Production underway at new US$250m Kentucky distillery

Atlanta-based spirits company Staghorn has brought distilling back to Kentucky’s Garrard County for the first time since the 1800s with a new project which will produce 150,000 barrels a year.

Staghorn has announced that its Kentucky project, Garrard County Distilling Co., has officially begun production.

The US$250+ million (£197m) project is capable of producing up to 8.5 million proof gallons or 150,000 barrels of whiskey a year.

Garrard County Distilling Co. is located south of Lexington on an 85 hectare site. The distillery itself spans 50,000 square feet, alongside two 20,000 square foot rickhouses.

The company already has nearly 17,000 sourced whiskey barrels ageing onsite, with plans for a total of 24 ageing warehouses by 2030, each holding nearly 25,000 barrels.

Staghorn founder and president Ray Franklin set out the plans for the new Kentucky distillery, saying: “Staghorn’s vision for Garrard County Distilling Co. is to craft the finest whiskeys and spirits in the world at scale to make an immediate impact in the market.”

Garrard County Distilling Co. is Staghorn’s first distillery. The building is complete with two 45 feet tall 36” column stills.

This is the first commercial distillery in the formerly dry county since the 1800s. Garrard County judge and executive Chris Elleman called the project a “great win for the county”.

He said: “Communities across Kentucky have benefited greatly from the recent Bourbon boom and now I am pleased to say Garrard County will as well. Working in close cooperation with Staghorn we will be bringing more than 60 jobs to the local economy, as well as increased commerce for vendors supporting the facility and tourism dollars.”

Garrard County, which was dry until November 2023, was previously home to about ten small distilleries in the 1800s when it was an important railroad hub for hemp, flour and whiskey.