After a nearly 30-year hiatus, Heaven Hill Distillery filled its first barrel of Kentucky bourbon whiskey in Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Capital of the World.
The day was November 7, 1996, when the world changed for Heaven Hill Distillery. What began as a typical Thursday at the historic distillery ended like no other.
Weather reports that day said there was a storm front moving through with expected winds of 50 miles per hour and gusts up to 75 miles per hour. With that storm came lightning. It was around 2pm the first report came that a warehouse holding approximately 20,000 53-gallon barrels of 100+ proof Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey was on fire. The presumption is that lightning struck Warehouse ‘I’.
What started as a small fire quickly spread from one warehouse to another. The blaze and burning oak barrels sent flames into the sky that could be seen for miles around and created a river of lava-like burning whiskey. When it was all over seven warehouses were gone, and the distillery was completely destroyed. Some nearly 90,000 barrels were gone and so was 2% of the world’s supply of American bourbon whiskey.
Related Story – Watch Aerial Coverage of the Tragic 1996 Heaven Hill Fire
Over the next few years, Heaven Hill worked with other distilleries to make their whiskey. In 1999 they purchased the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville where they have been making their bourbon, rye and American whiskey ever since. Heaven Hill’s legacy of making bourbon in Bardstown had gone down in flames.
‘Project Phoenix’ Rises from the Ashes
Nearly 30 years after that fateful day when the distillery went down in flames Project Phoenix has risen from the ashes a few miles from the original site. On Monday, April 7, 2025, Heaven Hill filled its first barrel of whiskey at the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. The name of the new distillery pays tribute to the original distillery where the brand began across town in 1935.
The new state-of-the-art distillery features three hammer mills that feed grains to 10 80,000-gallon fermenters and a 70’ tall by 6’ wide Vendome Copper & Brass Works column still. According to Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll the new distillery has the capacity to produce 10 million proof gallons or about 150,000 barrels of whiskey per year.
This first barrel fill signals the start of production at the new $200 million facility, with full completion of the project anticipated in September. The project sets the foundation for Heaven Hill’s next chapter as the company approaches its 90th anniversary on December 13, 2025—exactly 90 years after the Shapira brothers filled their first barrel in 1935.
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“Filling this first barrel is both a homecoming and a major step into the future of Heaven Hill,” said Allan Latts, co-president of Heaven Hill Brands. “The Heaven Hill Springs Distillery reflects our deep roots in Bardstown, our long-term commitment to American Whiskey, and our investment in building for the next 90 years with care, intention and pride.”
With this expansion, Heaven Hill cements its position as the largest independent Bourbon producer in the world, a result of their dedicated leadership in the industry and decades of intentional growth—combining new investment in Bardstown with an established footprint in Louisville to support long-term flexibility, innovation and American Whiskey stewardship.
The new facility was designed with sustainability at its core, incorporating highly efficient production systems, advanced wastewater pretreatment, stormwater management and habitat restoration. Onsite energy creation and recovery systems further reduce environmental impact. These features reflect Heaven Hill’s commitment to protecting the natural resources that make Bourbon possible. That leadership was recently recognized when Rachel Nally, Heaven Hill’s director of environment and sustainability, was named Sustainability Officer of the Year at the 2025 Global Icons of Whisky Awards.
A Full-Circle Moment Rooted in History
To commemorate the occasion, Heaven Hill invited Charlie Downs, Master Distiller Emeritus, to serve as honorary master distiller for the day leading up to the first barrel filling. Downs is the only employee in company history to have worked in operations at all four of Heaven Hill’s distilling sites: the original Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown where he began his career in the 1970s, the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Artisanal Distillery, and now the Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.
From overnight shifts in Bardstown to crafting one barrel a day for visitors on Whiskey Row, Downs spent more than four decades shaping Heaven Hill’s distilling legacy. His return for the first barrel filling at the new Springs Distillery serves as a powerful bridge between the company’s past and its future.
“Filling this first barrel brings full circle a journey nearly 90 years in the making,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill master distiller and 2025 Icons of Whisky America Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year. “Having Charlie here to mark this moment connects our heritage to our future in the most meaningful way. It reflects the craftsmanship and commitment of the Springs team, whose work brought this facility to life and set the tone for the next chapter of Heaven Hill whiskey.”
Heaven Hill was founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935 and continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 2 million barrels aging in nearly 70 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky, Parker’s Heritage Collection, and Old Fitzgerald along with its extensive Bottled-in-Bond label collection.
Learn more about the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience.
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