Prova Spirits Announces Bourbon Barrel Fernet Release, Pairing a Bartender Classic with a Louisville Finish

LOUISVILLE, KY — Prova Spirits is pleased to announce the release of its Bourbon Barrel Fernet, a limited spirit developed at the company’s Louisville nano distillery as a cocktail-first tribute to one of the industry’s most recognizable bitter profiles. Produced with Prova’s hospitality-driven approach, the release is designed to support bartenders and cocktail programs seeking a Fernet  ingredient that respects tradition while adding a distinctly Kentucky signature through a bourbon barrel finish.

Often described within bar culture as a “bartender’s handshake,” Fernet has long held a place as a quiet ritual, shared between new colleagues, celebrated after a long service, or offered as a gesture of respect. Prova Spirits’ Bourbon Barrel Fernet was created to honor that tradition while reflecting Louisville’s spirit identity. Finished in bourbon barrels at Prova’s nano distillery, the expression layers classic bitter character with a subtle, warming finish intended to integrate naturally into cocktails and service moments alike.

“Bourbon Barrel Fernet is Prova’s love letter to bartenders everywhere,” says Giuseppe Paoulos, Founder of Prova Spirits. “It pays homage to one of the world’s most iconic spirits and that unspoken ritual behind the bar - then adds a gentle Kentucky ‘hug’ through a bourbon barrel finish that feels unmistakably Louisville.”

Prova Spirits operates as a nano distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, with a concept built around cocktail performance rather than production volume. The company focuses on developing spirits and modifiers intended to shine in mixed drinks, with an emphasis on balance, usability, and hospitality. Prova’s model differs from many traditional distilleries by treating the on-site guest experience as central to how its spirits are introduced and understood. The Bourbon Barrel Fernet release reflects that approach by prioritizing a bartender-forward story and a product profile meant for real-world cocktail application.

The Bourbon Barrel Fernet release supports Prova Spirits’ broader effort to expand awareness of its cocktail-first program in America’s bourbon country. While Louisville is globally associated with whiskey, Prova Spirits continues to build recognition for Italian-inspired spirits and cocktail components that complement the region’s heritage while offering a distinct point of view for the bar community.

Prova Spirits will celebrate the release with an on-site event in Louisville on February 28, 2026, inviting guests and hospitality professionals to experience the new expression and explore Prova’s nano-distillery model firsthand.

For more information about Prova Spirits, please visit https://www.provaspirits.com/. 

About Prova Spirits

Prova Spirits is a cocktail-driven nano distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by Giuseppe Paoulos. Created in 2024 and opened to the public in August 2025, Prova Spirits produces vermouths, amari, liqueurs, and other spirits designed to shine in cocktails, with many ingredients made and distilled in-house. Prova Spirits pairs small-scale distillation with a hospitality-first cocktail experience, offering guests a distinctive destination in the heart of America’s bourbon country.

Contact Information

Giuseppe Paoulos
press@provaspirits.com
502-606-5366
https://www.provaspirits.com/ 

Discover the Italian Style Aperitivo Being Crafted in the Heart of Kentucky's Bourbon Country by Prova Spirits

LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, January 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Prova Spirits, the only nano distillery in Louisville, is proud to launch Aperitivo Rosso, a vermouth-style aperitivo crafted in the heart of a city most renowned for bourbon making! The bright red, dry, and complex drink is a celebration of Italian tradition and is the flagship drink for the family-run company.

While Kentucky might be more synonymous with oak barrels and amber-hued bourbon, Louisville’s Prova Spirits is going against the grain by offering a range of Italian-inspired drinks, led by its signature Aperitivo Rosso. The drink begins as a dry white wine that is carefully macerated with a proprietary blend of botanicals and tart Michigan cherries, which lend the spirit its vivid crimson color and layered flavor profile. The resulting drink is a delicious and balanced aperitivo that is perfect for use in cocktails or on its own over ice.

For founder Giuseppe Paoulos, Aperitivo Rosso is a deeply personal creation. It was the first beverage he designed and perfected while building the concept that would become Prova Spirits, a cocktail driven nano distillery. Drawing inspiration from his Italian heritage and memories of his Nonna’s kitchen, the resulting blend of tradition and experimentation now defines Prova’s mission of creating spirits that not only connect past and future but are designed to be shared and enjoyed together.

Giuseppe Paoulos added, “Although we are in the heart of bourbon country, at Prova Spirits we’re on a mission to give drinkers a unique taste of Italy with our flagship vermouth-style Aperitivo Rosso. The unique blend of botanicals and tart Michigan cherries creates a truly unique flavor profile that is guaranteed to capture your attention and delight the senses!”

Alongside the Aperitivo Rosso, Prova Spirits offers a wide range of spirits, including Limoncello, Castello, Gin, and Vodka. The entire collection is available to purchase now exclusively from www.provaspirits.com.

About Prova Spirits
Prova Spirits is a cocktail-driven nano distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by Giuseppe Paoulos. Created in 2024 and opened to the public in August 2025, Prova Spirits produces vermouths, amari, liqueurs, and other spirits designed to shine in cocktails, with many ingredients made and distilled in-house. Prova Spirits pairs small-scale distillation with a hospitality-first cocktail experience, offering guests a distinctive destination in the heart of America’s bourbon country.

Giuseppe Paoulos
Prova Spirits
press@provaspirits.com
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Prova Spirits Announces Cocktail-First Nano Distillery Program Featuring House-Made Vermouth and Amari in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Prova Spirits is pleased to announce its continued expansion of a cocktail-driven nano distillery program in Louisville, Kentucky, designed to introduce a broader audience to its hospitality-first approach to spirits. Located in the heart of America’s bourbon country, Prova Spirits focuses on vermouths, amari, liqueurs, and other cocktail components created to perform in mixed drinks, offering an alternative lens on Kentucky’s celebrated beverage culture without competing with the region’s whiskey heritage.

Operating at a nano-distillery scale, Prova Spirits emphasizes small-batch production and hands-on development. The company’s portfolio is built for cocktail application, with alcohol strength and sweetness calibrated to support balance, structure, and versatility behind the bar. Prova Spirits does not currently produce aged spirits such as whiskey or aged rum, instead prioritizing spirits and modifiers intended for immediate use in classic and contemporary cocktails.

At its core, Prova’s model is distinct within the broader spirits landscape because it functions as both a distillery and a hospitality destination. Many cocktail programs rely on outside suppliers for vermouth, amaro, and specialty ingredients. Prova Spirits, by contrast, uses its distilling capability to produce key components in-house, enabling quicker iteration, tighter quality control, and a bar program designed around what is made on site. The result is a guest experience shaped by the same team developing the ingredients, with cocktails serving as the primary way most customers encounter the spirits.

Additionally, Prova Spirits benefits from access to specialized, high-tech equipment typically unavailable to bars that are not also licensed distilleries. This capability supports aromatic extraction and spirit development methods used to shape flavor profiles with precision. Not only that, but the company also de-alcoholizes wine in-house to support a dedicated non-alcoholic offering, aiming to provide guests with alcohol-free options that reflect the same care, complexity, and cocktail intent as The Core menu.

The brand’s story is rooted in Italian heritage and the traditions of hospitality that inspired its founder, Giuseppe Paoulos. Prova Spirits was created in 2024 and opened to the public in August 2025, building a presence in Louisville with a concept that blends past and future, tradition and innovation, and a belief that spirits are most meaningful when shared.

“Prova Spirits exists to create spirits that spark connection—between past and future, between tradition and innovation, and between the people who share them,” says Giuseppe Paoulos, Founder of Prova Spirits. “Every bottle is a handcrafted tribute to history, infused with a creative twist, and made to elevate the familiar or inspire something entirely new.”

As Prova Spirits expands awareness of its program, the company remains focused on reaching hospitality professionals, cocktail enthusiasts, and local and visiting guests seeking a distinctive, cocktail-forward destination in Louisville. By centering the experience on in-house production and on-site hospitality, Prova Spirits aims to broaden recognition of what a modern nano distillery can offer in a city known worldwide for bourbon.

For more information about Prova Spirits, please visit https://www.provaspirits.com/.

About Prova Spirits
Prova Spirits is a cocktail-driven nano distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by Giuseppe Paoulos. Created in 2024 and opened to the public in August 2025, Prova Spirits produces vermouths, amari, liqueurs, and other spirits designed to shine in cocktails, with many ingredients made and distilled in-house. Prova Spirits pairs small-scale distillation with a hospitality-first cocktail experience, offering guests a distinctive destination in the heart of America’s bourbon country.

Giuseppe Paoulos
Prova Spirits
press@provaspirits.com
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook