Bluegrass Distillers, a leading craft spirits distiller in Lexington, Kentucky, is proud to announce the start of construction on a new distillery, visitor center, and barrel facilities in Midway, KY, at historic Elkwood Farm. Sam Rock and Ben Franzini of Lexington own the distillery.
The new distillery will include a 36” column still and six 18,000-gallon fermentation tanks designed with room for future growth. The facility will also house offices, labs, tasting and event space and a bottling line.
“We are thrilled to break ground on our new distillery in Midway,” said Bluegrass Distillers co-owner Rock. “This new best-of-class facility will allow us to massively expand production of our spirits and grow our reach while creating jobs and contributing to the local economy.”
The $8 million investment will increase Bluegrass Distillers’ production capacity by over 100 times to meet the growing demand for its award-winning bourbons. In addition, the construction of the 18,000-barrel warehouse will begin next month. Elkwood Farm is listed on the National Historic Register and the former primary residence will serve as a visitor center, gift shop, and cocktail lounge for guests visiting the distillery. Bluegrass has also been utilizing the property for growing grains in its bourbon, specifically blue corn.
To commemorate this milestone, Bluegrass has announced the first-ever release of Elkwood Reserve, a 9-year single-barrel bourbon whiskey. This limited-release product will be available at their Lexington, KY, gift shop.
“Bluegrass has been distilling for nine years and the release of Elkwood Reserve exemplifies the premium bourbons we will be showcasing with our complete grain-to-glass experience at Elkwood Farm,” said co-owner Franzini. “Our team’s experience, paired with the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities we are building, will allow us to take everything we do to the next level.”
Bluegrass Distillers plans to open Elkwood Farm to visitors and begin production in Fall 2023.
Bluegrass Distillers started from scratch, mashing each ounce of grain by hand, and opened its doors on West 6th Street in Lexington, KY in 2013 at its current distillery in the Bread Box building. Bluegrass became a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association in 2014 and hosts thousands of guests annually as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. The Distillery is community-focused and gives back through its Philanthropic Barrel Program. For more information, please visit www.bluegrassdistillers.com.
