Brown-Forman celebrates cooperage, announces JD expansion

Brown-Forman has marked the 70 years of continuous barrel making at its Louisville cooperage, while the Tennessee Governor has announced $140 million expansion plans for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.

Brown-Forman Cooperage’s most senior employee Charlie Harden, undertakes a commemorative barrel roll to mark the site’s 70th anniversary

The Brown-Forman Cooperage held a commemorative celebration yesterday (10 February) to honour its 300 employees and mark seven decades of operation.

Every day the cooperage runs for 16 hours, with more than 2,500 barrels produced by hand.

It is expected that in 2016, more than 600,000 American white oak barrels will be made at the site.

Chris Morris, Brown-Forman master distiller and spirits historian, said: “No matter where you are in the world, in 165 countries, if you have a glass of Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Early Times, or our tequilas, Herradura and el Jimador, keep in mind that every drop was aged in a barrel that one of our cooperages made.

“One-hundred percent of the color and arguably more than 50% of the flavour are the result of the work the men and women at our cooperages have done.”

The ceremony concluded with a commemorative ‘barrel roll’ by Charlie Harden, the cooperage’s most senior employee who has served at the site for more than 40 years.

Brown-Forman also has a cooperage in Decatur, Alabama, where barrels for Jack Daniel’s are made.

New investment for Jack Daniel’s

In separate news, the Tennessee Governor, Bill Haslam, has announced an expansion project planned for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.

Valued at $140 million, the new investment will cover the construction of two barrel warehouses and the expansion of the bottling facility.

It is understood that 30 new jobs will be created as a result of the investment.

“Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee tradition that was born in one of Tennessee’s smallest counties and has grown into a globally recognised brand. That says a lot about the quality and commitment of Moore County’s workforce,” Haslam told Local8.

“I thank Brown-Forman and the Jack Daniel Distillery for their continued investment in Lynchburg and bringing us closer to making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”

In August 2013, Brown-Forman announced Jack Daniel’s expansion plans worth over $100 million, which included new stills, warehouses and infrastructure support.