Heaven Hill unveils plans for $135 million state-of-the-art distillery in Bardstown

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Wednesday, April 27, 2022 — Heaven Hill Distillery has announced plans to start construction on a state-of-the-art $135 million distillery on 61 acres at 1015 Bloomfield Pike in Bardstown.

According to a company press release, Heaven Hill will have the new distillery in operation by 2024 to help meet the increased demand for whiskey on a global scale.

The company expects initial production to be 150,000 barrels a year, but will eventually reach 450,000 barrels.
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“Our new distillery will honor our long-time Bardstown roots while applying state-of-the-art equipment and processes to produce the highest quality American Whiskey and build upon our meaningful partnership with Bardstown and the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Max Shapira, president of Heaven Hill, said.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority on March 31 approved up to $1.5 million in economic incentives for the project, which is expected to create 38 jobs over the next 10 years with an average hourly wage including employee benefits of $33.62, according to the state.

The proposed distillery brings the company full circle, back to its distilling roots in Bardstown that date to 1935. For more than 60 years, the company operated its distillery that was south of the boltting operation, down the hill along Rowan Creek. In 1996, the distillery was destroyed by the massive Heaven Hill fire.

Various unnamed distilleries helped the company get by without their distillery, distilling their mash bills for them until Heaven Hill bought the Bernheim Distillery operation in Louisville in 1999.

Construction on the new distillery is set to begin this spring. The operation will be built on a current vacant 61-acre site off Old Bloomfield Pike that was formerly referred to as the “Old Scobee Place.”

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