” Tobin says, “it will give you a little QR code. code that we can scan with our blender that has all those 6 bottles in it and we can create a half ounce pour for you, we can create a full pour, we can add it to a smoothie for you, but you can try your own recipe.”

While this all sounds a little stressful, the owners of Willow Barrel want to assure you not to be intimidated.

“We’re here to have fun, and we’re here to get people to drink what they want,” Tobin says.

The new downtown location at the corner of Seventh and Walnut streets is near the site of McRoberts’ original warehouse and office in the mid-1800s.

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