Mark Mahan
Tia and Sean Edwards, above, registered Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. in 2017. The company is preparing to release its first spirit brand and plans to construct a new distillery in downtown Lexington in 2021.
The story sells the first bottle, but what’s in it will sell the second bottle,” says Lexington entrepreneur Sean Edwards, “… and the one after that,” adds his wife, Tia Edwards.
Sean and Tia’s story of launching Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co., the first Black-owned bourbon distillery in Central Kentucky, is gaining momentum not only throughout the state, but across the nation. The bourbon itself — currently produced from a custom recipe under a contract agreement with Hartfield & Co. in Paris, Kentucky, while the Edwardses build a distillery in downtown Lexington — is also winning accolades and gaining fans.
Fresh Bourbon ended its presale campaign in late October after filling orders for commemorative bottles from its first batch, as well as a limited number of bottles from its first barrel. Shipment is expected early 2021.
“This is history in a bottle,” Tia said.
They anticipate a second batch will arrive on store shelves during the first quarter of 2021. Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. has secured distribution with the largest alcohol distributor in the country and will initially launch in five states.
“Our aspirations and dreams are to be a world-recognized brand,” said Sean. “The ideal for us is to be one of the top bourbon brands produced.”
The genesis of Fresh Distilling was sparked during Sean and Tia’s extensive travels. Inevitably during conversations with people they’d meet, upon learning the couple was from Kentucky, the topics of KFC, horses and bourbon would arise. Sean and Tia took a deep dive into researching the bourbon industry and soon recognized an opportunity.
They registered Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. as a business entity in 2017. This past December, they received preliminary approval for a tax-incentive agreement from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. Under the agreement, the company can earn up to $200,000 in incentives based upon its investing at least $5.4 million and hitting certain yearly targets over 10 years, including creating at least 15 full-time jobs with minimum pay of $18 an hour and paid benefits. The Edwardses have committed to creating at least 25 new full-time jobs with salaries determined by position. Tia and Sean are meeting with potential investors during a second round of fundraising, with the goal of raising $10 million.
The company was set to break ground on a $5.4 million, 34,000-square-foot distillery in downtown Lexington this past summer, but construction plans were delayed due to the pandemic. Tia and Sean expect to move forward with building their distillery next year, with a location announced in the first quarter of 2021.
During the process of registering Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co., the Edwardses discovered that no African American had previously registered a distillery as a business entity within the Commonwealth. Tia said it wasn’t their intention to be the first, but they recognized the market needed something different and they wanted to offer it. “We have been truly excited to [break] down some doors but also to open doors and garner excitement in the industry for diversity and inclusion,” Sean said. Separately, Brough Brothers, founded by three brothers, was the state's first African-American owned distillery to receive a federal permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and launched in Louisville this past spring.
“We have been truly excited to [break] down some doors but also to open doors and garner excitement in the industry for diversity and inclusion.” — Sean Edwards
In February, the Kentucky Senate honored the Edwardses and acknowledged Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. for mashing, fermenting, distilling and bottling bourbon and other spirits solely within the state. The Senate also recognized the company for working with a Black master distiller, the first since slavery.
Dr. Erin Wiggins Gilliam, dean of the Whitney Young Honors College and associate history professor at Kentucky State University, said that slavery and the production of bourbon are closely intertwined. “When we talk about the bourbon industry and it being an agricultural stronghold in this country, we know that enslaved Africans worked the fields,” she said. “They weren’t just [grinding] the wheat and the corn, but they were actually mixing and helping with recipes.”
Michael Adams, co-founder and vice president of the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild (KBBG), said he and fellow members have examined the history and records of various bourbon distilleries and learned of the numerous contributions made by African descendants in what is now a multi-billiondollar industry. Most notably was Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved African American who taught a young Jack Daniel how to make whiskey and is credited with introducing the charcoal-filtration method distinctive of Tennessee whiskey.
Louisville’s Brown-Forman, the parent company of the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, acknowledges the instrumental role that Green played and credits him as its first master distiller. Nearest Green Distillery, co-founded and led by CEO Fawn Weaver, produces Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and is currently building a multimillion-dollar distillery and entertainment destination in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
Sean said that once he and Tia realized they were the first African Americans to register a distillery in Kentucky, they wanted to ensure that what they presented to the public was authentic and top of the line. He said that’s why they named the company Fresh Distilling. “Fresh is not an age statement; it’s our approach to an existing industry,” he said. “It’s our approach in creating a fresh bourbon experience for everybody.”
This approach begins with the bourbon itself and crafting their own recipes and standards for its production. Many startup producers will source whiskey from an established distillery and package it as their own, often blending whiskeys together or aging it longer. Adams, with the KBBG, said this approach “leaves out the true craftmanship that is supposed to be in bourbon. The craftmanship is about putting your sweat equity into creating a product from scratch that the public will love,” he said.
Tia describes Fresh bourbon’s flavor as “very rich, gently sweet and approachable, with a surprising complexity and satisfying depth.”
In August, the company received a gold medal from the MicroLiquor Spirit Awards in recognition of Fresh’s excellent taste. The award is presented annually to brands around the globe that sell fewer than 250,000 cases annually.
From the flavor profile of its spirits and the sleek, silhouette design of its bottles, to plans for the distillery itself — the facility will also feature a music hall, tasting room, lounge and a multipurpose area, as well as tours — Tia said Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. is meant to make an impact.
Wiggins Gilliam expects that impact will be both historic and monumental. “For Fresh to be the [first registered African-American owned] distillery is huge,” she said. “We’ll be able to drive by and see it, but what they’re building on is a history that our people have been involved with for hundreds of years.”