It’s been a particularly busy year for Jacob Call, the former Master Distiller at Green River Distillery (Owensboro, KY).
It June 2022, Green River was bought buy Bardstown Bourbon Co, the latter of which was bought by private equity firm, Pritzer Capital, for an undisclosed amount. In July, Call announced he was departing GRD which left us wondering what would be his next move. Now, we know what is next on his horizon…
BEAVER DAM, KENTUCKY (November 8, 2022) – The Western Kentucky Distilling Co. today announced the groundbreaking of a new $30 million, state-of-the-art distillery in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. The 100% Kentucky-owned distillery is scheduled to open mid-2023 as the first official distillery in Ohio County. It will bring jobs and quality bourbon and rye whiskey to Western Kentucky. The initial investment is $22 Million with a phase two expected to bring the total investment to $30 Million.
The distillery will launch under the leadership of eighth-generation distiller and Kentuckian Jacob Call who will serve as COO and Master Distiller alongside Kentucky native and president of the distillery, JD Edwards. Both Call and Edwards have many years of experience in the distilling industry and will deliver whiskey made with the best ingredients and quality craftsmanship using long-standing traditional distilling techniques.
Western Kentucky Distilling Co. is located at 1880 Old Liberty Church Road in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, in the Bluegrass Crossings Business Center, on land that used to be a farm. The 25,000 square foot distillery is on 80 acres and will feature 15 warehouses adding an additional 300,000 square feet. It will have the capacity to distill 50,000 barrels per year and store 250,000 barrels. Within the first two years, the distillery is expected to bring approximately 35 jobs to the region.
The Western Kentucky Distilling Co. team has deep roots in Kentucky, and is committed to bringing quality bourbon and rye whiskey to Western Kentucky, a region with deep bourbon history but after Prohibition, less distilleries than other parts of the state. In addition to being 100% Kentucky owned, key team members have long-standing family history in the state. Further, the team is proud to support the Kentucky economy by purchasing all cooking, fermenting, and distilling equipment in the state, including a Vendome 36” copper still, and is planning to use all locally grown Kentucky corn in products.
“From the best ingredients to an ideal climate for aging, Kentucky is known worldwide as the best place for making whiskey,” said Call. “As someone who’s family goes back eight generations in both Kentucky and distilling, I’m proud to be a partner and to help build the new Western Kentucky Distilling Co. At the distillery, we’re celebrating all things Kentucky from our ingredients and equipment to our 100% Kentucky ownership. We look forward to opening next year.”
The distillery will focus on contract distilling to start, with signature brands and a visitor’s center down the road. For more information, visit https://www.wkydistilling.com.
About Western Kentucky Distilling Co.
Western Kentucky Distilling Co. is a bourbon and rye whiskey distillery located in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. The 100% Kentucky-owned distillery is scheduled to open mid-2023 as the first official distillery in Ohio County under the leadership of eighth-generation distiller and Kentuckian Jacob Call and President JD Edwards. From purchasing all cooking, fermenting, and distilling equipment in Kentucky, including a Vendome 36” copper still, to plans to use all locally grown Kentucky corn, the team is proud to support the local community and the state of Kentucky. For more information, visit https://www.wkydistilling.com.
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