LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Heaven Hill has officially opened its newest distillery in Bardstown, and the multimillion-dollar project honors the company's history.

"This is our true home place," Heaven Hill Brands Co-President Kate Latts said.

Heaven Hill Springs Distillery was full of high proof and even higher spirits during Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. It's a $200 million investment on Old Bloomfield Pike, just off Highway 62.

Officials said this distillery's grand opening is a full circle moment. It's not just a ribbon cutting, it's "a homecoming."

"This is an unbelievable moment," Heaven Hill Brands Executive Chairman Max Shapira said. "We're back to our roots. We're back in Bardstown, Kentucky, and we're back here for the long term."

Officials said patience and persistence were the keys to Heaven Hill's success.

Nearly 30 years after a fire destroyed its original Bardstown distillery, the family-owned company is back in its old stomping grounds.

The 90-year-old company is bringing more than just good bourbon to Bardstown.

"We love bringing new manufacturing facilities to this community," Shapira said. "It brings jobs, it brings extra taxes, and it brings revenue to help this community grow."

Despite recent challenges to the bourbon industry, including tariffs, Shapira said Heaven Hill is thriving.

The company's Bernheim Distillery in Louisville has been at capacity for several years. Shapira said this new distillery will help the company meet demand and increase its production capacity.

"Along the way, there's always some roadblocks," Shapira said "But we'll always overcome these. I've seen the ups and the downs in our industry, and today, we are selling way more than what we ever dreamed that we were going to sell just a few short years ago. We're on solid foundation. We've got a great platform for the future."

Latts said the neat new distillery blends classic whiskey-making with sustainability and new technology, "such as self propagating [the] yeast."

Here are some of the highlights:

  • A 60-foot Vendome copper still producing over 33,000 proof gallons per day
  • In-house live yeast propagation using Heaven Hill’s proprietary strain
  • Onsite wastewater pretreatment creating renewable energy, lessening the load on city infrastructure.
  • A 22-gallon beer system, reducing the distillery’s water consumption by over 24,000 gallons per day.
  • Integrated energy efficiency systems, including LED lighting, highly efficient power systems, and extensive use of insulation on hot equipment.
  • Onsite white oak woodland and native prairie habitat restoration, as well as storm-water detention basins minimizing runoff.

While Heaven Hill is rooted in tradition, the company is raising a glass to innovation and the next 90 years of bourbon making in Kentucky.

The distillery is making 150,000 barrels each year to start off, with a goal of tripling its production in the future. 

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