Campari Group, Wild Turkey’s parent company, is opening a second distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ky. adjacent to its current facility. The spirits corporation is investing $161 million in the expansion and creating 31 full-time jobs in the process, according to a March 30 press release from the State of Kentucky.
Construction on the new distillery will break ground this October and will be complete by August 2025.
“We are delighted to announce this important investment, and we appreciate the support received by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and the local authorities,” Campari America and Canada managing director Ugo Fiorenzo states in the release. “This expansion project confirms, once again, our commitment to this category and it will allow for the continued growth of the Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve franchise, both in the United States and internationally.”
The new distillery will increase Wild Turkey’s distillation capacity by an additional 5 million proof gallons (one liquid gallon of 50 percent ABV alcohol at a temperature of 60 degrees F) of bourbon each year. The brand’s total annual production will increase to 14 million proof gallons following the new facility’s completion.
Campari acquired Wild Turkey in 2009 and has since invested over $300 million in production and expansion efforts. It recently acquired Wilderness Trail Distillery in late 2022, investing further in Kentucky whiskey. With over 50 premium and super-premium alcohol labels in its portfolio, Campari Group is one of the most significant companies in the global spirits industry.
Cheers to many more bottles of Wild Turkey on liquor store shelves in the near future.
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