Eastern Light Distilling tells BourbonBlog.com they are celebrating a major milestone in bringing their new distillery to life with the recent groundbreaking in Morehead, Kentucky.
For their groundbreaking, they welcomed Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, local elected officials, and others to commemorate the official groundbreaking of their new Rowan County distillery that is expected to open in late 2025. This new 143.7 million Morehead distillery will create 50 new full-time positions in the region.
We’ve been reporting on this distillery since July of 2023. It truly is more than just another distillery, this Kentucky-owned and operated business, which just has received preliminary approval for a 15-year incentive agreement from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) under the Kentucky Business Investment program, will help bring new entrants into the state’s signature bourbon industry, supporting craft distillers like never before and making our bourbon heritage accessible to more Kentuckians.
Spearheaded by seasoned Bourbon industry veterans Caleb Kilburn and Cordell Lawrence, Eastern Light sits on a 230-acre campus in Morehead, Kentucky that will soon be home to a 50,000-square-foot full-service distillery, nine rickhouses with an average capacity of 33,000 barrels each, a full bottling facility, and a unique Bourbon tourism experience. The distillery will deliver an unmatched Bourbon contribution to Eastern Kentucky, producing upwards of 97,000 barrels annually.
“Eastern Light Distilling is adding to the historic growth we’re seeing all across Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry,” Gov. Beshear tells BourbonBlog.com. “Today’s official groundbreaking ceremony marks another significant step forward for our spirits industry as it continues to provide incredible job opportunities for the Eastern Kentucky region”
“We are thrilled to celebrate this important moment as we bring Eastern Light Distilling to life,” Caleb Kilburn, Eastern Light Distilling Founding Partner and Master Distiller explained. “Being from Eastern Kentucky, I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow the industry that I’m so passionate about in the region that I call home.”
“Eastern Light will fill a tremendous need in the Bourbon industry, operating with a fully customizable solutions-based model that will help craft distillers and bourbon brands to not only reach their goals and bring their products to market, but to flourish,” said Cordell Lawrence, Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Light Distilling. “We believe in removing barriers to entry in the spirits space so that we can share our passion with like-minded creators while prioritizing quality, inspiring creativity, and investing in the state’s signature Bourbon industry and the health of the region.”
Caleb and Cordell’s shared passion for the Bourbon industry has inspired a unique solution to growing challenges in the spirits space that blends “Bourbonism” and entrepreneurism, allowing refreshing new brands to flourish. Eastern Light will collaborate with fellow craft makers from inception to branding to help cultivate their ideal bourbon creations.
In the coming months, Eastern Light says they look forward to making significant and visible strides in the development of their new distillery campus, with massive construction progress, gradual hiring, and ultimately an incomparable contribution to the economy of Eastern Kentucky.
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