Staghorn Opens Garrard County Distilling Co.
Atlanta-based spirits company Staghorn has announced the opening of its first distillery, Garrard County Distilling Co., which has officially begun production in Lancaster, KY.
The $250+ million distillery is the first commercial distillery in the formerly dry county since the 1800s and is capable of producing up to 8.5 million proof gallons or 150,000 barrels of whiskey a year. The 210-acre site includes the 50,000+ sq ft distillery, as well as two 20,000 sq ft rickhouses, with plans for a total of 24 aging warehouses by 2030, each holding nearly 25,000 barrels. The company already has nearly 17,000 sourced whiskey barrels aging onsite.
Onsite production will utilize limestone-rich water from the Lancaster Public Spring aquifer. Whiskey will be crafted using proprietary yeast and grain sourced locally from within 50 miles of the distillery and distilled in its dual 45 feet tall 36” Vendome Copper and Brass Works column stills. Barrel resources will be provided by Independent Stave and ZAK Cooperage.
Garrard County Distilling Co. will be home to All Nations Whiskey, which is already available in select markets nationwide, in addition to several soon-to-be announced whiskey and other spirits brands. All Nations Whiskey was named from the poster hung in bars during Carry Nation’s temperance crusade in the late 1800s, smashing saloons with her infamous hatchet. The tongue-in-cheek posters read: “All Nations Welcome Except Carry.”
Garrard County Distilling Co. will announce its new head distiller in the coming weeks. A visitor center with tasting room and restaurant is scheduled to open by the end of this year.
Source: Staghorn.