Kentucky Distillers’ Association Welcomes Garrard County Distilling Co. as Newest Craft Member

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced that Garrard County Distilling Co. in Lancaster is the newest member of the non-profit trade group that unites and leads Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry.

The distillery was founded in 2018 by 25-year spirits industry veteran Ray Franklin. Located at 450 Southern Soul Way, the distillery is nestled among 210 picturesque acres near downtown Lancaster which is wet – allows the sale of alcohol – while the county is “dry.”

In fact, Garrard County was the birthplace of Carry A. Nation, an anti-alcohol advocate famous for using a hatchet to demolish taverns before Prohibition. Many saloons proudly displayed signs that read, “All nations welcome except Carry.”

The distillery plans to celebrate the history of Carry Nation and has even restored her stone home on its grounds. Its “All Nations” brands include an 11-year rye, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a 6-year small batch and All Nations Prohibition Reserve, a marriage of a 15-year Kentucky Bourbon and 11-year rye.

On joining the KDA, Franklin said, “Our team appreciates the KDA’s advocacy and welcomes the opportunity to work with other KDA members. Our team is focused on making positive contributions to Garrard County, the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the Kentucky distilling industry.”

KDA President Eric Gregory said Garrard County Distilling Co. offers a distinct perspective on the industry’s rich heritage by educating consumers and tourists about its Prohibition-era history.

“They’re a great addition to the growing distillery presence along the U.S. 27 corridor,” Gregory said “On behalf of the KDA and its members, we thank Garrard County Distilling Co. for their investment in our beloved Commonwealth and proudly welcome them to our growing family of Kentucky’s finest distillers.”

Learn more at https://staghorn.com/our-brands/.

A Class B licensed distiller, Garrard County Distilling Co. joins KDA as a Craft-level member aging less than 10,000 barrels a year and is part of a growing list of distilleries in the Bluegrass region including Wilderness Trail, Blue Rook and Kentucky Mountain Moonshine. Garrard County is about an hour south of Lexington, Ky.

Founded in 1880, the KDA is the voice for Bourbon and spirits issues. Its diverse membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from legendary, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are building the next generation of the timeless craft.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s most treasured industries, a booming $9 billion economic and tourism engine that sustains more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1.23 billion each year, and pays over $285 million in local and state taxes and $1.8 billion in federal alcohol taxes, more than any other state.

A key export, distilling has the state’s highest job spin-off factor among top manufacturers; buys at least 17 million bushels of corn and other grains every year, mostly from Kentucky farm families; and is currently investing more than $5.2 billion in new stills, warehouses, bottling lines, tourism experiences and more.

Bourbon production has skyrocketed more than 475% since the turn of the century. 

Kentucky now boasts more than 12.6 million barrels of Bourbon aging in warehouses across the Bluegrass, the most in its revered distilling history. Distillers filled more than 2.7 million barrels in 2022 alone, the fifth consecutive year that production topped 2 million.

Attendance at the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail^® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour^® distilleries has surged more than 300% in the last 10 years. Total attendance in 2021 was more than 1.5 million visits, just below the pre-COVID record of 1.7 million visits in 2019.

Visit www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com to learn more.

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For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Eric Gregory at [email protected].

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that passionately unites, promotes, protects and elevates the Commonwealth’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. The KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL^®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR^®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT^®, BOURBON TRAIL™, KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME^®, ORDER OF THE WRIT^®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TALES^®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER^®, URBAN BOURBON TRAIL^® and THE PROOF IS HERE^® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

Please enjoy Bourbon like a true Kentuckian – Responsibly