Robinson Construction Company was selected by Alltech Beverage Division, LLC to design and build a new $9 million distillery next to their existing brewery in Lexington, Kentucky. This is the first distillery to be built in Lexington in more than 100 years. The new distillery houses production for Alltech’s Town Branch™ Bourbon, Pearse Lyons Reserve™ malt whiskey and bourbon-infused coffee drink, Bluegrass Sundown™.
The new 20,000 square foot facility features a pre-engineered metal building with architectural sandwich panels and a glass curtain wall area to showcase its two copper stills. Kentucky limestone was used to compliment the glass curtain wall and achieve that traditional distillery look and feel. Additionally, a full basement was included below the main distillery area to house the process piping and process tanks.
On August 16, 2012, it was announced that the new Town Branch Distillery was accepted as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail was created in 1999 and visitors come from all over the world to experience the bourbon making process, view the facilities, and enjoy bourbon tastings at seven of Kentucky’s distilleries including those such as Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, and Wild Turkey.
To kick off their grand opening festivities, Alltech hosted a charity benefit on the evening of September 26th. The celebration continued the next day with an invitation-only ribbon cutting ceremony and street party for the participants in the Bourbon Chase. The Bourbon Chase is an overnight 200-mile relay race through Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries and small towns. This year the race attracted 4,000 participants.
The Town Branch Distillery officially opened its doors to the public on October 1, 2012. Public tours are available seven days per week. For details, visit kentuckyale.com.