At the newly renamed Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, one of the largest independent distilleries in the world, a semitrailer unloads 1,000 bushels of corn that crash into the receiving pit like the mother of all hailstorms. From there, a fully automated grain-handling system sends the grain to a storage bin. Then it moves on to a hammer mill, where it will be ground, weighed and sent to the stillhouse, where the bourbon-making process begins.
Corn is the lifeblood of bourbon.
That’s one of the first things visitors learn on a guided tour of this historic distillery that shows how Kentucky’s famous spirit goes from grain to barrel. Legally, bourbon must be at least 51 percent corn; the other grains are rye and malted barley. More than 20 farmers from the Kentucky Corn Growers Association provide the 750,000 bushels of corn required for Green River to produce 90,000 barrels of bourbon annually.
The distillery has a portfolio of brands, but Jacob Call, a third-generation master distiller from Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World, is especially excited about the revival of the Green River brand.
Last year, Green River Distilling Co., previously O.Z. Tyler, returned to its original name. Founded in 1885, the old Green River Distillery was considered one of the finest in the country before it burned in 1918. Now, the legendary bourbon brand is returning to its birthplace.
“It was a heavily advertised brand pre-Prohibition,” Call said of Green River. “We got the original trademark back. It’s rare to get that original name and brand back to its original location.”
The 19th-century mash bill (grain recipe) is long gone, but Call created one that produces a high-rye “smooth, easy-to-drink, approachable bourbon” that he’s confident will be a winner with discerning bourbon enthusiasts. It will be available later this year.
The visitors center has a timeline that traces the distillery’s complex history from 1885 to the present and features two new educational “salons.” The Green River salon focuses on the history of the brand and houses vintage ads and memorabilia with the dubious advertising slogan “The Whiskey Without a Headache.” Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, that catchphrase became “The Whiskey Without Regrets,” which appears on the outside wall of the distillery today.
The Kentucky Corn Growers Association salon outlines the organization’s collaboration with the distillery on another new product, Yellow Banks Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which uses Owensboro’s original name.
In the stillhouse, an inquisitive bourbon novice stares into a massive fermenter of pungent, bubbling mash and asks the guide how long it must boil before being distilled. She learns the mash isn’t boiling. Those bubbles are the result of carbon dioxide that’s produced as the yeast converts sugar into alcohol.
Bottles zip through a bottling line as they are filled and labeled. Then, it’s off to one of the warehouses, where the bourbon ages in new charred white oak barrels stacked floor to ceiling.
White dog, the unaged distillate that goes into the barrel, is sort of like a headstrong teenager that goes to college for four years. It may be unpleasant going in, but after four years of maturing (some bourbons age for shorter or longer periods), it’s not only more palatable but also refined and downright pleasant.
The best part of any bourbon distillery tour is the tasting.
Bourbon lovers sample the new Yellow Banks as well as Quarter Horse rye whiskey and Bradshaw Bourbon, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s signature brand. Tasters also are given a choice between Ladder 9, which has rich cinnamon notes, and the honey-flavored Humblebee.
Nothing gives Call more pride than knowing visitors enjoy his products. “It’s been somewhat humbling and an honor to get to take this historic distillery and bring it back to life,” Call said. “It’s had numerous master distillers over the years, and it happens to be my turn.”
Tapping into a Burgeoning Beer Scene
The secret’s out, and there’s no shame in it: Some Kentuckians prefer beer to bourbon.
There was a time when Owensboro’s craft beer enthusiasts had few choices. They could travel to a larger city to get their foamy fix, find a local place that served craft beer made elsewhere (not the freshest), or settle for mass-produced canned suds.
With the opening of two new breweries, Brew Bridge and Mile Wide Beer Co., a burgeoning beer scene is on the horizon.
When Brew Bridge opened last July, it was the first brewery in Owensboro in more than a century. Brew Bridge quenched an unrelenting thirst for quality local beer, but it also provided a space for beer lovers to hang out and discuss lofty, cerebral matters, such as which pale ale pairs best with the house-made beer cheese and warm pretzels, and the proper season to drink a chocolate raspberry stout.
Max Garvin, who co-owns the brew pub with David Haynes, pointed out that folks generally don’t have these interactions while picking up a six-pack at the grocery store. “Picking up a six-pack is like buying a frozen dinner rather than getting a home-cooked meal,” Garvin said. “At the brewery, you get a personalized experience to help find which style of beer best suits you. You can sample and talk with people who share similar interests.”
Not to mention, at the grocery store, you can’t wash down a half-pound hangover burger with the brew of your choice, and there’s no trivia night.
Thirty-two beers are on tap at Brew Bridge, with 10 brewed in house by master brewer Will Gomez. You might catch him at work through a window in the brew house.
Garvin said the Rose Blonde, brewed with hibiscus flowers, is a hit with those craving something light and crisp. Harvest Moon, a Belgian-style unfiltered ale spiced with coriander and orange, also has a strong fan base.
New beers are released weekly.
The brewery can seat about 250, but the regulars head out back to a large, inviting patio, a lifesaver—literally—when COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. Heated tents for private groups offered much-needed relief from the winter blues, which were bluer than ever during the pandemic
Now, spring is here, the pandemic is abating, and, according to Garvin, business has been trending up every week. “The future is very bright,” Garvin said, “and we are looking forward to getting back to some kind of normalcy.”
Ohio River Namesake Brew
At Owensboro’s Mile Wide Beer Co. Brewery & Taproom, glasses clink and laughter echoes around a two-level historic building in the heart of The District, the section of downtown that allows people to carry open alcoholic beverages outside the establishment where they were purchased. To-go cup, please!
The mood is cheery but chill. Everybody from millennials to baby boomers socializes over craft beers as diverse as the crowd itself. Some sip the ever-popular Brabble—a light, easy-to-drink blonde ale—while others venture to the dark side with the barrel-aged McPoyle, a full-bodied milk stout the color of Coca-Cola that’ll put hair on your chest.
There’s no coat of arms above the door, but it feels like a British pub got lost and wandered into western Kentucky. That’s the idea, according to Scott Shreffler, co-founder and part owner. “We want our taprooms to be like European public houses, where the local community gathers to hang out with friends, celebrate birthdays [and] anniversaries, and hold meetings, all while sharing a pint or two of beer,” Shreffler said
The taproom is a new little brother to the Louisville brewery by the same name that opened in 2016. And like a little brother, it’s trying to live up to its full potential so as to not be overshadowed by an older sibling.
It’s getting there. Currently, all 24 beers on tap at the Owensboro location are brewed in Louisville, but plans are in the works to start brewing on site soon. Unlike the Louisville location, there’s no restaurant, but pop-up restaurants come around on Wednesdays, and food trucks will be close by this summer.
Mile Wide is big on experimentation, and it has a loyal following of beer geeks eager for the next off-the-wall brew. Word on the street is that a maple bacon doughnut imperial stout will be released this month.
“We typically release at least one new beer a week, which keeps things fresh and exciting for our customers and our Mile Wide Club members [$50 a year], who get early access to new beers and member-only exclusives,” said taproom manager Cory Greene.
Can’t decide between beer and bourbon? Have them both. It’s called a boilermaker.
Green River Distilling Co.
10 Distillery Road
Owensboro, 270.691.9001
greenriverdistilling.com
Brew Bridge
800 West 2nd Street
Owensboro, 270.215.7742
owensborobrewbridge.com
Mile Wide Beer Co.
119 East 2nd Street
Owensboro, 270.478.4520
milewidebeer.com