By: Hannah Stanley
Lexington, KY. – RD1 Spirits will open their new distillery to the public May 14, adding itself as one of the newest stops to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Located minutes from downtown in the developing location of The Commons, the $5 million project features the research and development distillery and wood finishing lab, a speakeasy, bourbon bar, gift shop and private event spaces.
With a devotion to the exploration of Kentucky Straight Bourbon and expertise in finishing bourbon with wood from across the country, RD1’s unique brand aims to create a distinct tasting experience with each very bottle.
Paying homage to the first federally registered distillery — Ashland Distillery, distinction RD#1 — established in 1865, the Lexington-based bourbon was founded with the intention of continuing the history of Lexington’s bourbon firsts. Today, it does just that as it sits as the first tenant of The Commons and sharing their origin story.
RD1 Chief Executive Officer Mike Tetterton expressed his gratitude to The Commons Chief Executive Officer Darren Turner, the Kentucky Distiller’s Association (KDA), RD1 staff and more for helping make such a vision come true at their soft opening and ribbon cutting ceremony May 13.
Mark Stoops, RD1 shareholder, advisor, community and business leader and University of Kentucky head football coach said he learned early on “to be connected with good people” and found just that with Tetterton and the RD1 team in which he’s “proud just to be a small part of it.”
In celebration of their new home, the brand is releasing a limited 250 bottles of their 12-year aged Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Only available at The Commons location, the bourbon is drawn from six barrels and bottled at cask strength, ranging 121.1 to 127.3 proof. With tastes of rich oak, spiced peppercorn and stone fruit, the bourbon will finish with a long and balanced leading of savory caramel.
Turner said aside from RD1’s residency, the 42-acre plot will also house a retail Airbnb building, an entertainment venue equipped to hold 2,000 occupants, a high-end restaurant, fire pits with outdoor entertainment space, 16 standard pickleball courts and one king court to host national tournaments and more.
“Darren had a vision of this development that used to be full of tobacco barns, and it is going to be without a doubt the coolest development in the city of Lexington and one of the coolest in all of Kentucky,” Tetterton said. “When I heard his vision a couple and a half years ago, I knew we wanted to be the anchored tenant.”
