Oxmoor Bourbon Company Welcomes New General Manager, Celebrates First Anniversary

Spirits industry veteran brings wide range of experience to tourism destination

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 21, 2025) – – – Oxmoor Bourbon Company announced Tim Knittel is joining the team as general manager, bringing extensive experience to one of Kentucky’s most unique bourbon tourism destinations. Having just reached its first anniversary since opening for public tours and sharing how one Kentucky family impacted state and federal whiskey policy, the leadership announcement reflects a new chapter in the property’s long history. For more information, visit oxmoorbourbon.com.

“Oxmoor Bourbon Company is a truly exceptional experience — it is unlike any other bourbon tour you’ll take in Kentucky or elsewhere,” said Cordell Lawrence, CEO of Eastern Light Distilling and advisor to Oxmoor Bourbon Company. “Since becoming a Kentucky Bourbon Trail partner earlier this year, we’ve continued to grow and evolve our offerings and we’re looking forward to Tim guiding us forward. His wealth of industry knowledge and connections will help reach additional guests and tell our story.”

In 2016, Knittel founded Distilled Living, one of the largest bourbon and mixology events and experiences company. He is an adjunct professor of bourbon studies at Midway University and was appointed the first official bourbon ambassador of Churchill Downs in 2020. He has also worked in several bourbon tourism roles including as the bourbon steward-in-residence at The Kentucky Castle and as homeplace host and culinary center manager at Woodford Reserve Distillery. 

Knittel consulted with Oxmoor Bourbon Company to build the initial experiential tour that launched last year. He was involved in primary research, experience design and product development.

During the immersive experience, visitors stroll through three centuries of architecture and learn about the five generations of legal scholars who have called Oxmoor home, the “why” and “how” behind the rules of bourbon told on every distillery tour, and the almost-forgotten figures who codified those rules into law to protect the good name of America’s only native spirit. Each tour concludes with a tasting of the exclusive Oxmoor Bourbon Private Label — a private stock bottling in the family tradition, which was awarded a gold medal by the prestigious John Barleycorn Society. Bottles of the bourbon are available for sale following the tour. Guests also have the option to enjoy a selection of cocktails in the breathtaking family library and gardens following tours. 

“It was such an honor to help bring Oxmoor Bourbon Company to the public and share these stories that are so crucial to Kentucky’s bourbon industry — but not widely known,” Knittel said. “Now I have the opportunity to dive even deeper while also developing new offerings so we can connect with even more guests.”

Knittel said Oxmoor Bourbon Company will continue to offer its current tour and plans to add two additional shorter, focused tours this summer. 

Currently, tours are offered Tuesdays through Saturdays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Guests must be 21+ to participate. Space is limited on each tour, so reservations are required — to reserve a tour, visit here.

Oxmoor Bourbon Company also welcomes inquiries regarding private event bookings and corporate events and is excited to host a variety of special events and private tastings throughout 2025.

For photos, click here.

About Oxmoor Bourbon:

Step back in time with Oxmoor Bourbon and explore where Kentucky’s Bourbon history began. This first-of-its-kind historical tour and tasting experience takes place at Oxmoor, with buildings constructed before the Commonwealth of Kentucky had a constitution. Learn about the five generations of legal scholars who have called Oxmoor home, the “why” and “how” behind the rules of bourbon told on every distillery tour, and the almost-forgotten figures who codified those rules into law to protect the good name of America’s only native spirit. Guests see the home’s three sections, constructed in 1791, 1829 and 1928, with furniture and family belongings as the family left them. Visitors can also explore the beautiful gardens designed in 1911 by one of the country’s first female landscape architects and the largest collection of preserved outbuildings in the region. The tour includes a tasting of the exclusive Oxmoor Bourbon Private Label and the option to enjoy a selection of cocktails in the breathtaking family library and garden. The site interprets the story of a Kentucky farm that has transformed alongside the state and strives to tell the story of all the people who lived and worked on the land through preservation and education. Multiple tour times offered Tuesdays through Saturdays; must be 21+ to participate. Visit oxmoorbourbon.com for information or to book.

###