Heaven Hill Distillery debuted its new Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience with a grand opening held Monday at its Bardstown campus.
The celebration began with remarks from Heaven Hill president Max Shapira, Gov. Andy Beshear and Mark Wourms, executive director of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. Gov. Beshear then presented a proclamation declaring June 14 “National Kentucky Bourbon Day” before assisting distillery representatives and other dignitaries in cutting the ribbon on the new facility.
1 of 2
Tom Wilmes
Gov. Andy Beshear assists Heaven Hill president Max Shapira with the ribbon cutting to open the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience.
2 of 2
Tom Wilmes
Gov. Beshear presented a proclamation declaring June 14 as "National Kentucky Bourbon Day."
The $19 million project triples the size of Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Heritage Center, which opened in 2004. Along with a new name, the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience includes a self-guided gallery with interactive exhibits and a theater showcasing the distillery’s brands and its 85-year history, a “You Do Bourbon” experience where guests can select and fill their own bottles while learning about the spirit, and Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen, which includes a dedicated event space and patio overlooking the property’s rickhouses. The bar and event space are open, and the restaurant will begin food service within the next year.
Tom Wilmes
Heaven Hill has invested more than $110 million over the past five years to increase production and warehouse capacity, purchase equipment, build it new Bourbon Experience and other enhancements, said Shapira, who called “the continual robust expansion” critical in remaining “on the cusp of growth not only in the United States but all over the world.”
Gov. Beshear highlighted statistics of the bourbon industry’s positive impact on the state’s economy during his remarks. “When bourbon is going well, Kentucky is going well,” he said.
Tom Wilmes
Max and Ellen Shapira
“As we emerge from this pandemic with our economy booming, we are announcing more jobs and investment in the commonwealth every week, and the bourbon industry is no exception. This state-of-the-art visitor center will give people one more great reason to visit Kentucky and experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, creating even more jobs and opportunity.”
In addition to debuting its Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, the distillery also announced a partnership to support the Rites of Passage program at Bernheim Forest. The program provides opportunities for immersive experiences in nature as part of nurturing a new generation of young Black men and women during a critical phase in their development. Heaven Hill will donate $5 per bottle from its “You Do Bourbon” experience to the program for six months, up to $10,000.
Heaven Hill is also among a group of Bardstown-area distilleries participating in a recently announced collaboration project to support the Bardstown community. Called The Bardstown Collection, each distillery – Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Preservation Distillery and Log Still Distillery – will select a special bourbon release that will be packaged in a commemorative bottle and gift box and sold exclusively at that distillery’s gift shop. The releases will be available throughout Bourbon Heritage Month in September.