Sazerac, one of the world’s largest spirits companies, has announced the acquisition of the Kentucky based Garrard County Distilling Company, marking the latest step in the company’s continued growth and long-term investment in production.

The Garrard County Distilling Company site joins Sazerac’s broader distilling network in the state, which includes 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.

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

Commenting on the news, Jake Wenz, President and CEO of Sazerac, said: “Kentucky has been an important part of Sazerac’s story for many years, and we’re proud to continue investing and growing here. 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.”

Over the past five years, Sazerac has invested approximately $50 million at Barton 1792 Distillery, including a new boiler house, additional fermenters, expanded bottling operations and three new ageing warehouses, increasing barrel storage capacity by 25%, alongside upgrades to existing equipment and facilities.

In January 2025, the company completed a ten-year, $1.2 billion expansion project at Buffalo Trace Distillery. The project included a new still house, boiler house and bottling operation, an expanded visitor centre, 20 additional fermenters and 19 new ageing warehouses.

Sazerac said it will continue to make significant long-term investments in its Kentucky distilleries, strengthening production capabilities, modernising facilities and supporting the future of bourbon production in the state.