Kentucky Distillers’ Association Opens Louisville Office

For Immediate Release — July 7, 2014

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced that it has opened a satellite office in downtown Louisville as a result of the city’s booming Bourbon scene.

“Bourbon is enjoying a renaissance around the world, but nowhere is that more evident than Louisville,” said Joe Fraser, Chairman of the KDA Board of Directors and Vice President of Operations for Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.

“Our KDA staff is finding themselves more and more in Louisville with all the new distilleries and opportunities to showcase the city’s great Bourbon lifestyle. This makes perfect sense and will help strengthen our commitment to the River City.”

The office is located at 556 South Fourth Street, which houses the Louisville Downtown Partnership, and will serve as home base for Brittany Allison, a Louisville native who is the KDA’s Bourbon Ambassador.

“We are honored to welcome the KDA to Louisville with a physical office downtown,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “Bourbon is booming — and Louisville is the epicenter of that growth.

“We look forward to working with the KDA to grow our Bourbon economy even more.”

KDA President Eric Gregory noted that the non-profit trade group is returning to its roots, as it was founded in Louisville in 1880. “Bourbon’s history runs deep in Louisville, and we’re proud to be a part of the growing effort to make it the heartbeat of Bourbon culture once again.”
Gregory noted that Louisville is the first and only “Official Gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail™” and recently was host city for the inaugural Kentucky Bourbon Affair™, a five-day Bourbon fantasy camp featuring exclusive tours and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Jefferson County also is one of the signature industry’s biggest economic recipients, with 4,200 jobs, $263 million in payroll, $32 million in tax revenue and more than $50 million in capital projects, according to a University of Louisville study released last year.

Rebecca Matheny, Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership, said, “We’re so pleased to have our partners at KDA in Louisville and downtown. We’re looking forward to working closely together in support of the industry and the Bourbon District.”

“Bourbon runs through the veins of this city,” said Karen Williams, President & CEO of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. “People are excited about Bourbon, its history and culture. Downtown Louisville is a great place to do that.

“Nearly 13 million visitors come here each year to sample the flavor of this unique spirit and learn that Bourbon is not just in our glasses — it’s on our plates, in our stories and in our blood. We are happy to welcome another facet of our Bourbon culture to downtown.”

The KDA, based in the state capital of Frankfort, Ky., is the state’s leading advocate on spirits issues and manages the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® experiences.

Its 20 members — the most since 1947 — include Beam Suntory (Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark), Brown-Forman Corp., Diageo North America, Four Roses Distillery, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., Wild Turkey Distillery and Michter’s Distillery.

Craft members include Town Branch Bourbon, Barrel House Distilling Co., Copper & Kings American Brandy Distillery, Corsair Artisan Distillery, Kentucky Artisan Distillery, Limestone Branch Distillery, MB Roland Distillery, New Riff Distillery, The Old Pogue Distillery, Silver Trail Distillery, Wilderness Trail Distillery and Willett Distillery. The Distilled Spirits Epicenter is the KDA’s official educational distillery.

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For more information, contact:

Eric Gregory, KDA President, (502) 875-9351

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, BOURBON TRAIL™ and KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR® are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Please drink responsibly.