Bringing Bardstown to Western Kentucky: bourbon industry pros lead $25 million Jackson Purchase Distillery expansion

HICKMAN, KY, USA, April 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the farthest reaches of Western Kentucky, along the Mississippi River where Kentucky meets Tennessee and Missouri, a startup distillery is quietly producing some of the finest bourbon in the Bluegrass State.

Situated in the small town of Hickman, Jackson Purchase Distillery is primed for remarkable growth in the competitive contract distilling market. Led by an all-star team featuring legendary Master Distiller Craig Beam and Assistant Master Distiller Terry Ballard, Jackson Purchase is in the midst of a $25 million expansion, allowing the distillery to ramp up production to meet soaring demand.

“Right now we have produced more than 40,000 barrels for our customers and we’re just getting started,” Beam said. “Word has gotten out about the quality of the whiskey we’re putting out down here, and there’s no shortage of customers, that’s for sure.”

If anyone knows how to spend $25 million to upgrade a distillery, it’s Beam and Ballard, both Bardstown natives. You might be familiar with Beam’s accomplishments and pedigree. A seventh-generation distiller who traces his lineage to the iconic Jim Beam family, Craig Beam learned the ropes from his grandfather Earl and his father Parker at Heaven Hill where he served for 35 years, winning a host of awards in the process as Master Distiller.

Ballard comes to Jackson Purchase from Willett, where he served as Lead Distiller for a decade and is known around Kentucky and the United States as a maker of great whiskey. Their decades of expertise ensure the current 40,000 barrels of bourbon aging on-site are meeting the most stringent quality standards.

“The expansion was a great opportunity for Craig and me to build and configure a distillery the way we wanted,” said Ballard. “Our new 36-inch column copper still is beautiful and it’s already putting out very, very good whiskey.”

That 36-inch, 100% copper column still is the cornerstone of the expansion effort. Renowned for its exceptional quality, copper is chosen for its affinity with alcohol, ensuring a refined and superior final product.

“It’s also traditional,” Ballard said. “Back in the old days, in the old school of distilling, your still had to be copper. Copper impacts your beer differently than stainless steel, so it produces, in my opinion, a finer whiskey.”

With two stills now operational, Jackson Purchase is expected to produce well over 60,000 barrels in 2024. The distillery has also added 10 new 20,000-gallon fermenters and is constructing two new rick houses on its property, each with a capacity of nearly 25,000 barrels. Construction is underway, and both rick houses will be aging Kentucky bourbon by the end of 2024.

The impact of the expansion extends beyond the distillery walls. The project is expected to create 20 new jobs, bringing the total workforce to 50. It’s a welcome boost for Fulton County’s economy, providing opportunities for locals and further strengthening the distillery's ties to the community and its farmers.

“We plan to source more than one million bushels of local grain from Western Kentucky farmers this year alone,” Beam said. “Then we’re able to provide the slop from the spent mash, which is a great source of livestock feed, to the farmers free of charge.”

Each Jackson Purchase barrel embodies the culmination of generations of expertise and pursuit of perfection. Beam’s relentless attention to detail and commitment to his family legacy, ensures that every barrel produced is authentic Kentucky bourbon of the finest quality.

Members of the media can learn more about Beam and Ballard and download videos of the distillery here: Jackson Purchase Distillery Media Kit. Please attribute all assets to Jackson Purchase Distillery.

About Jackson Purchase Distillery (JPD)
JPD, founded in 2021, is one of the fastest growing distilleries in Kentucky. The Hickman, KY based company offers contract distilling services, selling new-fill barrels of bourbon to craft brands, distillers in need of increased capacity, and companies that purchase barrels for future third party sales. To date the distillery has produced and is storing more than 40,000 barrels of whiskey for their customers. They will produce more than 60,000 in 2024. Master Distiller, Craig Beam and Assistant Master Distiller Terry Ballard are crafting authentic Kentucky bourbon from locally sourced grains and calcium rich well water.

Jackson Purchase Distillery
3855 Kentucky Hwy. 125
Hickman, KY 42050

Zak Owens
Fleur de Lis Communications
+1 502-386-5704
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