J Mattingly to open distillery following investment
Bourbon producer J Mattingly 1845 Distillery will open a new site in Kentucky this month after gaining investment from private equity firm Gold Corn.
Jeff Mattingly, the Bourbon brand’s chief executive, is the sixth-generation descendant of John Graves Mattingly, who obtained Kentucky’s second distilling license for JG Mattingly & Sons Distillery in Louisville in 1845.
Gold Corn was founded by beverage industry veteran Andrew Varga and private equity investor Carl Cordova, who will both now serve on J Mattingly’s board.
Gold Corn’s capital will be used to complete the opening of a new distillery and expand the business.
Jeff Mattingly said: “I’m proud to be from humble roots in Kentucky, and have long felt a responsibility to carry on the Mattingly family legacy when we started our Bourbon crafting operations.
“Now, through the partnership with Gold Corn, we can focus on the ‘fun’ part of the business by creating more new world-class Bourbons and experimenting with different finishes even more so than we’ve done in the past.”
The Mattingly family restarted their Bourbon operations in 2010 with the opening of a site in Georgetown, Kentucky.
The new J Mattingly 1845 Distillery is due to open in Frankfort, Kentucky, in early October.
The 25,000-square-foot facility will offer tours, tastings and a custom blending experience.
“The Mattingly family story is intertwined with the histories of both Bourbon and Kentucky for almost 200 years, with connections to many of the most illustrious distilling families of all time,” said Varga.
“We were attracted not only to the unique and outstanding quality of Jeff’s Bourbons, but also by the authenticity of the Mattingly family history and the fact that its family-founded culture remains the core of its ethos even as it embarks on its rapid expansion.”
Cordova added: “The new location in Frankfort offers an outstanding opportunity to bring their crafted Bourbons and ryes to hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts who enjoy world-class Bourbon and who seek to experience the great lifestyle the Bourbon industry can offer, including tours of the production process and customising their own proprietary formulations.”
Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
Last month, alcohol delivery service Drizly revealed that Bourbons were its top-selling whiskies.
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