Here are 5 things to know about the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery

Construction is underway at the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, which is on track to start production at the end of this year.

Over the past two years, construction crews have transformed a 61-acre corn field at 1015 Old Bloomfield Pike into the framework for what will eventually be a 450,000 barrels per year facility. The upcoming $180 million complex is Heaven Hill's first distillery presence in Bardstown since a devastating fire destroyed its distillery, seven rickhouses, and nearly 100,000 barrels of whiskey in 1996. After the fire, the company moved production to the historic Bernheim Distillery in Louisville but maintained bottling operations in Bardstown and aged whiskey there.

Last week Adam Ganoe, plant manager for Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, gave a group of bourbon writers a behind-the-scenes look at the construction progress.

Here are five things to know about the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is being constructed in three phases

After the project's first phase, which is slated for completion at the end of 2024, the facility will be able to produce up to 150,000 barrels of bourbon per year. A timeline hasn't been released yet for phases two and three, but once they're complete, the distillery will have the capacity to make 450,000 barrels of bourbon per year. That figure will essentially double the company’s bourbon production. Heaven Hill’s distillery in Louisville currently produces about 450,000 barrels per year.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery will be open to the public for tours

The complex has been designed to welcome tour groups, which will likely shuttle in from the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience three miles away. The main floor will be outfitted with a reception area, a bar, a lounge, and retail space for guests. The company hasn’t set a formal date to begin tours, but it could be as early as mid-next year. Many parts of the distillery are being designed with glass viewing windows so tour groups can see labs and machinery without disturbing production.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery will also have tasting rooms and a private event space onsite.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery will propagate its own yeast

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery has two tubs for yeast propagation and room to expand to four more tubs in phases two and three. This is a new procedure for Heaven Hill and is not something that’s currently done at its Louisville location. When a whiskey company creates its own yeast strain, Ganoe said, it creates the opportunity to monitor this crucial ingredient from its earliest stages.

“Being able to grow your own yeast really sets you up, in our opinion, for more success from a quality standpoint,” Ganoe said.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery to hire local employees

Many of the prospective employees are expected to come from Nelson County and nearby Washington County, and there will be 20 employees onsite during the first phase of operations. In order to run the distillery, employees will need an industrial maintenance degree from any accredited college, which includes training in basic electricity, circuits, and motor controls. Heaven Hill also offers an apprenticeship program through its bottling facility in Bardstown. The company has also formed a partnership with the University of Kentucky that will allow employees to earn a distilled spirits certification.

Continuing education will be highly encouraged among its employees.

“One of the things that's really important to me is to make sure that everybody here improves every day,” Ganoe said.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is taking an 'environmentally conscious' approach to bourbon

Several environmentally conscious systems will be in play at the new distillery. Heaven Hill Springs Distillery aims to minimize water use and reuse water where possible. The company is also installing a wastewater pretreatment system to greatly reduce the load on Bardstown’s wastewater treatment plant. The new facility will also utilize biogas, which is a renewable fuel produced with organic matter, to create electricity onsite.

Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. Sometimes she writes about bourbon, too. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com. Follow along on Instagram @MaggieMenderski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What to know about the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Kentucky