Bulleit brand opens first distillery on 300 acres in Shelbyville

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP/WDRB) - Bulleit bourbon has reached a milestone in its maturity with the opening of its first distillery.

It's riding the wave of bourbon's popularity as its parent company - spirits giant Diageo - looks to expand a brand started 30 years ago when Kentuckian Tom Bulleit revived his family's whiskey recipe.

Company executives gathered with state and local officials Tuesday to mark the opening of the $115 million Bulleit distillery near Shelbyville, Kentucky, about 30 miles east of Louisville.

Bulleit announced in 2014 it would construct a 1.8 million proof gallon distillery on Benson Pike in Shelby County. The 300-acre campus includes four barrel warehouses with two more planned for construction. Each warehouse has a 55,000 barrel capacity. The distillery’s modular design allows for growth. Company executives, without announcing a timeline, said they plan an expansion project in the near future.

The distillery features a 52-foot still crafted by Vendome Copper and Brass Works Inc. in Louisville and the first Shelby County’s industrial solar array, which will collect enough energy to run on-site mobile equipment.

Diageo sees the distillery, built on rolling farmland, as a catalyst for the brand that has flexed its muscle with annual double-digit sales growth in recent years.