Shuttered Kentucky distillery could soon go up for sale to pay off debts
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Garrard County Distilling may soon be sold following legal and financial turmoil.
- Truist Bank seeks court approval to sell the property to recoup $27 million owed.
- The distillery opened in 2024 but faced liens, leadership exits, and rapid decline.
A shuttered Kentucky distillery that has been in the hands of a receiver since April could be for sale soon.
A hearing is scheduled for July 24 in Nicholasville for the closed Garrard County Distilling.
Truist Bank, which says it’s owed $27 million, has moved to consolidate lawsuits against the distillery.
Truist said in a July 10 filing that the distillery “should be sold under proper orders of the Court, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims.”
The proceeds of the sale would be used to pay off debts and unpaid taxes.
Garrard County Distilling opened in January 2024 in Lancaster and was sued by general contractor Doss & Horky, as multiple liens were placed on the property for unpaid debts.
In April, Shashi Reddy, the chairman of Garrard County Distilling’s parent businesses All Nations Investors, Staghorn and GBRE, agreed to let a receiver take over the distillery.
Garrard County Distilling spans 210 acres in Lancaster, about 30 minutes south of Lexington. It had a 50,000-square-foot distillery, 18 fermenters and three rickhouses.
They planned to produce bourbon and other whiskeys on contract for sale as well as their own branded products.
But there was turmoil behind the scenes: Master distiller Lisa Wicker was fired less than two weeks after the company public announced her hiring.
And company founder Ray Franklin left last year and, as of November 2024, was listed as chief revenue officer for Spirits Capital, an Arizona-based online barrel exchange platform.
This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
