Louisville distillery's bottling operation shutting down by April 2025, affecting 33 employees

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Louisville distillery's bottling operation is shutting down.

Bottling operations at Stitzel-Weller Distillery, located in Louisville's Shively neighborhood, will be phased out by April 2025, a Diageo spokesperson confirmed to WDRB Friday.

About 33 employees are expected to be impacted.

The spokesperson said the company will consolidate bottling operations at other Diageo facilities in the U.S, and within the next two to three years, the company will move most of its maturing and warehouse operations to other Diageo facilities in Shelbyville and Lebanon.

The visitor center at Stitzel-Weller, which employs about 20 people, will still be open and will not be affected. The distillery will also continue to distil and mature bourbon, including Blade & Bow that's sold exclusively in the visitor's center, on-site until the current stockpile is gone.

“Diageo has a longstanding commitment to Kentucky, demonstrated by a nearly $290 million investment in our in-state production facilities and visitor centers since 2019. This decision is part of a broader multi-year program to strengthen Diageo’s supply chain by improving productivity, resilience, and agility," a Diageo spokesperson said.

The company reiterated Friday that Bulleit Bourbon, currently distilled at Diageo's Shelbyville and Lebanon, Kentucky distilleries, will remain.

"We are committed to remaining a major operator in Kentucky," a Diageo spokesperson said.

Below is the full statement from the company:

“Diageo has a longstanding commitment to Kentucky, demonstrated by a nearly $290 million investment in our in-state production facilities and visitor centers since 2019. While our visitor center at the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville will continue to be the home of Blade and Bow whiskey, and an important destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, we have made the difficult decision to consolidate the site’s bottling operations within other U.S. Diageo facilities. This decision is part of a broader multi-year program to strengthen Diageo’s supply chain by improving productivity, resilience, and agility. As such, over the next 2-3 years we will also be shifting the majority of maturing and warehousing operations from Stitzel-Weller to Diageo’s other Kentucky facilities, in Shelbyville and Lebanon.

Through these sites in the heart of bourbon country, homes to Bulleit bourbon, we will continue to invest in Kentucky’s economy while contributing to the local tourism and hospitality sectors. We remain committed to supporting workforce programs, local charitable organizations, institutions of higher education, and environmental organizations in the region.

We do not take these decisions lightly, and we recognize the impact on our employees. For those affected, we are providing support in the form of severance packages, outplacement assistance, and employee assistance resources, as well as information on open roles across our organization.”

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