Although this region gets a lot of attention for our many breweries, we’re also lucky to have several high-quality local distillers, each with unique methods and flavor profiles. We invite you to pull up a chair and enjoy a virtual tasting as we spotlight three nearby spirits companies.
McBrayer Legacy Spirits
Following a long family lineage of distilling, Bill McBrayer of Mason began resurrecting his family’s famous Pre-Prohibition bourbon brands in 2012. The flagship product, WH McBrayer, is distilled using an original mash bill from 1870. Using locally grown heirloom corn, rye and barley gives this spirit a distinctively sweet, caramel candy flavor. Their brands, Old McBrayer and Cedar Brook, are bottled with old family labels. Old McBrayer is Bottled-In-Bond with traditional bourbon notes, and Cedar Brook is a wheated bourbon that offers smooth, soft notes. All are produced and bottled in the Bluegrass State.
Available to order through McBrayerLegacySpirits.com.
Have a Shot of Freedom Whiskey Co.
Former Marine Corp. Captain Zach Hollingsworth started Freedom Whiskey Co. in 2017 in Springboro, Ohio. Zach was passionate about creating a great-tasting bourbon and serving the veteran community. Freedom Whiskey is sourced through a distillery in Lawrenceburg, IN and then bottled, labeled and corked at their bottling facility in Kentucky. Their small-batch bourbon is aged for 2-3 years in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 90 proof. The flavor profile features just the right mix of vanilla and oak, finishing with a subtle bite. Try it neat, over ice, with a splash of water or in your favorite cocktail.
Find Freedom Whiskey near you at: HaveAShotOfFreedom.com
New Riff Distilling
New Riff Distilling is an independent, family-owned distillery based in Newport, Kentucky. Founded in 2014 by Ken Lewis, they produce a variety of spirits, including bourbon, rye whiskey, single malt whiskey and gin. New Riff uses water from a private aquifer beneath the distillery, non-GMO grains and a quality-first Kentucky whiskey-making regimen for their spirits. Their bourbon begins with a slow, four-day fermentation, followed by aging in full-size 53-gallon barrels for at least four years. What results is a high-rye, full-bodied whiskey with a butterscotch oak aroma and a fulsome mouthfeel with bold, savory spices.
Available nationwide at select retailers and online: NewRiffDistilling.com