Worker dies in rickhouse accident Thursday morning at Heaven Hill in Bardstown
NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT
Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 (updated 1 p.m.)— A Heaven Hill employee died in an accident Thursday morning inside one of the distillery’s bourbon warehouses.
Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa said the accident at about 7:55 a.m. inside one of the Bardstown-based distilleries warehouses, also known as “rickhouses.” An employee reportedly was injured in a fall. According to sheriff’s office press release, a 41-year old man was killed in the accident.
The location of that rickhouse has not yet been identified, and the victim’s name has not been released to the media.
The company released a statement Thursday morning from Chief Production Officer Josh Anderson:
“This morning, we experienced a tragic incident at our Bardstown location that resulted in the death of one of our employees. We are deeply saddened by this loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this tragedy.
“We are providing support to our employees and counseling resources are on site to support them with this profound loss.
“We are working with authorities during this time and will share more information as it becomes available.”
NUMEROUS RICKHOUSES IN NELSON COUNTY. Heaven Hill has bourbon rickhouses in several locations in Nelson County.
The distillery has 22 warehouses at the site of its original distillery on Loretto Road south of Bardstown.
The company also uses nine warehouses once owned by T.W. Samuels in Deatsville for additional storage of aging bourbon.
Heaven Hill owns four warehouses that were once part of the former Glencoe Distillery at Nazareth.
The company also owns nine warehouses that were part of the former Schenley Distiillery on Bloomfield Road in Bardstown.
North of Bardstown in Cox’s Creek, Heaven Hill has its Cox’s Creek Barrel Preserve, property that contains as many as 13 recently built warehouses. Heaven Hill also owns a smaller tract of land east of the Preserve where it has built — or is building — additional warehouses.
In 1999, Heaven Hill purchased the Bernheim Distillery in Lousiville, which allowed the company to return to distilling its own products again following the disasterous Heaven Hill fire in 1996. The distillery property also contains nine brick warehouses.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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