RD1 Spirits plans $4.8m Kentucky distillery

Bourbon brand RD1 Spirits will open a US$4.8 million distillery and visitor centre in Lexington, Kentucky, this year.

The new RD1 Distillery will be based at The Commons, Lexington’s entertainment district, as its anchor tenant.

Spanning 10,215 square feet, the new site will more than double the size of RD1’s current tasting room and gift shop on Manchester Road, Lexington.

The site will include an 800-gallon pot still, a 175-gallon pot still, a 750-gallon fermenter and a 1,000-gallon mash cooker.

The distillery is expected to produce one barrel per week for research and development. RD1 Spirits will continue to make its Bourbon at Western Kentucky Distilling in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, under master distiller Jacob Call.

“RD1 is expanding the boundaries of Lexington’s Distillery District and strengthening the appeal of what the great city of Lexington has to offer,” said Mark Stoops, RD1 shareholder and advisor.

“As one of the newest brands added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, RD1 Distillery at The Commons will help boost hometown pride and contribute to the vibrant, winning atmosphere of our community.”

The new facility will offer customised experiences for guests to explore the brand’s Bourbon portfolio, including a fermentation-to-distillation tour.

The site includes four private tasting rooms, a glass-enclosed research and development lab for wood finishing, a VIP speakeasy tasting room, a cocktail bar, gift shop, and space for private events.

The two-floor RD1 Distillery features outdoor seating areas on both levels.

“RD1 looks to allow guests to experience Bourbon in a way that’s most comfortable to them,” said Mike Tetterton, CEO of RD1.

“For most of us, that starts with exploring your palate. From there, we like to ask ‘what else can Bourbon do?’ And we fill that curiosity by experimenting with different woods that delicately dance with the Bourbon and really draw some exceptional flavour profiles.”

RD1 Distillery at The Commons is expected to open in August 2024. Once fully operational, the company plans to create 11 full-time jobs.

RD1 – which stands for Registered Distillery One – was founded in 2020 to tell the story of Lexington’s first Bourbon entrepreneurs.

The brand’s products are available in 16 states, with the aim of entering 25 states by the end of 2024.

Taxes on Kentucky barrels skyrocketed by nearly a third in 2023, data from the Kentucky Distillers’ Association revealed last month.