The Abandoned Distillery In Kentucky That You Can Actually Visit
By Andrea Limke|Published October 16, 2018
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Kentucky is known for many things and one of them is bourbon. Distilleries have long spotted our landscape and the industry is booming now more than ever. Locals and visitors alike enjoy traveling along the Bourbon Trail and now there’s a new place to visit, that actually isn’t new at all. Glenns Creek Distilling is located on the abandoned property of the Old Crow Distillery and this destination is filled with history, innovation, excitement, and of course, outstanding bourbon.
Unfortunately, there are many abandoned properties throughout Kentucky and Old Crow Distillery used to be one of them. Dr. James Crow began to make his bourbon in innovative ways in 1835, but eventually, the property was left to deteriorate and did so for decades. It's shown below prior to 1960, and it looks much different today.
Today, you'll find large buildings that are falling apart and covered in greenery, but something exciting is happening on the property. A man named David Meier purchased these buildings and acreage with a lofty goal of bringing this historic destination back to life in the best ways possible. He created Glenns Creek Distilling, which is open to visitors and already creating delicious libations, while the deteriorating buildings are passionately restored.
Glenns Creek Distilling is a craft distillery with the goal of making things in a way that honors the innovation and processes of the past. It seems the right person has taken on this project and to visit the new distillery on the old property is a unique experience.
Glenns Creek offers tours for visitors now, although they are still working to slowly restore the property. Materials are being repurposed and much thought and intention are going into the process.
Of course, as a distillery, they've already been filling barrels - and visitors are impressed. After only a few months, reviews for both the informative tours and the bourbon are glowing.
Glenns Creek currently has their OCD #5 Bourbon, as well as a rye whiskey and a rum. When you visit for a tour and try a taste of these, you'll likely want to leave with a bottle of your own.
As a small, craft distillery, this is no ordinary bourbon tour. You'll learn the innovative process they're using now, how it connects to the past, as well as the history of the property. Tours are currently offered Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and you can learn more here.
It's always wonderful to see a Kentucky landmark brought back to life, and you can expect to see great things from the passionate people behind Glenns Creek Distilling. Located in the heart of Frankfort, this old-made-new distillery is gearing up for big changes, and you can visit to check it all out for yourself.
Glenns Creek Distilling and those who are working to restore the property are bringing a legendary destination back to life and you can have a front-row seat by visiting now. Have you had a chance to take the historic tour and do a tasting at this new, yet old distillery? What did you think? Share your experience with us in the comments or tag someone who would love to visit!
Glenns Creek Distilling is located at 3501 McCracken Pike, Frankfort, KY 40601. For more information, visit its website here and follow along on Facebook here.
If you’d like to visit another historic distillery in the area, check out our previous article here. It’s now open to the public!
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