Where bourbon is growing in Kentucky: Nearly 100 projects worth $3.2 billion and climbing
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Whiskey fungus
The booming $9 billion Kentucky bourbon industry has created a boom in something else: Whiskey fungus.
Neighbors of proposed bourbon rickhouses in at least three counties — Henry, Franklin and Anderson — have been fighting plans to build warehouse campuses that they fear will inundate their homes, cars, gardens, playgrounds and property with the black mold-like growth.
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How much is bourbon booming and where? According to the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, at least 95 bourbon-related projects have been approved for potential economic incentives from the state between January 2015 and June 2022.
Not all of the projects that have been announced have been built but collectively they total at least $3.2 billion in growth planned in Kentucky.
Additional bourbon projects have been announced that are not included in this database, which was prepared by KEDFA at the request of the Herald-Leader. And additional tax breaks are granted to projects related to tourism that are not captured by this database.
The projects include new distilleries big and small, expansions of existing distilleries, new bourbon tourism and visitors centers at distilleries, more bottling plants and many more bourbon warehouses to age whiskey.
Most of the growth is planned for core bourbon counties of Nelson, Franklin, Jefferson, Woodford, Bullitt, Anderson and Marion, but projects have been announced for at least 23 counties, according to KEDFA.
Kentucky’s bourbon projects since 2015, by county
Nelson County: $755 million, 27 projects, 405 jobs
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $18 million in 2017, expansion
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $16.8 million in 2018, expansion
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $23.8 million in 2019, expansion
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $19.9 million in 2019, expansion
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $13.8 million in 2021, expansion including restaurant
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $8.8 million in 2021, expansion
- Bardstown Bourbon Co., $20.7 million in 2022, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $13.2 million in 2015, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $29 million in 2016, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $5.8 million in 2017, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $5.6 million in 2017, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $5.9 million in 2018, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $65 million in 2018, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $17.7 million in 2019, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $6 million in 2020, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $18.3 million in 2020, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $13 million in 2021, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $19.4 million in 2021, expansion
- Heaven Hill, $135.5 million in 2022, expansion
- Kentucky Owl Park, $150 million in 2017, new distillery
- Log Still Distilling, $12 million in 2019, new distillery
- Log Still Distilling, $24 million in 2021, expansion
- Lux Row Distillers, $35 million in 2016, new distillery
- Lux Row Distillers, $10.8 million in 2020, distillery expansion
- Sazerac, $15.3 million in 2016, expansion
- Sazerac, $25 million in 2020, expansion
- Sazerac, $19 million in 2021, expansion
Franklin County: $361 million, 11 projects, 11 jobs
- Buffalo Trace, $6.5 million in 2016, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $25 million in 2017, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $42.6 million in 2017, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $16 million in 2018, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $16 million in 2019, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $8.5 million in 2020, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $34 million in 2020, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $155 million in 2021, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $17.5 million in 2021, expansion
- Buffalo Trace, $29.5 million in 2022, expansion
- Beam Suntory, $10.3 million in 2016, expansion
Jefferson County: $171 million, 10 projects, 167 jobs
- Michter’s, $6.6 million in 2017, expansion
- Angel’s Envy, $15 million in 2017, expansion
- Angel’s Envy, $6.5 million in 2020, expansion
- Orchard Place, $7.4 million in 2022, new distribution center
- Barrell Craft, $3.2 million in 2021, expansion
- IJW Whiskey, $3.8 million in 2018, new craft distillery
- Brown-Forman, $96 million in 2020, expansion
- Distilled Spirits Epicenter, $2 million in 2020, expansion
- Rabbit Hole, $14.2 million in 2015, new distillery
- Heaven Hill, $16.2 million in 2015, expansion
Woodford County: $80.6 million, 9 projects, 188 jobs
- James Pepper Distilling, $3.3 million in 2021, new warehouse
- Bluegrass Distillers, $3.1 million in 2020, new distillery
- J.W. Rutledge Distillery, $20.6 million in 2020, new distillery
- Castle & Key, $9.3 million in 2017, expansion
- Castle & Key, $6.5 million in 2018, expansion
- Castle & Key, $2.3 million in 2021, expansion
- Rick and Still, $5.3 million in 2019, new distillery
- Woodford Reserve, $8.2 million in 2015, expansion
- Woodford Reserve, $22 million in 2016, expansion
Bullitt County: $767 million, 6 projects, 76 jobs
- Beam Brands, $27.8 million in 2016, expansion
- Beam Suntory, $102 million in 2018, expansion
- Beam Suntory, $585 million in 2018, expansion
- Four Roses, $8.4 million in 2015, expansion
- Four Roses, $21 million in 2015, expansion
- Four Roses, $23 million in 2022, expansion
Anderson County: $47.1 million, 5 projects, 25 jobs
- Campari-Wild Turkey, $5.2 million in 2017, expansion
- Campari-Wild Turkey, $2.3 million in 2018, expansion
- Campari-Wild Turkey, $2.3 million in 2019, expansion
- Campari-Wild Turkey, $3.2 million in 2021, expansion
- Four Roses, $34.1 million in 2015, expansion
Marion County: $655 million, 4 projects, 78 jobs
- Diageo, $130 million in 2018, new distillery
- Maker’s Mark, $463.8 million in 2018, expansion
- Maker’s Mark, $31.2 million in 2018, expansion
- Maker’s Mark, $30 million in 2020, expansion
Grant County: $23.4 million, 3 projects, 0 jobs
- MGPI of Indiana, $3.8 million in 2017, new warehouses
- MGPI of Indiana, $5.6 million in 2017, expansion
- MGPI of Indiana, $14 million in 2020, expansion
Shelby County:$75 million, 3 projects, 50 jobs
- Grain, Limestone & Oak, $27.3 million in 2018, new craft distillery
- Rut N Strut, $3.4 million in 2021, expansion of craft distillery
- Koetter Spirits, $44 million in 2022, new distillery
Boyle County: $20.2 million, 2 projects, 15 jobs
- Wilderness Trail Distillery, $9.9 million in 2017, expansion
- Whiskey Service, $10.3 million in 2018, new warehouses
Christian County: $4 million, 2 projects, 20 jobs
- Casey Jones Distillery, $2 million in 2022, expansion
- MB Roland Distillery, $2 million in 2019, expansion
Henry County: $55 million, 2 projects, 43 jobs
- Patriot Brands (Six Mile Creek Distillery) $5 million in 2016, new distillery
- Rabbit Hole, $50 million in 2019, new distillery
Boone County: $2.5 million, 1 project, 67 jobs
- Proximo Spirits, $2.5 million in 2020, new distribution center
Daviess County: $21.2 million, 1 project, 61 jobs
- Glenmore Distillery, $21.2 million in 2021, expansion
Fayette County: $5.4 million, 1 project, 15 jobs
- Edwards Spirits, $5.4 million in 2020, new distillery
Fulton County: $8.8 million, 1 project, 30 jobs
- Jackson Purchase Distillery, $8.8 million in 2021, new distillery
Garrard County: $10.8 million, 1 project, 40 jobs
- Green Bomber Kentucky, $10.8 million in 2020, new distillery
Hardin County: $72 million, 1 project, 60 jobs
- KWH, $72 million in 2022, new distillery
Jessamine County: $5 million, 1 project, 52 jobs
- EJ Curley Distillery, $5 million in 2021, new distillery
Muhlenberg County: $1.3 million, 1 project, 31 jobs
- The Bard Distillery, $1.3 million in 2015, new distillery
Ohio County: $17.7 million, 1 project, 30 jobs
- Kentucky Whiskey Co., $17.7 million in 2022, new distillery
Pulaski County: $25.5 million, 1 project, 58 jobs
- Horse Soldier Bourbon, $25.5 million in 2019, new distillery
Washington County: $17 million, 1 project, 2 jobs
- Michter’s Distillery, $17 million in 2018, new warehouses
This story was originally published August 18, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
