Permission Whiskey & Service Co. hugs an unassuming corner on White Oak. The small-ish cocktail bar specializing in bourbon and other brown spirits stays pretty busy; most days, the first customers turn up around 4 p.m. and steadily occupy high top chairs until midnight, or 2 a.m. on weekends.
The Kentucky Derby is another story. By 1 p.m. on Saturday, Permission owner Peter Nolan has spent the previous 12 hours transforming his little slice of the Heights into a compact Churchill Downs. There’s turf over the parking lot. White tents extend to the sidewalk. There are green foliage horses outside, black sculpture horses inside, and a real live horse out front. There are probably a thousand or so faux red roses.
A pop-up bar is ready to serve guests after they check-in. Nolan is expecting at least 400 folks. His typical occupancy is 133…