An Atlanta-based premium spirits company is opening the first commercial distillery in a previously dry Kentucky county since the 1800s.
Staghorn’s Garrard County Distilling Company is a $250 million investment that will create 60 full-time jobs, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. The 210-acre site, 30 minutes south of Lexington, will feature a distillery, two rickhouses, and a visitor center.
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Gov. Andy Beshear said the size of the project is a testament to the “worldwide appeal of bourbon” from the commonwealth.
“Staghorn’s investment is a welcome addition to the Lancaster and Garrard County communities, as well as to Kentucky’s booming tourism sector,” Beshear said. “I want to thank the company’s leadership for their vision to grow in the commonwealth, contributing to Kentucky’s position as the bourbon capital of the world.”
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Garrard County was dry “as recently as three months ago,” Lancaster Mayor Michael Gaffney said.
“But we were already working cooperatively with the team at Staghorn on this project because we clearly understood the benefits this distillery would bring to Lancaster and the surrounding area,” Gaffney said. “We see Garrard County Distilling Co. as a real opportunity to not only grow our economy, but to share our central Kentucky heritage with folks from around the world.”
In the site for the distillery, Staghorn Founder and President Ray Franklin said that it was “critically important” for the location to make a significant impact on the economy.
There already are nearly 17,000 “sourced barrels of bourbon” aging on site, according to KCED, and plans include upwards of 24 aging warehouses on site by 2030. The visitor center, which will include a tasting room and restaurant, is expected to open by the end of 2024.
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