Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (from left) is pictured at the groundbreaking celebration of Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, along with Heaven Hill President Max Shapira and Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll, on Monday in Bardstown, Kentucky. (Photo: Heaven Hill)

In late April, Kentucky distilling company Heaven Hill announced plans to build a $135 million distillery in Bardstown. On Monday, Heaven hill broke ground on the distillery and unveiled its name: Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.

“We’re honored to celebrate this homecoming with a return to distilling in Bardstown to augment our overall bourbon-making capacity, as well as continue to make an impact in the Bardstown community,” Heaven Hill President Max Shapira said in a news release. “I’m proud to salute our history and the many Bardstown men and women who helped build our brands over the years by naming our new facility in honor of the original Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery that my father and uncles founded in this community nine decades ago.”

Shapira was joined by Heaven Hill master distiller Conor O’Driscoll and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear at the groundbreaking.

The distillery is being built off KY 245 in the heart of Bardstown and is planned to be operational by late 2024. Initial production is estimated to be 150,000 per year, with a capacity to eventually increase that number to 450,000, which would match production at Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. Springs Distillery will augment Bernheim, which will continue to be functional.

The distillery will add at least 38 jobs, Heaven Hill said. The company already employs 381 individuals in Bardstown alone at Heaven Hill’s Loretto Road facilities, whose work includes bottling, aging and tourism.

“This is a significant day for Heaven Hill and Kentucky. The return of distilling operations to Nelson County is a return to the company’s roots, and the investment highlights the continued growth of bourbon and spirits in the commonwealth,” Beshear said. “I am incredibly happy for the residents of Bardstown and the surrounding area, and I want to thank the leaders at Heaven Hill for this commitment to create new job opportunities and build the company’s presence in our state.”

As part of Heaven Hill’s 2030 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Springs has been designed to be more environmentally conscious. The distillery will be engineered to minimize water use to below industry benchmarks and reuse some water streams, the news release said. Furthermore, the site will use native plants and natural systems to manage stormwater runoff. The distillery also will have a wastewater pretreatment system, which will make sure discharged water exceeds environmental standards.

Heaven Hill is a private family-owned and operated distillery founded in Bardstown in 1935. Heaven Hill moved its distilling operations to Louisville its distillery burned down in 1996. Heaven Hill is the seventh-largest alcohol supplier in the U.S. and the world’s second-largest holder of bourbon inventory.

Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskeys and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of whiskey in your morning email, sign up for our Daily Dram Gram!