The bourbon world is buzzing after spirits giant Sazerac quietly maneuvered to take control of Garrard County Distilling Co., a high-profile Kentucky distillery that never really got off the ground before collapsing into financial ruin.
Sazerac, the New Orleans-based company behind some of the most recognizable names in American whiskey — Buffalo Trace, Blanton’s, and Weller — confirmed it owns a shell company called Tom Collins Distilling LLC, which recently purchased roughly $26 million worth of debt tied to the shuttered distillery. The move effectively hands Sazerac the keys to a 50,000-square-foot facility south of Lexington in Lancaster, Kentucky, even though the full terms of the deal were never made public.
A Distillery That Never Found Its Footing
Garrard County Distilling Co. opened in January 2024 with what seemed like a promising future. The facility was sizeable, the location was solid bourbon country, and the timing seemed right for a new player entering the Kentucky whiskey market. But things fell apart fast.
By April 2024, the distillery had already slipped into receivership. Contractor lawsuits started piling up almost immediately. General contractor Doss & Horky filed suit, and liens on the property surpassed $2.5 million, covering unpaid debts and taxes. The parent company, All Nations, found itself buried under financial obligations it could not climb out of…