Christian County’s Casey Jones Distillery will soon be expanding — its 15 new jobs and $1.9 million for improvements and new building changing the landscape of “bourbonism” in west Kentucky.
During Thursday’s “Team Kentucky” Update under Governor Andy Beshear, Distillery partner Cody Turner said the investment couldn’t have come without the support of Beshear and the Kentucky General Assembly.
But it also couldn’t have come without the work of several local dignitaries, as well as the support of local citizens who’ve taken to a Kentucky Proud product.
Founded in 2014 by Arlon “AJ” Jones and Peg Hayes and named for the famous moonshiner and master Golden Pond distiller Casey Jones, Turner noted the last seven-plus years of success have helped lead up to this economic expansion.
That serendipity began seven years ago, Turner said, when Jones came into the possession of his grandfather’s 140-gallon square-pot copper still, which even now remains in use to create barrels of local spirits.
Less than an hour of coming into its possession, Turner said Jones began tinkering with his own model still — trying to create his own nuanced bourbon manufacturing.
Now as a business partner, Turner said the ultimate plan is to have the Casey Jones Distillery become the premier anchor of west Kentucky bourbon.
Beshear said it was particularly important to have more new jobs not just for the state and its highly-touted bourbon success, but also for the Pennyrile — which is still trying to rebuild following December’s storms.
For more information about the Casey Jones Distillery, visit www.caseyjonesdistillery.com.