Heaven Hill Distillery announces plans for new $135 million distillery in this Kentucky city

Renderings for the new distillery just announced by Heaven Hill Distillery.
Renderings for the new distillery just announced by Heaven Hill Distillery.

Bardstown, Kentucky – Nine decades since first operating a distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated distilled spirits supplier is deepening its bourbon roots in the community.

Heaven Hill Distillery has announced plans for a new, $135 million distillery to open by 2024. The distillery will augment Heaven Hill's distilling capacity and marks the company's first return to distilling in Bardstown since a 1996 fire. After the fire, Heaven Hill’s distilling moved to the historic Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, while bottling, aging of whiskey, and other functions continued in the Bardstown area.

“The people of Bardstown have helped us create and build our brands over all these many years, so it’s a special homecoming to bring distilling back to this community,” President of Heaven Hill President Max Shapira said in a release. “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.”

Heaven Hill will build the new distillery on a vacant 61-acre site at 1015 Old Bloomfield Pike, off KY 245. Construction is slated to begin this spring and the distillery will be operational by the end of 2024.

Initial production is slated for 10 million proof gallons a year, or 150,000 barrels, and will have the capacity to ramp up to producing 30 million proof gallons, or 450,000 barrels, over time. Heaven Hill will continue to age bourbon at existing locations and the Bernheim distillery in Louisville will continue to operate at full capacity.

You May Like: This premiere bourbon club is opening in east Louisville, and memberships are $1,200+

“Bourbon making is an old art, but we are applying forward-thinking approaches to ensure we are environmentally conscious and a good neighbor,” said Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. “Heaven Hill’s tradition of distilling with attention to detail, quality, and craftsmanship will now be even more accessible as we grow our distilling heritage in Bardstown.”

Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery now maintains more than 1.9 million barrels aging in 63 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2020 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, the second Whisky of the Year for Heaven Hill Distillery in the past four years.

Features reporter Dahlia Ghabour covers food, dining trends and restaurants in the Louisville area. Send tips on new places or story ideas to dghabour@courier-journal.com or follow on Twitter @dghabour.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Heaven Hill Distillery plans a new $135M distillery in Bardstown