LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Buffalo Trace Distillery is working to return to normalcy after devastating flood damage last week.
One of Kentucky's most popular distilleries spent much of last week week under water. Water reached many buildings on the historic distillery's campus ranging from production spaces to the stillhouse to the visitor center. As for the precious product aging on site, workers moved many bourbon barrels before the flood, but the high water did reach some.
According to a news release Tuesday, the removal of flood water debris and damage is more than 75% complete. Power has been restored to important areas of the distillery, which has allowed craft bottling inside Blanton's Bottling Hall and the main bottling hall operations to resume.
The interiors of the buildings have also been emptied of water.
"Thanks to the tireless efforts of our contractors and dedicated teams, we've made tremendous progress in the Distillery's flood recovery plan. While there's still work to be done, the resilience and determination demonstrated this past week is truly inspiring," Jake Wenz, president and CEO of Sazerac & Buffalo Trace Distillery, said in a news release Tuesday. "Each day significant progress is made allowing the Distillery to return to normal operations and I am optimistic that, with this same spirit, we'll be operating normally soon. We want to thank all of the contractors, our leaders, and our team members for their hard work."
The distillery reopened to visitors with a limited retail experience Monday. Visitors are currently offered a small pop-up shopping experience inside the Freehouse building with opportunities to purchase select bottles and complimentary tastings in an outdoor canopy neighboring building. It's available for people with previously held tour reservations.
Buffalo Trace won't know how much bourbon is lost until a thorough inspection process is complete. Based on historical knowledge from previous floods, Buffalo Trace said it has been successful in recovering any barrels that might have been affected by flood waters.
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