BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. announced on Friday plans to renovate and expand its visitor’s center at its Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown.
The company already invested more than $100 million in expansions in recent years at its various facilities, including the Bernhiem Distillery in west Louisville. It plans to invest an additional $65 million in expansions.
More than $17 million will be spent to double the size of the Bourbon Heritage Visitor’s Center, expand retail space and create new tasting rooms for education. It will also add a rooftop bar overlooking the Heaven Hill Rickhouses.
There will be a “You Do Bourbon” experience for guests to bottle their own bourbon.
Nearly $48 million will increase production capacity with new barrel warehousing, bottling line and equipment upgrades.
Heaven Hill is best known for brands like Evan Williams, Elija Craig and Larceny.
Bardstown tourism officials say 1 million people visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail annually, and the “Bourbon Boom” has created an $8.5 billion industry.
“Over the last several years, we've been involved in the Great American Bourbon Renaissance,” said Max Shapira, president of Heaven Hill Brands. “It's a long-term vision that we always have our eyes on, and we think we're just on the beginning of where we're going to be many years from now.”
The project is scheduled to take two years to complete.
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