I have to admit, when I headed out to the Kentucky Artisan Distillery [4] in Crestwood, Kentucky recently, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary. When I pulled into the parking lot the building looked like any country store with its barn doors and metal roof. Just inside the front doors is a gift shop, notably lacking in alcohol sales, though they are working to get the laws changed in Oldham County.
Once I started the tour, though, the bourbon nerd in me lit up. KAD was founded by Brown-Forman alum Steve Thompson, the former President of Production who also worked for United Distillers for a time. Because of this, he has an impressive collection of whisky bottles on display throughout the facility. Some are vintage Brown-Forman products, such as Old Forester decanters, and some are brands that are now owned by other companies, such as Heaven Hill’s JTS Brown Bottled in Bond.
What was in the distillery blew my mind. Still #1, the workhorse of the operation, is the original Old Forester still from right after Prohibition. It looks exactly like the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon bottle. The bourbon nerd in me couldn’t believe this piece of history was right there still working after all these decades. They also have the original Early Times still from right after Prohibition. Brown-Forman purchased Early Times in 1923 [5] to ensure there would be enough whiskey to last through Prohibition, and the brand is still around today. There’s also a teaching still, so if you really want to geek out you can go distil your own whiskey with Master Distiller Tripp Stimson, another Brown-Forman alum.
Tours are given Wednesday-Saturday from 10-2 and cost $5, or you can make an appointment for another time. The cost of the tour includes a rocks glass.
Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl