Jefferson's Bourbon Announces New $250 Million Dollar Distillery

Pernod Ricard owned brand Jefferson's Bourbon has announced an investment of $250 million over five years to build a carbon neutral distillery, with related aging warehouses in Marion County, Kentucky.

Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO, Pernod Ricard says:

American whiskey is an extremely vibrant spirits category, and our strategic investments over the last few years have proven successful. Our philosophy of partnering with entrepreneurial brand founders, while preserving the heritage and terroir associated with the brands they created, has made us an established player in premium American Whiskey. Jefferson's founder Trey Zoeller is no exception.  This new investment will allow us to grow our share of category sales not only in the U.S., but also in export markets.

Part of the announcement is that this new facility will be carbon neutral once operational. The facility is also expected to be the first distillery of its size in the U.S. to achieve LEED certification. Some of the ways they are achieving this is by:

• Electrode boilers powered by certified renewable electricity, enabling the distillery to not use fossil fuels during bourbon production.
• On site electric trucks and facility vehicles also powered by renewable electricity.
• Extensive use of solar and natural lighting throughout the property and facility.

Construction is slated to begin in 2023 and will have a 7.5 million proof gallon capacity once finished. Pernod Ricard is spending mad dollars in the US... here are some of their latest announcements and acquisitions:

•  In 2022, the company's Ft. Smith, Arkansas manufacturing plant has invested in new canning and bottling lines.
• In August 2019, Pernod Ricard acquired the TX Whiskey brand, based in Fort Worth, Texas. TX is known for its bourbon made from a proprietary yeast derived from the pecan tree, the official state tree of Texas.
• In July 2019, Pernod Ricard acquired a majority stake in Rabbit Hole Distillery, known for its super-premium bourbon and iconic distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.
• In 2016, the company bought a majority stake in Smooth Ambler, the award-winning West Virginia whiskey distiller. Pernod Ricard assumed full ownership of the brand late last year.

My Take

I don't know why I'm so amused by the renderings... the deer in the top picture make me laugh every time I see it and the second picture looks like my time at The Fisher College of Business or Grandview Yard. Regardless of the pictures, it's always good to have more supply of bourbon and more distilleries to visit close to Ohio. I'm looking forward to this being finished and am excited about the sustainable building. 

What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below. 

Source: Pernod Ricard USA