FRANKFORT, Ky. — Lawmakers in Frankfort are taking action to ensure Kentucky remains the bourbon capitol of the world. According to the Kentucky Distillers Association, there are 100 licensed distillers in 42 Kentucky counties, with more expected as popularity for the product continues to grow.
Right now, there are many craft distillers in Kentucky where customers can only get their product by the bottle by showing up to their distillery. However, a bill that recently passed the Senate and is now in the Kentucky House would allow smaller distilleries like Whiskey Thief in Frankfort to get their product on the shelves and in the bars.
Senate Bill 50 would change the state’s liquor laws to allow Class B distillers without a Class A license to self-distribute up to 5,000 gallons a year of their own product to any licensed bar or store.
Whiskey Thief Distilling has been in Frankfort for 11 years, but currently its product won’t be found on the shelves.
“The only way you can get a bottle of the products of anything that you taste is by actually filling it up; typically, we let the customer do it. You can use the whiskey thief, thieve your own bottle and then we seal it and label it for you,” said social media coordinator at Whiskey Thief Distilling, Hannah Melillo.
Melillo also helps visitors to the distillery bottle their own personal bottle of bourbon as part of their experience.
“The mash bill is pretty much the recipe, and ours goes corn, rye, barley. If you look at this one, you’ll see it’s 74% corn, 12% rye and 14% barley,” Melillo said.
Whiskey Thief is a class B distiller, meaning they produce less than 50,000 gallons of product a year. Currently, many smaller distilleries are limited in reaching more customers, as Kentucky law requires all distillers to transport their product with a wholesaler.
“They’re (wholesalers) all great, but they also want larger volumes. The smaller distilleries don’t necessarily produce enough to fulfill the needs and demands of the distributor network,” said Jeff Markowitz, chief operating officer at Whiskey Thief.
Markowitz said if SB 50 were to become law, it would allow the distillery to expand its footprint in central and all parts of Kentucky.
“For a distillery like Whiskey Thief and others our size that is a huge revenue impact, it also will allow us to hire more people. We can be part of the economic impact to the Commonwealth,” Markowitz said.
Whiskey Thief owner Walter Zausch said there’s around 26 Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA) members who would benefit from this bill becoming law. He said the biggest impact for him is building relationships with local retailers.
“The desire there would be when a person comes in and is looking at a huge shelf of all kinds of different brands that those retailers and bars etc that have a relationship with us are going to be able to direct them to our product,” Zausch said.
The KDA supports this legislation. Legislators took similar action in previous sessions to support wineries and craft brewers. SB 50 passed the Senate 34 yes votes to one no vote.
Director of governmental and regulatory affairs for KDA Jack Mazurak said the direct impact on consumers is a wider variety of products on shelves, thus driving them to learn more about the distiller.
“The more access they have to Kentucky bourbon, the better of a time, a more memorable time they’re going to have and also more of a draw it is to our communities,” Mazurak said.
Senate Bill 50 has been assigned to the House’s licensing committee. If it passes committee, it would then be read to the full House floor. The House licensing committee meets Wednesday, Feb. 14, but it is currently unknown if SB 50 will be discussed then. An agenda will be posted later.
Senate Bill 50 was sponsored by State Senator Stephen West, R-Paris and has six co-sponsors, including one Democrat.