Food and service was amazing! It was perfect spot to eat before the my morning jacket concert. The ambiance was so unique and welcoming. This is a great place to eat with friends on the back patio. read more

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Three year young Distillery (2024) but has a rich story dating back to pre-Prohibition! True Kentucky decor paying tribute to the Kentucky Derby and winning horses. Take the tour for a truly special experience! The tour was given by Jeff who is very passionate about the distillery! Stay for the amazing food and drink after a tour. read more

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Loved the ability to write on the wall. Service was awesome and very knowledgeable. Served great drinks. Didn't get to the food here but it smelled and looked amazing! read more

Food, service, ambiance and the batch. The name fits the vibe - careful thought, reflective, musing - Pensive! read more

We ended up here on a rainy Saturday. What a pleasant surprise! Happy Hour from 4pm to 6pm with $1 off cocktails. Excellent Old Fashioned and their apple pie moonshine drink was fantastic. Highly recommend if you are in the area! read more

Pensive Distilling - Apple Pie Moonshine drink- Yum! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

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If you go, you have to take a tour! The speakeasy and the prohibition memorabilia hanging in the walls is so interesting! The tour was one of the best I've ever been on and I do a lot of them. Justin was fantastic and the tasting was generous. Also don't forget to color or sign a bottle stopper for their wall! So fun! read more

Pensive Distilling - The 1920's original wallpaper - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

Had a great time doing the speakeasy tasting with Jeff at Pensive Distilling today. What a great time sipping great bourbon! You will enter the historic speakeasy behind a hidden bookshelf from the restaurant. From there you travel upstairs to the old bar that stood in that location one hundred years ago. Old brick walls, hand painted wallpaper, and even an old record player. We listened to Frank Sinatra on vinyl during the tasting. Can't say enough good things about the tasting, and lunch downstairs prior. Check this one out read more

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Delicious food and drinks. The shrimp tacos were outstanding and the burger was perfectly cooked, topped with a house-made avocado-garlic mash sauce. Not your typical afterthought bar food. Service was also great. read more

I've been seeing photos on social media so wanted to try this spot.They let you know right as you walk in that it is food truck style. Meaning: go to the kitchen and order your food. Pay. Go to the bar and order your drinks. Pay for your drinks there. I got the fried chicken sandwich and french fries. The sandwich was good enough but it didn't feel special or have a visual wow factor for $12. The fries were standard. The bartender was lovely and friendly. Personal opinion--I'm more into full service when I'm going out for a sit down meal. read more

Pensive Distilling - Fried chicken sandwich - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

I tried them out for Sunday brunch and it was fantastic! The servers were friendly and even let me in early to get out of the heat! The food was also wonderful. The eggs were very fluffy and moist. The French toast had great flavor. I would definitely come back! read more

Even though it wasn't exactly what I expected, that wasn't a bad thing. What I mean by that, is that it's more of a brewery atmosphere than I expected. The kitchen is like a food truck set up, it's small, in the back of the bar. The food truck set up was actually how the bartender described it, not necessarily how I would've thought of it, but since she said so... If you love brunch, this place is for you. They serve brunch all day, even on Fridays. The options are à la carte style, each were $7 and the sides/add-ons $2. One of the girls in our party said it reminded her of a European style place, that serves tapas. You order at the back, they'll give you a beeper, and then when it's ready, you swing back by to pick up your own tray. I ordered the Middle Class King, a bacon, cheese and scrambled egg biscuit. The biscuit was huge! I loved that the bacon was served crispy, but that's my jam. If you don't like crispy bacon, you wouldn't like it. I added an order of fries and an order of tater tots for my vegetarian mom. The fries were lightly seasoned and were great. My daughter got the mac & cheese and raved about it. The dessert options were merely cannoli, so afterwards we just went across the street to Dixie Chili for a cake and ice cream. read more

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A delightful ending on our bourbon journey. Mike on the grill cooking some of the best foods in town. Sammy/Sammi/Sammie fueled us with her amazing cocktails. Plus you get to personalize a cork and add it to the decor. read more

Came here for brunch with some of my friends. Different type of place from what I'm used to for brucnh. We sat at the table and didnt realize immediately that there is no servers and that you had to go to the cashier to order your food. We looked at the menu ordered our food and got a pager to let us know when the food was ready. When I did try to order a drink i was told to go to the bar to order it. From there i Proceeded to go to the bar to order a coffee and water. Once my pager went off i went to get my food from the counter. I had ordered the 3 tacos. They are breakfast tacos. The tacos were good, it had eggs, cheese and black beans, not accustomed to this type of breakfast tacos but nonetheless with a little hotsauce it worked. Even though they were good I wasn't completely sold on the tacos I think they could of had the option to add some type of meat on them, for example bacon or had different options for a breakfast taco. Even though they had options to add on, the add ons for bacon was an additonal 3 dollars. I think it would be nice to have breakfast tacos that already have bacon on it without the additonal 3 dollar ad on fee. If I would off added the bacon I would of ended up paying 13 dollars for 3 tacos and it would not be worth it. Overall my group had a good time and the food was decent. read more

Pensive Distilling - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

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The best kept secret of Newport! If $2 bud lights (bottles or drafts), doesn't catch your attention then maybe $7 entrees will. The food menu ranges from tacos, to loaded tots, to sandwiches. They serve their food food truck style, so you order at the kitchen window & pick it up there when your food is ready. Check out the loaded tots (add bacon)! 27 has a few rotating local, seasonal drafts, domestic bottles, and a full liquor bar as well. While only available in the fall, the taste of autumn cocktail is great!! It tastes like fall in a glass. They even have a dog park and back patio available for their guests in warmer days! read more

Pensive Distilling - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

We got a couple of burgers to eat and they were delicious. Also got a flight of bourbon to try. Everything was very good and staff was very welcoming and knowledgeable. read more

Decent spot. Small menu and seating area, but the food is good, the staff is friendly, and the bar is nice. They offer tours too. I think of this place more like a lunch spot. It's a very casual atmosphere. read more

I can only base this review on the food and what we ordered. We both ordered the shrimp and grits and split the beer cheese and 'pretzel' bread. I loved the open front with screen. That wasn't me wandering but I want to say something nice first. Everything is served in paper cups and baskets and is walk up to order and to pick up. Separate tabs for drinks and food. So this better be great food and drinks. It's wasn't. The cheese grits are well made and good if bland. The shrimp was unseasoned and tough. The etoffee on top was minimal and tasted like flour paste with a little salt. The beer cheese was thin but I like that. But it was also mostly flour flavored with hints of cheese and no hint of beer. The bread was bread. No salt and no hint of pretzel. Sad. Just sad The diet soda was flat and in a tiny glass. Dear entity you part to use the dang Pilsner glass if you are some one ordering food. Bar staff was friendly and the food service was prompt and polite read more

The food, drinks, and service are excellent. On my most recent visit, I had Bone-In Wings, Smarty Jones, I'll Have an Other, and Winning Colors. Everything was excellent. Thoughtful, attentive, and friendly staff read more

I was impressed with the kitchen at this stylish, small-ish bar. French toast was delish with quality bread. Eggs and bacon came out perfect. Bloody Marys had just the right spice. We should all enjoy brunch with a bartender like Sammie. read more

We stumbled upon Pensive and were happily greeted by Liz, provided a great Bloody Mary (they make their own brine!) and vodka cranberry, and sat and enjoyed the funky atmosphere. We'll be back again. read more

Pensive Distilling - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

27 Bar+Kitchen has a simple, rustic environment. We were there between 6 and 7 on a Friday, and it wasn't overly crowded. We started with drinks. My husband had the Blood Orange Negroni, which he much preferred over a traditional Negroni since this was made with Aperol and not Campari. It had a good balance of bite with the citrus flavor. I had the Strawberry Fields, which was heavy on the ginger flavor, not so much the strawberry. Of course, we got the Deep Fried Cheese Sticks to start - Monterey jack cheese, wonton wrapped, deep fried golden, then tossed in a blend of parmesan, black pepper and herb. Delicious. The texture was definitely a little different than what we're used to with a cheese stick because of the wonton wrapping. My husband had the Chef's Grilled Cheese for his entrée - Aged Cheddar, Gouda, and Goat Cheese with caramelized onions and apple. He added egg for an extra $2.00, which made this a $13.00 sandwich. A bit pricey for a grilled cheese, but it had a good depth of flavor. The bread was so soft and perfect for this kind of sandwich. He also upgraded to a side of Redskin Potato Smash, which he enjoyed. I'm a Taco lover, so of course, this was my choice - three flour tortillas, filled with seasoned black beans and chickpeas, house-made salsa, and goat cheese. First of all, I love that they are vegetarian to start with. I added avocado for an additional $2.00. They were good, and I really liked the inclusion of the goat cheese. Finally, our server explained that the desserts were half-price that evening, so there was no way we were leaving without getting one dessert [each]. My husband had the Aztec brownie, a double layer brownie with a sweet and spicy buttercream center. It was definitely an interesting blend of spicy and traditional brownie. I had the Deep Fried Cheesecake Rolls - four wraps filled with creamy cheesecake and deep fried golden. They're topped with a chocolate sauce, a banana rum sauce, and fresh berries. Very tasty. Overall, the service was attentive, and we definitely appreciated that there was free parking close by. Happy Hour is 5-7PM. Wednesday - Friday! read more

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We went on a Friday evening for a casual night out with friends. Pensive is has cute horse race themed interior. We were greeted by a courteous bartender. Sadly, the compliments have to stop there. The food is TERRIBLE. Both chicken sandwiches ordered came to the table cold and were burnt to the point of not being edible. None of the food came at the same time. We had to wait 10 minutes for chicken tacos to arrive after the rest of the food had been served. At least that order was hot. Even the cocktails are not very good, and this place is a distillery! Our server tried her best and apologized repeatedly for the trickle of food items coming from the kitchen. We would have given one star had it not been for her efforts. We will never go back. read more

The tour and tasting was amazing. Chris did an amazing job. The Bourbon, story and tasting was great. I love Bourbon and highly recommend this tour. read more

My husband and I visited around 5pm and the place was pretty empty. We walked in and were immediately welcomed and directed where to order food and grab a drink! Fun chill ambiance and food selection is great Brunch or Dinner. All day. Awesome. The food was delicious, crazy flavorful and good portions! We of course had to check out the outdoor patio w/ dog park and will definitely be back in the summer to hangout back there! read more

Pensive Distilling - BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with a side of tater tots! Gourmet Grilled Cheese and tomato soup - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

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Friendly staff, great mint julip and amazing sliders (American Pharaoh). The Pensive Bourbon is pretty darn good too! Great little spot! We'll be back! read more

Pensive Distilling - American Pharaoh sliders with onion rings. Amazing! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

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The restaurant and bar area is super cool. The staff was great very attentive. The reason why only two stars is because this is a "bourbon bar" and the bourbon is not good. Very bland, maybe for those just starting on bourbon? We did a flight and each had a mint Julip, they were ok. Did come with a souvenir glass so that's nice. We ordered a charcuterie board, it was ok. The dinner plates that passed by looked good, but since we weren't keen on the drinks we just stayed with app and moved on. read more

Been to Pensive a few times now and can't figure out why it's not packed every night! There's a bright, open vibe to this small space, and the kitchen cranks out some really yummy food. Hopefully they will gradually add more options to the limited menu, but everything we've tried (burgers, sliders, salads, onion rings, fries) have been excellent. The bourbon is still young, so not quite stellar yet - but very drinkable (love their Old Fashioned!)... I am betting it will mature nicely with some time and patience. I'd call this place a hidden gem that doesn't deserve to be hidden! read more

Went around dinner time on a week day, was not impressed with this place at all. There were 4 people including us in the entire place, the bartender put menus in front of us without saying a word and proceeded to have a conversation with someone on the other side of the bar, 5 minutes went by before she even acknowledged us again. Continued to give poor service throughout. Then the food, I ordered tacos as it was "taco Tuesday" and they were bland and flavorless, also never received the chips and salsa as promised on the menu. With much better options in this area I don't think we will be returning. read more

Great staff, food and story. Bourbon is tasty and awesome hidden speak easy. Highly recommend.

Jamie was an exceptional server! Wonderful food and drink! We will be back! Such a fun place!

Amazing experience! Ambiance was perfect and we learned so much on the tour. We will definitely recommend to our friends and family.

Miranda helped us and she so amazing!! She was so sweet. The food was also great. I had the mini quesadilla and my friend had the wings.

Good breakfast burgers and bacon. Small but mighty. Atmosphere was nice but service was a little slow for a place that didn't seem too busy. read more

Pensive Distilling - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Newport, Kentucky

Too tasty to photograph! My order was an I'll Have An Other (Old Fashioned) and Animal Kingdom burger with onion rings. It was all absolutely delicious and the service was unmatched! I'd recommend Pensive Distilling to family and friends. read more

Get there early if you want their brunch specials. They advertise brunch until 2, so we got there a little after noon and they were completely sold out of most brunch items. The food was okay and the servers were all very nice, but the service itself was very slow for us being the only table there for the last hour and a half of brunch. read more

Very cool spot. Great ambiance, stiff drinks, and live music every Friday night. The only thing we ate there was the charcuterie board, and it was very solid. Definitely recommend this spot. read more

I guess the word that comes to mind is "unremarkable". This was a first visit to the place which I've been wanting to try. We stopped in for a drink prior to going to a nearby theater. The place is attractive and inviting and seems to offer pretty standard fare. Bartender was the only staff apparent and she was friendly. It was surprisingly dead for Friday evening with only a few patrons and I'm not sure what would bring people in. I had a so-so bourbon mule that seemed to be just bourbon and ginger beer without much, if any, lime. Others had drafts. It would be nice to see the place survive but I can't say I see salient features other than the concept of a distillery tap room that will bring folks in. Perhaps the food is great and will help but there was only one couple there eating that evening. And; not sure how many tap rooms and tasting bars local markets can support. read more

The onion rings were incredible and the staff, so friendly. Very nice, trendy, and quaint place. My son had the chicken sliders and said they were really good. I would definitely go back. read more

This really isn't very good. Our order was taken and written on a piece of scrap paper. Server really had a bit of problem getting orders straight. A little weird and low tech but whatever. I asked for a burger medium (our table was really only one there on a Saturday night) and the server advised only one way .. medium. The burger cam well done. French fries were cold. Tbey also have a weird approach of pre-charging your credit card (like a hotel). Every check for the 3 couples was mixed up. We all decided there will be no return visit. If you want to eat there, I'd do it soon. In my opinion their days are numbered. PS. I seldom write reviews except in extreme cases. read more

Really cute place, the inside is beautiful. Fun cocktails and you can get a bourbon flight, and a tour! Great employees, really welcoming. read more