Kayla B.
Yelp
They're running a tight, efficient, beautiful operation here. If you're a fan of bourbon and have some time, this place is a must-go. If you're a friend of someone who's a fan of bourbon, it may not be a great fit. Honestly, though, if my biggest complain about a bourbon distillery is that they don't have non-bourbon, I'd say they're doing a good job.
Their rooftop bar is gorgeous, but do be aware that it's very windy - even on warm days - so plan ahead with coats if you want to stand outside up there.
PROS:
-This place was MADE with tours in mind. With a lot of alcohol facilities, it's clear the focus was on making a profitable beverage they can sell and still stay afloat. The idea of adding tours comes in later, and they attempt to retrofit the space to work for it. That's clearly not the case with Rabbit Hole. A lot of the touches (giant hallways through the brewing areas, glass doors into creation facilities, a gigantic waiting area and store) were clearly built into the building itself. Even the floor has an area with glass flooring that allows you to see the pipes transporting the booze underneath your feet.
-Everything here is very, very efficient. They're clearly used to gigantic tourist crowds, and they have things down to a system. Walkie talkies are used to plan out groups that are arriving to the rooftop bar, about to start the tour, or on the wait list. Like the hostess will walkie talkie the exact number of parties and people that are walking upstairs to the rooftop bar so the bar staff can plan tables. It's impressive.
-There was a decent wait (about 45 minutes) when we arrived, but Rabbit Hole knows that booze makes everything better, and there's a small tasting bar downstairs. They also have TVs playing advertisements and a gigantic gift store to entertain yourselves. A set of bathrooms are right here in the entryway too. It can get a bit crowded (not much seating and lots of people waiting and no matter where you wait, you feel like you're in the way), but it has enough shiny things to entertain you.
-Very flavorful bourbons. I was told each one really had their own unique character, and it made a flight a very enjoyable, social experience for those who liked bourbon. Their "alcohol facts" cards that went with the booze was really helpful in guiding the tasting - especially as the bartender was really busy keeping up with the room.
-This place is new, modern, and beautiful. The ambiance of the entire place is gorgeous, and it really sells the place. They steered away from "classic Southern" like a lot of distilleries do, and they went straight to "fancy upscale business bar" vibe.
CONS:
-It's really, really odd that their rooftop bar only sells straight pours of their bourbon and gin. They don't have cocktails or mixed drinks. No beers or wines. While it obviously is a bourbon distillery, this can make things difficult if you're trying to go out with friends who have no interest in straight bourbon but wanted to spend time with you or learn how bourbon is made. You can skip the drinking/tasting portion of the experience, of course, but having time to sip their product in their beautiful rooftop bar is definitely part of the experience.
-Because everything is so efficient and crowded, it can feel rushed - especially up at the bar. When the staff is using walkie talkies to announce and prep for specific parties on their way up and you see all of the tables are full, it can make you feel bad for not drinking a ton of the bourbon - especially if people in your party aren't straight bourbon drinkers. It took away from some of the calm, relaxed, "enjoy our bourbon" atmosphere.