Did You Know the Oldest Distillery in America is Located in Kentucky?
Kentucky is known as the bourbon state, so it's only right the oldest continuously working distillery in the country would be located there.
Kentucky Bourbon
Did you know that 95% of bourbons are made in Kentucky? I always thought that in order for a whiskey to be considered bourbon it had to be made in Kentucky, but it turns out that isn't true. There isn't a law on record saying that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky.
However, the natural resources in Kentucky, make for the perfect combination for a bourbon flavor profile. From the soil being perfect for growing corn, to the limestone aquifers, Kentucky is the perfect area for bourbon. In fact, Kentucky's history with bourbon dates all the way back to the 1700s and it's absolutely fascinating. You can read more about Kentucky's history with bourbon, here.
With Kentucky's rich history with bourbon, it's only fitting that the oldest continuously working distillery would be located in the bourbon state.
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Located in Franklin County Kentucky is the Buffalo Trace Distillery which is the oldest continuously working distillery in the United States. Buffalo Trace has been around for more than 200 years and even was able to operate through prohibition for medicinal purposes.
In Kentucky, buffalo carved a pathway that was followed by America's early pioneers. On the spot where the buffalo migration route crossed the Kentucky River, we've been making legendary bourbon whiskey for over 200 years. Buffalo Trace is the oldest continuously operating distillery in America. During Prohibition the distillery was even permitted to remain operational, to make whiskey for "medicinal purposes".
Talk about a fascinating history!
You can read more on Buffalo Trace's history, here. If you'd like to visit the Buffalo Trace Distillery they offer a few different tours, and even tastings if you want to try their bourbon yourself. You can check out all about visiting them, here.
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