Cult favorite whiskey distiller Michter’s aims to offer more products and experiences to fans in 2023.
The brand sold out of its 2022 stock and is on track to increase production in 2023, Michter’s president Joseph J. Magliocco tells VinePair. The company’s Shively distillery in Louisville will add a third shift to its daily production schedule and operate 24 hours a day, increasing liquid output by roughly 50 percent.
“The goal is to make the greatest American whiskey,” he says. “We’ve made a conscious decision. As we’ve grown, we want the quality to be at least as good — and hopefully better — than what we’re doing now.”
Magliocco notes that the distillery doesn’t bottle its liquid based strictly on age statements; occasionally, the distillery’s master distiller and master of maturation decide to age certain batches for longer. In 2022, the brand decided to delay the release of its famed 10-year-old bourbon to further develop the liquid.
In addition to offering more bottlings, Magliocco says that Michter’s will expand its Fort Nelson Distillery tours to accommodate a larger number of visitors. Starting this spring, the tourist destination (situated in the heart of Louisville, Ky.) will double its current tour capacity and number of daily tours.
“Like all the other great attractions in Kentucky, sometimes we have to turn people away because we can’t accommodate them, which we don’t like doing,” Magliocco says.
Currently, the distillery offers three distinct tours: Discovery, Founders, and Legacy. While the Discovery tour operates daily, the Founders format runs once a week, and Legacy is offered once a month. The Discovery tour is currently offered Wednesday through Sunday; the distillery will soon additionally operate on Tuesdays.
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