Buffalo Trace completes visitors’ centre expansion

Buffalo Trace Distillery has completed the expansion of its visitors’ centre and the renovation of the oldest structure on its site, Old Taylor House.

The visitors’ centre now has four additional tasting bars, a meeting room and events space

The brand, which is owned by Sazerac, has expanded the visitors’ centre vertically by 5,500 square feet, with a new space created on the second floor where there is “more room to grow as needed”.

The centre now features a new white oak grand staircase leading to the extended area, which is completed by four additional tasting bars, a meeting room and events space.

Clippings and photos from the Distillery archives decorate the walls, with future plans revealed for the construction of a vault and display cases to showcase more historic artifacts such as rare and old bottles.

The expansion has allowed the first floor to be fully utilised as a space for gift shop merchandise, with the addition of a new checkout counter and dedicated “spirits space”.

Marketing services director, Meredith Moody, said: “We are thrilled to have completed this expansion. The new space looks beautiful, and having this additional space will allow us to accommodate more guests in our Gift Shop to allow for our rapid growth of tour visitors.”

In addition, the Old Taylor House – which is recognised as the oldest residential building in Franklin Country, Kentucky – has also been fully restored to “preserve its history”.

The two-story house has held many different roles, including a first aid clinic, a home, and a laboratory for the distillery.

It was constructed in the late 1700s, and was originally built for Commodore Richard Taylor who served as superintendent of navigation on the Kentucky River.

The renovated house features hardwood floors and is lit by hanging Edison bulbs, while the former laboratory displays old beakers and artifacts once used in the house.

“We’re so excited to have been able to restore such a significant piece of our history,” Moody added. “The restoration looks beautiful and we look forward to utilizing this space for many more generations.”

The distillery intends to include the restored house in some of its tours.

Recently Buffalo Trace revealed what it believes to be the “perfect” Bourbon after fans selected the distillery’s Batch #80 bottling as the winner of its Single Oak Project Bourbon.