The Kentucky River, a historical lifeline for Buffalo Trace Distillery, recently demonstrated its destructive power, inundating the sprawling Frankfort site after days of relentless rain.
For centuries, the river has been integral to the distillery’s operations, serving as a vital transport artery in the 1800s for bringing in essential grains and shipping barrels of whiskey to markets along the Ohio and Mississippi. Even today, its waters are crucial for cooling production equipment.
However, in April, the river surged over its banks, submerging much of the 200-plus-acre main campus. This massive flood, triggered by prolonged heavy rainfall, severely impacted nearly every phase of production and several warehouses where whiskey is meticulously aged…