By Auggie Brown
Glasgow News 1
Cave City Distilling has been officially added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a move that master distiller and owner Luke Jean said will bring more visitors and attention to the region’s growing bourbon industry. The listing places the Cave City operation alongside 74 other distilleries and bourbon-related businesses that make up the internationally known trail. Cave City Distilling operates under parent company Balance Distilling, which began in 2020 in Smiths Grove, according to Jean.
Jean, a native of Hopkinsville, said he moved back to Kentucky to be closer to family and to work in one of the big production houses in Lexington or Bardstown. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic put those ambitions on hold, and he convinced his father-in-law to let him build a distillery in a barn. That small farm distillery evolved into Balance Distilling in Smiths Grove, now run day-to-day by his in-laws, Ken and Lori Payne.
Jean said the success there led to the need for more production capacity and the decision to open a larger facility in Cave City. The company produces Mammoth Cave bourbon, a wheated bourbon brand with roots dating back to the late 1800s, that the company has revived using a traditional mash bill of 70 percent corn, 20 percent wheat and 10 percent malted barley. He said the Cave City location will focus on flagship products such as Mammoth Cave bourbon, rum, gin and moonshines, while the Smiths Grove site will transition into a more experimental, boutique operation.
Jean said being on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a significant tourism advantage because visitors often plan trips around completing the trail and asking where to go next. He added that member distilleries routinely send customers to one another, creating a cooperative network rather than cutthroat competition.
Cave City Distilling currently sells its spirits in tasting rooms at both Cave City and Smiths Grove locations, at Mammoth Cave Lodge and at several local bars and restaurants.
Jean said the company also plans to pursue online sales and take advantage of Kentucky rules that allow small distilleries to self-distribute up to 5,000 gallons.
He emphasized that Cave City Distilling hired only local contractors to build and finish the new facility, saying the goal was for residents to feel it is their distillery and their front porch.
Jean, an Army veteran who now serves as a reservist and public affairs officer, said he is excited for Cave City Distilling to help tell the broader story of Kentucky bourbon to visitors from around the world.
Key Facts
– Cave City Distilling has been officially added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
– The distillery operates under parent company Balance Distilling, which started in 2020 in a Smiths Grove barn.
– Cave City Distilling focuses on Mammoth Cave bourbon, a revived historic wheated bourbon brand.
– Jean says the Bourbon Trail listing is expected to increase tourism, tours and tastings in Cave City.
– The company also sells its products at Mammoth Cave Lodge and local restaurants and bars, with plans for limited self-distribution.
– Jean says local contractors built the Cave City facility to ensure the community sees it as “their distillery.”
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