Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS), a pioneering independent spirits blender that launched in 2013, has unveiled a new blending facility in Jeffersontown, KY.
The private ribbon-cutting event was hosted by Bourbon Authority Susan Reigler and featured speakers Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville and Mayor Carol Pike of Jeffersontown.
10 years ago, BCS set out to source bourbon casks from established producers and to blend and bottle them at cask strength. Since then, Founder Joe Beatrice has built BCS into a national brand sold in 49 U.S. states. He has also inspired several other non-distilling producers to pursue blending with whiskey.
Today, Beatrice remains involved with every step of the production process at BCS, the company says, using his palate alongside the BCS blending team to choose and create spirits.
The newly opened, 31,000-square-foot facility was designed to support how BCS operates as a company under one roof in the most efficient manner possible, the company says. This includes large office spaces meant to encourage a free-flowing discussion of ideas around product development.
The new blending operation features eight blending tanks with 64,000 gallons of capacity, allowing BCS to increase its blending capacity by more than 500%. New bottling lines are capable of a one-million case annual throughput on a single shift.
The facility will support the growth of current brands and new product launches, the company says. BCS also recently acquired an historic 18,000-barrel rickhouse, located just minutes away from the new blending facility.
“We’re thrilled to unveil our new state of the art blending facility and to continue our 10-year legacy of developing sought-after award-winning blends that push the boundaries of American whiskey,” says Beatrice.
