Sazerac Acquires Garrard County Distilling Facility
Sazerac’s recent buying spree continues.
The company has acquired the Garrard County Distilling facility in Lancaster, KY, adding production capacity to Sazerac’s Kentucky distilling network.
The facility opened in 2024 on approximately 210 acres and includes two column stills and two 20,000-square-foot barrel warehouses. Sazerac plans to use the existing infrastructure to support production across its spirits portfolio. The company expects to hire additional employees as operations expand.
The Garrard County facility joins Sazerac’s Kentucky operations, which include Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown and The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro.
“Kentucky has been an important part of Sazerac’s story for many years, and we’re proud to continue investing and growing here,” said Jake Wenz, President and CEO of Sazerac. “Today, nearly 3,000 team members are part of Sazerac’s Kentucky operations, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue growing that team. Even with all the investments we have made to expand, we need more supply to keep up with demand, and the addition of the Lancaster facility gives us valuable distilling capabilities to support that growth. We’re excited to become part of the Garrard County community.”
Sazerac has invested in its Kentucky production facilities in recent years. At Barton 1792 Distillery, the company spent approximately $50 million over the past five years in a new boiler house, additional fermenters, expanded bottling operations and three aging warehouses. The projects increased barrel storage capacity by 25% and included upgrades to equipment and facilities.
In January 2025, Sazerac completed a 10-year, $1.2 billion expansion at Buffalo Trace Distillery. The project added a still house, boiler house, bottling operation, expanded visitor center, 20 fermenters and 19 aging warehouses.
Since 2020, Sazerac has invested approximately $40 million at The Glenmore Distillery to upgrade processing capabilities, barrel equipment, distillery controls and bottling lines. The company also continues to add barrel aging capacity in Kentucky, including new warehouse construction in Laurel and Taylor counties.
“We’re pleased to welcome Sazerac to Garrard County and look forward to what this investment will mean for our community,” said Garrard County Judge Executive Chris Elleman. “Sazerac’s decision to invest here brings new jobs and economic opportunity to our county while positioning this Distillery for continued growth. We’re proud to have Sazerac become part of the Garrard County community and look forward to working together for years to come.”
Kentucky House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade said the acquisition adds another investment to the state’s bourbon industry.
“Sazerac’s investment in Garrard County is another strong example of the continued confidence companies are placing in Kentucky and our signature bourbon industry. This acquisition brings new opportunity to an impressive facility that already represents a significant investment in our region. Seeing Sazerac put this facility back to work is a positive development for Garrard County and another opportunity to strengthen one of our Commonwealth’s signature industries.”
As the broader alcohol industry goes through a pullback, Sazerac remains in buying mode. Recent purchases include Dirty Shirley Ready-To-Drink Cocktail, an equity stake in SIPMARGS and ongoing efforts to acquire Brown-Forman.
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