Alltech Incorporated is expanding its distillery and brewing business into far eastern Kentucky. The alcohol business will feature a legendary Appalachian story.
Ground has been broken for Dueling Barrels Brewing and Distilling Company in downtown Pikeville. The 13 million dollar combined brewery and distillery will feature its own range of beer and spirits including one called "moonshine."
Alltech Spokeswoman Danielle Palmer says the business may one day be included in Kentucky's Bourbon Trail. Those distilleries saw 723 thousand visitors last year. "So, when you look at that, you could bring all these people to eastern Kentucky, an area that could certainly use a boost in tourism and is already moving that way anyways. We certainly would hope we could get on to the Bourbon Trail," said Palmer.
The distillery name was inspired by the notorious feuds between the Hatfields and McCoys. Palmer says the long term plan is to ship some of the eastern Kentucky products overseas. "With Alltech's global reach, and with recent acquisitions of two new breweries actually in the UK and Northern Ireland, we've certainly expanded our reach further on the beverage side. So that kind of opens up new opportunities for us," added Palmer.
The brewing and distilling business is expected to open in the spring of 2017. ?
