A contract bourbon and American whiskey maker is opening a distilling operation in Elizabethtown.
Whiskey House and state officials were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the still under construction $130 million facility that creates 100 full-time, high-paying jobs, Gov. Andy Beshear’s office said.
“Congratulations to Whiskey House of Kentucky and its entire team on reaching this incredible milestone in Elizabethtown,” Beshear said. “This new distilling operation will not only foster growth in the commonwealth’s signature bourbon industry but is also bringing $130 million in new economic development investment, well-paying jobs and another great reason for tourists to visit the area.”
Rocky Adkins, the governor’s senior advisor, attended Thursday’s event and congratulated company and regional leaders.
“Bourbon is a $9 billion industry in the commonwealth and provides jobs for more than 22,500 of our people. Whiskey House of Kentucky is making sure this industry and the Elizabethtown community remain strong far into the future.”
Whiskey House’s property development plan includes 16 traditional rickhouses, each with capacity for 41,500 barrels, according to the governor’s office. Plans also include a 50,000-square-foot palletized warehouse, a spent grain processing facility, a bottling facility and rail system as well as access to one of the highest yielding hydrostratigraphic limestone aquifers in the region, which sits 120 feet below the property.
Produced by Vendome Copper & Brass Works, Whiskey House’s distilling and processing equipment is built around a 48-inch custom still and 14 closed-top fermenters with a capacity of 33,000 gallons. The company will begin operations with more than seven million proof gallons of annual capacity (112,000 barrels), expanding to more than 14 million proof gallons (224,000 barrels) in 2027.
Founded in 2022 by Mandell, Hargrove and Daniel Linde – the team that started and built the Bardstown Bourbon Co. – Whiskey House is designed to focus solely on large-scale, flexible, contract whiskey production. With no brands of its own, Whiskey House provides quality customer service, competitive pricing and visibility into the manufacturing and barrel aging process for its custom whiskey production customers.
(Photo: Artist rendering of completed Whiskey House of Kentucky facility)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
