Barton 1792 Distillery hosts celebration of the Commonwealth’s 225th birthday
By SYLVIA HORLANDER
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Sunday, June 4, 2017 — The Commonwealth of Kentucky’s 225th birthday was toasted Thursday, June 1st in an appropriate style with the appropriate beverage — the commemorative 1792 Small Batch Bourbon for The Commonwealth produced here in Bardstown by the Barton 1792 Distillery.
At left, Mark Brown, president and CEO of Sazerac, talks about the founding and history of the Commonwealth. At right, Don Parkinson, secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage cabinet, talks to the crowd. Photo by Sylvia Horlander.
Elected officials, tourism representatives, and bourbon ambassadors and fellow Kentuckians gathered Thursday at the Barton 1792 Distillery to celebrate the event.
A shuttle transported guests from the visitor’s center up the hill near the woods where they overlooked the distillery in peaceful serenity surrounded by trees and limestone boulders.
The invitation-only event was complete with all things Kentucky, from the warmth of party guests and the sun, to music native to Bardstown and the Commonwealth.
Blackberry jams, cheeses, and hors d’oeuvres were sampled from Wiltshire Pantry, as was a birthday cake from Mert’s Cakes – both businesses headquartered in Louisville.
Josh Hollifield, manager of Barton’s Visitor’s Center, said the idea came from tying the year Kentucky became a state in 1792 to Barton’s 1792 Bourbon.
Dark Waters entertained the crowd with their acoustic-driven folk sounds, while the Stephen Foster Singers (inset) provided well-known classics from the work of Stephen Foster. Photos by Sylvia Horlander.
“We really felt this year would be the best to start the celebration, because of Kentucky’s 225th birthday,” he said.
Thursday’s party was a success, he said. “We would love to repeat the celebration every year and possibly grow it into a gala style event.”
All in all it was a uniquely Kentucky celebration that honored the state’s 225 years of growth with toasts featuring Kentucky’s native spirit.
Happy 225th birthday, Kentucky!
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