Sazerac Acquires Bankrupt Kentucky Distillery for $20 Million
Spirits company Sazerac has acquired Garrard County Distilling Co. in Lancaster, Ky., out of bankruptcy, for a reported $20 million, according to local news reports. The purchase includes a 50,000-sq.-ft. distillery, which will be Sazerac’s fourth such facility in Kentucky. This facility is capable of producing between 350 and 400 barrels per day.
The acquisition gives the company more production capacity, which Jake Wenz, president and CEO of Sazerac told the media was needed “to keep up with demand.” Garrard County Distilling opened the facility in January 2024 — but the previous owners racked up more than $26 million in debt to Truist Bank, which eventually took control of the property.
Tom Collins Distilling LLC, which shares an address with Sazerac, bought the outstanding debt from Truist and won a June auction for the property, and the $20 million sale was confirmed Aug. 4, 2026.
Sazerac already operates the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Ky., Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, and The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro, reports said. The company also just announced it had agreed to acquire Au Vodka, a UK-based spirits company.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.