Will the world ever embrace Kentucky bourbon the way it embraces Scotch whiskey? We chat about that a bit on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

Bourbon Reporter Stephen P. Schmidt is on the show with news that Buffalo Trace is opening an attraction in London, England. Buffalo Trace Distillery London, a 2,000-square foot facility will be located at 32-33 Long Acre in Covent Garden in the city’s West End.

Plenty of Kentucky bourbon brands are trying to grow their international markets. And this will mark the first time that such a venue will be open for one of Sazarac’s flagship brands outside of its original production campus in Frankfort, Kentucky. So we chat about which international cities might be a good fit for bourbon attractions.

Tokyo comes up in that discussion considering that some big Kentucky brands have ties to Japan.

After the bourbon talk, we go over a few other recent news items.

Reporter Piper Hansen tells us about a recent law that will allow the city to perform random inspections on rental properties. Don't worry, this doesn't mean that inspectors are going to be randomly showing up at renters' doors. That just means the properties are randomly selected by the city for inspections and scheduled. Previously, inspections were carried out in the case of complaints.

After that we talk about an interview that Reporter Michael L. Jones recently finished with Chef Bryan Emperor, who will lead the soon-to-be-open NuLu sushi restaurant Sake A Go Go.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast and can be found on services such as Apple Podcast, Spotify and others. You can also listen in the player above.

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We've got a three-course meal on this week's edition of the Access Louisville podcast.

First off, we talk with Special Sections and Research Editor Allison Stines about what stood out to her the most about our most recent Business Women First luncheon in Downtown Louisville — including the best piece of advice she heard out of all of our honorees. We will also talk with Reporter Piper Hansen about the event's guest speaker, Kristel Bauer.

After that, we continue our chat with Piper about a new apartment complex, The Bend, a $50 million project in Clarksville, Indiana, that recently celebrated its ribbon cutting. Hansen will also provide an update on the zoning issues that are affecting readers in Kentucky — and some insight into the ongoing political back-and-forth between Gov. Andy Beshear and the General Assembly in Frankfort.

We close out the segment with the latest on the restaurant beat with Reporter Michael L. Jones about the story behind the Black Rabbit, a poplar bar and eatery in St. Matthews. Michael will provide the backstory on how the former owner Jared Fox Matthews has decided to sell the business to a group that includes his longtime general manager, Sherman Lewis.

Michael will also talk about two establishments located in the same area of the Highlands: Dad’s Coffee, which is closing its doors after only being open for two years, and the Dundee Tavern, a place known for its “Dundee Dip” that is in the process of being converted into a Derby City Pizza.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, both of which are linked above. You can also listen to the show in the player above.

Doug Owen, senior vice president, principal broker Kentucky, for JLL joins the Access Louisville podcast this week to talk about the state of Downtown.
It's a mix of both good news and bad news Owen says.
There have been some wins for Downtown Louisville including a move by accounting firm Forvis into the top floor of the PNC tower earlier this year. And news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking a lot of space in Downtown Louisville was also a positive.
But there are challenges as well — with many people citing safety as an issue considering homeless and panhandling at many intersections.
"It's not the image you want to portray, in terms of coming into downtown — having somebody greeted by a panhandler. And then we have some mentally ill people walking the street. And so that's where the city needs to focus."
Owen said he realizes it's not a popular opinion but it is having an impact on tenants leasing downtown because they hear about safety concerns from their employees.
After the interview with Owen, we talk about the one-year anniversary of the April 10 mass shooting at Old National Bank. Reporter Stephen Schmidt recently penned a story about how the leadership team there is moving forward.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular services including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.