Buffalo Trace Distillery, makers of Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old bourbon, was forced to close Sunday due to historic flooding in Kentucky.
On Wednesday, the company provided an update on the effort to get the distillery’s campus back online, which remains a significant undertaking. As floodwaters recede, Buffalo Trace has started the assessment, cleanup and recovery process.
At their peak, flood waters reached the second-highest recorded levels in the distillery’s history, with the Kentucky River cresting at 48.24 feet; minor flooding in the area officially starts around 31 feet. The flooding submerged the lower levels of Buffalo Trace’s buildings as well as parking lots and vehicles.
The company said it is “still determining the final scale of total site infrastructure impact,” and early assessments show substantial damage.
Most read on Food Manufacturing:
Much of the campus remains underwater; only select team members and recovery experts are permitted on-site. In safe and accessible areas, experts have begun various cleanup processes. However, the company has no set timeframe for recovery efforts.
Buffalo Trace will remain closed to visitors through at least Friday. The company aims to re-open to visitors in a modified capacity “as soon as possible.”
Local officials set up the Franklin County Flood Relief Fund to collect donations and offer aid to those affected by the flooding in the community. In the coming weeks, Buffalo Trace said it would continue relief efforts and share details regarding the facility’s status.
Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter.