A Peek Inside Old Crow

Nestled amidst the storied distilleries that comprise the Kentucky Bourbon Trail lies Old Crow Distillery, a once-proud producer of such esteemed whiskey brands as Old Grand Dad, Bourbon DeLuxe, and Sunny Brook. Alas, the distillery’s operations fell silent in 1987 when it succumbed to a buy-out from the formidable Jim Beam corporation, its competitor.

Nestled amidst the storied distilleries that comprise the Kentucky Bourbon Trail lies Old Crow Distillery, a once-proud producer of such esteemed whiskey brands as Old Grand Dad, Bourbon DeLuxe, and Sunny Brook. Alas, the distillery’s operations fell silent in 1987 when it succumbed to a buy-out from the formidable Jim Beam corporation, its competitor.

For decades, the dilapidated Old Crow complex stood as a forlorn reminder of bygone days, its crumbling edifice a melancholy testament to the vicissitudes of the bourbon industry. Yet, in December of 2013, a glimmer of hope emerged as Neil Craig, a descendant of the legendary whiskey pioneer Elijah Craig, and his enterprising partner acquired the property. This intrepid duo harbors an ambitious vision: to breathe new life into the hallowed bottling house by establishing Deviant Distillers, a micro-distillery poised to craft a cornucopia of spirits, including bourbon, rye, “moonshine,” and spiced rum, with a modest yet respectable capacity of 60 gallons per day.

Thus, the echoes of bygone revelry may soon resound once more within the aged walls of Old Crow Distillery as a new generation of distillers endeavors to uphold the rich tradition of Kentucky’s bourbon heritage while forging an innovative path into the future of craft distilling.