Diageo’s $115m Bulleit distillery on track

Diageo has broken ground on its new $115m distillery in Kentucky which will be officially named The Bulleit Distilling Co. after its flagship brand.

Proposed design of Diageo’s new Kentucky distillery

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, and a number of other elected officials and Kentucky dignitaries, joined Diageo executives and Bulleit founder Tom Bulleit yesterday to mark the start of its construction.

The global drinks group announced its plans to invest $115m in building a new distillery in Shelby in May, a plan which was unanimously approved by Shelby County’s planning commission in June.

Bulleit’s owner, Tom Bulleit

The distillery will produce Bulleit Bourbon, along with a number of current and future Diageo bourbon and North American whiskey brands, with a production capacity of 1.8 million proof gallon (750,000 9-litre cases) and will comprise six barrel warehouses.

“When I walked away from my career as a lawyer to revive my great, great grandfather’s high-rye bourbon recipe, people thought I was crazy,” said Tom Bulleit, the brand’s owner.

“Twenty-seven years into this entrepreneurial journey, it’s humbling to know this amazing facility right here in Kentucky will bear my family’s name. It’s an honor I’m not sure I will ever fully be able to describe.”

Diageo aims to have the distillery operational in late 2016.