23 May 2023 - Visit to Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company

 

Today we toured the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, which is a brewery and distillery in Lexington, Kentucky. In fact it is the only combination distillery and brewery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  It was founded in 1999 by Pearse Lyons, the president and founder of animal nutrition company Alltech.

According to their web site, the first product they brewed was their Kentucky Ale. In 2012 they opened their distillery and developed a line of spirits including Pearse Lyons Reserve, a malt whiskey, Bluegrass Sundown, a bourbon-infused coffee drink, and Town Branch Bourbon.  

But the Lexington Brewing Company actually dates back to the 1890s and like all the rest, shut down during Prohibition, and fell into disrepair.  In 1999, it was a dilapidated shell of what it had once been. However, Pearse Lyons and his son Mark were visionaries and entrepreneur and saw only what it could be. Spurred by a passion for brewing and distilling that courses through the Lyons family lineage of Irish coopers, Pearse revived Lexington Brewing Co. and restored a craft beer tradition that dates back to the 1700s.   

We started in the Visitor Center and everyone sampled some of the beers.  They offer a nice "flight" which includes small glasses of five of their beers.

 

Flight included Stout, Vanilla, Tangerine, Bourbon Barrel Ale, Irish Red Ale 

Doreen is not a beer drinker so she tried a Deirdre Shandy which is 

Irish Red, Milo's Lemonade and Sprite

Our tour guide started in the beer brewery building across the street.  The brewery building is easy to spot with the beer mug weather vane atop:

Our tour guide explained the history and the processes involved in brewing their various beers.  They obtain some of the flavor their bourbon barrels.  

3000 lb sacks of grains used in the processes

The tasting room

The last stop on the tour was the distillery, also easy to spot with the "still" weather vane.

Again, the tour guide explained the processes involved in distilling their various spirits.  

More sacks of grain used in the process

The distilling equipment

Explaining the barrel construction and how the charred layers affect flavor and color

Tokens issued to each participant used to keep track of samples consumed

One of the "stills"

The whole krew!  Mitch, Jane, Bob, Jill, George, Donna, Ralph, Doreen and Ed

Doreen and I headed back to the campground as Liberty was at the end of her "doggie clock".  Since her vet put her on a diuretic, she is limited on how long between pottie breaks.  The others had lunch at a local restaurant and then joined us back at the campground.  We gathers on the patio and had a great time before turning in earlier tonight.  

Tomorrow we will all ride a tour bus and visit the "Old Friends Farm" and the Buffalo Trace Distillery for a tasting.  Liberty gets to ride along on the bus, so we won't be limited on time.