Diageo’s PR team reached out to me late this afternoon to let me know a decision has been made regarding the old Stitzel Weller site. They have announced they will be investing in a new bottling line at the same site where a visitor’s center is expected to open up this Fall.
Diageo broke ground last week in Shelbyville for a new distillery to be called The Bulleit Distilling Company. It has been rumored that the stills from Stitzel Weller would be moved over to the new location. However, with this new announcement, one has to wonder why they wouldn’t just keep the stills on site and take the final step toward distilling again. So far there are rack houses aging product, a visitor’s center soon to open, and construction will begin on a bottling line. Maybe my math is off, but that seems like ¾ of a full distilling operation to me.
Regardless of where Diageo goes with this project, they are investing heavily in the bourbon boom as well as our communities. The infrastructure is starting to get taxed and supply is getting tight, so any advancements in the business are welcome.
Stitzel Weller is hallowed ground to whiskey geeks everywhere, so any announcements are likely to cause a stir. Many stellar products have been produced there over the years, so it will be interesting to see where this project goes.
What do you think the future of the Stitzel Weller site will be? Tweet me @LouGirl502 and let me know what you think!
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