Sazerac announced that it has taken ownership of the Garrard County Distilling facility in Lancaster, Kentucky, marking the latest step in the company’s continued growth and long-term investment across the Commonwealth. 

It was announced in July that Tom Collins Distilling, a Sazerac affiliate, had purchased the property at auction for $20 million.

The facility joins Sazerac’s broader distilling network in the state, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown and The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro. The acquisition represents an important addition to Sazerac’s production capabilities, providing additional capacity to support continued growth across the company’s portfolio of spirits brands.

The Garrard County Distilling facility, which opened in 2024, sits on approximately 210 acres and includes two column stills and two 20,000-square-foot barrel warehouses. Sazerac will utilize the facility’s existing infrastructure and capabilities to support the company’s broader production needs. The company expects to hire additional team members initially and will grow over time as operations at the facility develop.

“Kentucky has been an important part of Sazerac’s story for many years, and we’re proud to continue investing and growing here,” Jake Wenz, President and CEO of Sazerac, said in a news release. “Today, nearly 3,000 team members are part of Sazerac’s Kentucky operations, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue growing that team. Even with all the investments we have made to expand, we need more supply to keep up with demand, and the addition of the Lancaster facility gives us valuable distilling capabilities to support that growth. We’re excited to become part of the Garrard County community.”

Sazerac continues to make significant long-term investments in its Kentucky distilleries, strengthening production capabilities, modernizing facilities, and supporting the future of bourbon production in the Commonwealth.

In the past five years, the company has invested approximately $50 million at Barton 1792 Distillery, including a new boiler house, additional fermenters, expanded bottling operations and three new aging warehouses that increased barrel storage capacity by 25%, along with upgrades to existing equipment and facilities.

In January 2025, Sazerac completed a ten-year, $1.2 billion expansion project for Buffalo Trace Distillery, which included a new still house, boiler house, bottling operation, expanded visitor center, 20 additional fermenters, and 19 new aging warehouses.

At The Glenmore Distillery, Sazerac has invested approximately $40 million to enhance processing capabilities and upgrade barrel equipment, distillery controls and bottling lines since 2020. Sazerac is also investing in additional barrel aging capacity throughout Kentucky, including construction of new warehouses in Laurel and Taylor Counties.

“We’re pleased to welcome Sazerac to Garrard County and look forward to what this investment will mean for our community,” Garrard County Judge Executive Chris Elleman said. “Sazerac’s decision to invest here brings new jobs and economic opportunity to our county while positioning this Distillery for continued growth. We’re proud to have Sazerac become part of the Garrard County community and look forward to working together for years to come.”

Kentucky House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade added, “Sazerac’s investment in Garrard County is another strong example of the continued confidence companies are placing in Kentucky and our signature bourbon industry. This acquisition brings new opportunity to an impressive facility that already represents a significant investment in our region. Seeing Sazerac put this facility back to work is a positive development for Garrard County and another opportunity to strengthen one of our Commonwealth’s signature industries.”

Garrard County Distilling had gone into receivership in April after the original owner was sued for non-payment of more than $26 million in loans. Earlier this year, the distillery was ordered to auction by a judge.

For more information on Sazerac’sdistilleries, please visit www.sazerac.com/our-distilleries.  

Read more: Sazerac Launches Three New RTD Cocktail Brands

About Sazerac

With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world. Over 500 of the world’s most brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers’s Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, and many more. Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, and many others. To learn more visit www.sazerac.com.