MOREHEAD, Ky. — Rowan County and state leaders celebrated an exciting new development for Morehead and Rowan County. Eastern Light Distillery is expected to open in late-2025, bringing Kentucky’s signature industry to eastern Kentucky.
The area will soon reap the benefits of what the Kentucky Distiller’s Association says is a $9 billion industry. Eastern Light Distilling broke ground on a $143.7 million Morehead distillery.
The groundbreaking was a homecoming for Eastern Light master distiller and co-founder Caleb Kilburn. Kilburn was born within six miles of the distillery site on his family’s farm and attended Morehead State University.
“With my knowledge of the local landscape, I knew that there were so many strengths and advantages that a distillery would enjoy if they located in Rowan County. From the amazing water to amazing grains, amazing people, it is hard to match the strengths we’re going to enjoy here,” Kilburn said.
Kilburn was previously the master distiller at Kentucky Peerless Distilling. In 2018, he was promoted to that position, being the youngest person to do so. Now, his goal with Eastern Light is to remove barriers for craft distillers in bringing their product to market.
“What we want to do is work with them in creating a spirit that is signature and uniquely their own while embracing them and allowing them to call this campus theirs,” Kilburn said.
The 50,000 square feet distillery will sit on 230 acres of land. Nine rickhouses will store up to 33,000 barrels each.
CEO and cofounder, Cordell Lawrence, has worked in the industry for over two decades, including with Brown-Forman and most recently Kentucky Peerless Distilling. Lawrence said he and Kilburn left “comfortable” day jobs to follow a dream they believed in.
“Today wouldn’t be possible without all those prior experiences and really learning the industry from an inside baseball perspective I like to say,” Lawrence said.
The distillery will use local wood, water and corn. It also will be a significant tourism and economic investment for Rowan and surrounding counties.
“I’ve got fellow judges here from Bracken County, from Fleming County; mayors from Morehead, from Montgomery County. We all understand that we all get it and we’re all good partners,” said Rowan County judge executive, Harry Clark.
Eastern Light will employ up to 50 full-time staff and produce around 97,000 barrels every year.
The Kentucky Distiller’s Association says last year, the bourbon industry made nearly $714 million in new investments and created 229 full-time jobs.