Old Carter Whiskey Co. just got bigger — and it's not stopping at bourbon. The downtown Louisville social club has expanded.
The expansion was covered by The Business Journals.
On the main floor, the company is making an equally notable shift: it plans to install 300 physical lockers, according to the same report, while eliminating the virtual locker system it previously used. The move suggests Old Carter is betting on more members wanting a tangible, in-person stake in their stash rather than a digital placeholder.
How the Old Carter Club Actually Works
Old Carter operates as a membership-based, direct-to-consumer bottle club known as the Old Carter Club, according to the company's own website. Members get a guaranteed annual allocation of Old Carter Whiskey, invitations to private events, and the ability to schedule hosted tastings in the Club Lounge in downtown Louisville, per the company.
Old Carter’s founder, Mark Carter, came to whiskey from California’s wine business, where he built a career that included 25 wines rated 100 points. He later revived the Kentucky Owl bourbon brand with the Dedman family in 2011; after its 2017 sale, he launched Old Carter, which is headquartered in Louisville and produces whiskey at locations around the country. Carter personally creates the blends and selects the company’s single-barrel releases.
The club's appeal appears to be in demand: Old Carter's website states that its member-registration waiting list is currently open for 2026. With 300 new lockers reportedly on the way, the physical capacity for members to store their allocations on-site could be set to expand substantially alongside the building itself.
Old Carter's 2025 Sale
Tranzon Asset Advisors, a Kentucky-based accelerated marketing firm, completed the sale of Old Carter Whiskey Co. to an investor group on March 4, 2025.
Part of a Broader Bourbon Building Boom
Old Carter's growth lands amid a wider wave of bourbon-fueled construction around the region. Louisville Business First has reported that Bardstown is increasing its downtown density with new distillery tasting rooms and lodging options to capture growing bourbon tourism and out-of-state interest, while a trade-industry blog from Best Supply has characterized the broader Louisville market as experiencing a construction boom fueled by bourbon-related development.
The expansion also comes as the industry’s economic footprint grows alongside business headwinds. Kentucky distilling generated an estimated $10.6 billion in annual economic impact and supported 23,935 jobs, while companies reported plans to invest $1.45 billion over the next five years. But the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s 2026 study also notes that shifting consumer tastes and global trade conditions have slowed alcohol sales and cut exports. The latest industry figures offer a broader backdrop for Old Carter’s investment in its Louisville hospitality business.
The club is entering a tourism market that has continued to grow: the Kentucky Bourbon Trail welcomed a record 2.7 million visitors in 2024, up from 2.5 million in 2023, and now includes 60 participating distilleries statewide. The trail’s visitors also tend to spend time and money in surrounding communities, with most staying three to five days and spending between $600 and $1,400 on lodging, dining, entertainment and transportation. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s visitor figures show why hospitality businesses beyond distillery tours are competing for bourbon travelers.
Other Louisville-area distillers have pursued similar expansions in recent years. Angel's Envy's Louisville expansion was described by The Whiskey Wash as including new guest spaces and approximately 20 new jobs, and a project listing from the Louisville Downtown Partnership details an Angel's Envy downtown development featuring improved loading-dock space, bottling-line upgrades, tour and tasting-room areas, and a rooftop bar and event space. Separately, WDRB reported in 2024 that a planned tasting-room location at 714 W. Main St. called for a horseshoe-shaped tasting and cocktail bar alongside a bottle shop.
Apartments Amid a Cooling Housing Push
Old Carter's apartment plans also arrive as Louisville officials work to loosen up housing supply citywide. Louisville Metro's Office of Planning released proposed Neighborhood Housing regulations this year intended to expand housing options and support homeownership, according to the city government. Meanwhile, Commercial Kentucky has reported that the Louisville multifamily market displayed only modest activity in the first quarter of 2026, a backdrop against which any new apartment units tied to Old Carter's property would register as a small but notable addition.
For now, specifics on the apartments — including unit counts, size or expected completion — have not been disclosed in available reporting. Those details, along with any permitting activity tied to the third-floor build-out, would typically surface through Louisville Metro's online permit search system, which allows the public to look up permits and Planning & Zoning applications by address or contractor.
