Jackson Purchase Distillery LLC, a startup bourbon producer founded in 2021, recently cut the ribbon on a new rickhouse at the company’s distilling operation in Fulton County.
The new rickhouse, a $10 million investment, will store 25,000 barrels of bourbon made in Hickman, KY.
A Contract Distiller
The new rickhouse is an important step in Jackson Purchase Distillery’s continued expansion efforts at its Fulton County operation.
In May 2021, the expansion project was first announced when the company’s management group acquired an unused distilling facility.
In October 2022, the project grew from an initially planned investment of $8.76 million and 30 jobs to $26 million and 54 jobs.
“We put the community at the center of everything we do,” said Hickman native and Jackson Purchase Distillery CEO Lloyd Jones. “Bourbon has been a tremendous impact for other parts of the state, and we want to have that same kind of impact here in Western Kentucky.”
The increased scope of the project involved purchasing additional land, making various upgrades throughout the facility and constructing a new rickhouse for barrel storage.
Since the project was announced, the company has produced more than 60,000 barrels for its growing consumer base.
“The commonwealth’s bourbon and spirits industry has seen historic growth in the last few years and shows no signs of slowing down,” said Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman. “Continued support from companies like Jackson Purchase Distillery, which has tripled its original investment in this project and nearly doubled the number of quality jobs, is a testament to the workforce, resources and business-friendly environment here in Kentucky. I am excited to celebrate this next step for the company and Fulton County community and look forward to their continued success.”
Multi-Generational Industry Experience
Jackson Purchase Distillery 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.
Jackson Purchase Distillery is led by an all-star team featuring legendary Master Distiller Craig Beam and Assistant Master Distiller Terry Ballard.
Craig Beam, a seventh-generation distiller who traces his lineage to the iconic Jim Beam family, learned the ropes from his grandfather, Earl, and his father, Parker.
Terry 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.
The expansion also includes a new 36-inch, 100% copper column still and 10 new 20,000-gallon fermenters.
For more information about Jackson Purchase Distillery, visit jacksonpurchasedistillery.com.
