Lexington’s Black-owned bourbon hits the shelves. Here’s where you can find it.
A Black-owned Lexington bourbon that released its first bottles in 2020 has good news for whiskey drinkers: It’s now in stores.
“We’re on shelves now in Kentucky,” said Sean Edwards, who owns Fresh Bourbon with his wife, Tia, who shapes the flavor of the bourbon. “Last month we were able to get to shelves, and to bars and restaurants. It’s been a long time coming.”
It’s on sale at more than 100 stores, bars and restaurants across the state.
Fresh Bourbon currently is being made in Paris at Hartfield & Co. Distillery but the Edwardses are planning to build a distillery in downtown Lexington at a undetermined site.
In December 2019, they received approval for up to $325,000 in tax incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to build a 34,000-square-foot distillery, expected to be a $5.4 million project. It has been hold during the COVID pandemic, Edwards said, but they hope to break ground in the first quarter of 2022.
Until last month, their bourbon had been available only through pre-sale online. That last of their pre-sold first batch went out to customers in the spring.
Now they are promoting Fresh Bourbon at events in Central Kentucky and building a fan base. A tasting is planned for Goodfellas Pizzeria in the Distillery District on Oct. 27, Edwards said.
“We’ve been selling out a lot,” Edwards said.
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