Kentucky’s Augusta Distillery Set For Summer 2024 Opening

by Gary Carter
June 30, 2022

Kentucky’s Augusta Distillery recently broke ground on a new $23-million distillery that’s set to create at least 14 full-time jobs.

“I want to thank Augusta Distillery’s leadership for this commitment in Northeastern Kentucky,” said Governor Andy Beshear. “The commonwealth’s signature bourbon industry continues to grow, creating quality job opportunities for our residents and building toward the future. This project breathes new life into a historic building in Bracken County, and I look forward to seeing what this location will become in the years ahead.”

When finished, the new Augusta Distillery will be located in the historic F.A. Neider building on Seminary Avenue in Augusta, KY, a building that provided metal stamping services dating back to 1883 until its closure in 2007.

A statement from the distillery notes that the 40,000-square-foot building located on 1.8 acres will house Augusta Distillery’s first full-scale operation, with plans to reach full production capacity by summer of 2024.

“The Augusta Distillery team is proud of our plan to build a state-of-the-art facility in Augusta, Kentucky,” said Judd Weis, co-founder and board vice chairman at Augusta Distillery. “We are creating an extraordinary distillery, guest experience and event center. Our hope is that, by delighting our consumers, this investment will create a spike in local tourism and additional economic opportunity for our neighbors in Augusta and Bracken County.”

Augusta Distillery was founded in July of 2018, with its initial brand expression, Buckner’s 13-year single barrel cask strength bourbon. Augusta’s next product is expected to arrive later this year. The company was recently added as a Craft Member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

In a statement from the governor’s office, Beshear said that in just a few short years, Kentucky’s spirits industry has seen more than 50 new-location or expansion announcements with more than $1.1 billion in planned investments creating more than 900 announced full-time jobs.

In total, 60 spirits facilities directly employ more than 5,300 people in the state. Kentucky’s bourbon sector is a nearly $9-billion industry, generating more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll exceeding $1.23 billion, Beshear noted.