Never Say Die, the multi-award-winning bourbon distilled in Kentucky, ocean-aged across the Atlantic and matured in England, will open its first brand home in the heart of downtown Lexington, Kentucky in fall 2026.  

The brand home is a tribute to Never Say Die's one-of-a-kind transatlantic journey – and a homecoming to where the story began. The namesake Bourbon is distilled and aged for 6+ years in Kentucky before its barrels set sail across the Atlantic to be further matured at White Peak Distillery in Derbyshire, England.  The unique aging journey follows in the ‘hoofsteps’ of its namesake long-shot racehorse, born near Lexington on co-founder Pat Madden’s family farm, that went on to win the 1951 Epsom Derby at 33-1. The win paid off for one Liverpool woman, Mona Best, who bet on the long shot and used her winnings to open the Casbah Coffee Club — where The Beatles played some of their earliest gigs.

Now the brand returns to the city where the whole story began with a two floor micro–distillery that pairs an English-inspired pub with an immersive visitor experience that walks guests through the brand's against-the-odds story.  

On the ground floor, the English-inspired pub leans into Never Say Die's "Kentucky provenance, English character" identity, serving British pub food alongside American favorites, a curated selection of British and European drinks – plus a celebration of Kentucky bourbon. There will be regular live music, which is a nod to that same Liverpool club where The Beatles began.

Upstairs, guests are immersed in the Never Say Die story before moving through to the tasting room. The experience opens in a 1950s-style British library, where the tale unfolds – from the racehorse's improbable beginnings to the founding of the brand. Guests then move into a tasting room finished in the limestone and oak that define great Bourbon, complete with a tasting table shaped like a racetrack, where they sample the core Never Say Die product range.

The journey concludes in a barrel room styled on a traditional Kentucky rickhouse, where guests can experience – and bottle their own – Never Say Die's forthcoming release: a “Double Ocean” aged Bourbon that crosses the Atlantic twice in its original barrels, returning to Kentucky after a year of maturation in England. The expression will be exclusive to the brand home, available nowhere else in the world. The brand home will also initially be the only place in the US to buy Never Say Die's Barrel Strength Bourbon – the expression that started it all, which until now has been a UK exclusive.

The site operates under its own distilled spirits plant (DSP) license, with spirits to also be produced on site – making it one of the first micro-distilleries in the heart of downtown Lexington.

Brian Luftman, co-founder of Never Say Die, said:

‍“The story of our namesake racehorse and the Bourbon that followed is an unbelievable tale, so we are delighted to be opening up our very own brand home which gives us the chance to immerse people in that journey first hand;  to walk them through the story, pour them the whiskey, and let them taste the difference the trans-Atlantic journey makes. The English pub and the live music are our way of continuing to pay homage to the horse and everything his story set in motion – right down to The Casbah Coffee Club and The Beatles. We can't wait to welcome people through the doors.

‍“It's also the only place in the world where people will be able to taste and bottle our forthcoming “Double Ocean” aged Bourbon. When we first launched the Bourbon we were so surprised by the profound effect the ocean crossing has on the flavor of the whiskey, so we're excited to reveal how two transatlantic journeys affect its character”

Never Say Die's core range comprises Barrel Strength Bourbon (56%–61% abv), Small Batch Bourbon (47.5% abv) and Rye Whiskey (52.5% abv), each made with a pioneering sweet mash and limestone-rich Kentucky water. The brand has been recognized at the Global Spirit Masters, San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Ascot Awards, among others, since launching in 2022.

The Never Say Die brand home opens in downtown Lexington, Kentucky in fall  2026 at 249 W. Short St., Lexington. To sign up for more details visit www.neversaydiebourbon.com/brandhome

About Never Say Die
Never Say Die is a Kentucky straight bourbon distilled in Kentucky, shipped across the Atlantic in barrels and aged in the Peak District of England – "Kentucky born, English raised." The brand is named after the racehorse that won the 1951 Epsom Derby at 33-1 after a traumatic birth on co-founder Pat Madden's family farm in Lexington, Kentucky. That same against-the-odds story connects to the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool, where The Beatles played some of their first gigs. Co-founded by Pat Madden, Brian Luftman and several others, Never Say Die is built on an against-the-odds spirit, transatlantic duality and rock 'n' roll heritage.

At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Never Say Die Small Batch and Rye were both awarded Double Gold, with the Rye named Best New Rye of 2025.