Heaven Hill Distillery, located in Bernheim, Kentucky, has been named Distiller of the Year at the Whisky Magazine American Icons of Whisky Awards for the second year running.
The distillery is the world’s largest, independent American whiskey distillery producing a staggering 29 million proof gallons of whisky per year, or 1,300 barrels per day. Over two million barrels are aging at the Bernheim site currently.
Of the historic win, Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll said “[t]he back-to-back Distiller of the Year award is emblematic of our distilling legacy and commitment to producing the best American Whiskeys across all styles.”
Said production is set to ramp up even further by the end of 2024, with the brand-new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown scheduled for completion. $200 million was invested in the new facility, which is slated to produce 10 million proof gallons of whiskey in its first year, with the potential to increase capacity.
The World Whiskies Awards, in which the Icons of Whisky category is decided, is one of the largest annual spirits awards in the world, honoring distillers, brands, and individuals across a wide range of categories.
The back-to-back titles cement Heaven Hill as one of the foremost American whiskey producers in the USA.
Heaven Hill’s Sustainability & Brands
In 2023, Heaven Hill received the awards for Distiller of the Year and Sustainable Distiller of the Year. The distillery is committed to sustainable distilling practices. One such practice is saving 20,000 gallons of water per day at Bernheim “by placing condensers for two stills on a cooling tower loop instead of city water”. Heaven Hill has also partnered with Independent Stave Company to sponsor logger certifications and ensure that the wood used for coopering is sustainably sourced.
The distillery has an extensive range of American whiskey and bourbon brands, including Bernheim Original, Elijah Craig, Old Fitzgerald, and Rittenhouse.
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About Heaven Hill Distillery
Founded in 1935, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is a family-owned distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, named after the original landowner, William Heavenhill. The Shapira brothers established the company shortly after Prohibition ended.
The Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, part of the brand’s heritage, is renowned for producing every major style and type of American Whiskey. Notably, it introduced the first new style of American whiskey since Prohibition, the Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey, aged for seven years. Today, Heaven Hill stands as the largest independent, family-owned Bourbon producer in the U.S.
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