Kentucky Distillers Association Louisville Negociant As Newest Craft Member

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced Left Bank Bourbon in Jefferson County as the newest member of the non-profit trade group that unites and leads Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry.

Left Bank Bourbon is a negoicant, better known in the US as a non-distiller producer (or NDP). The company was founded in 2018, and operates around the principle of sourcing bourbon and then building on it with customized stave inserts. Their gimmick, however, is one inspired by history. Towards the end of maturation, Left Bank puts its barrels on transports down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, where it is bottled. This mirrors the late 18th and early 19th Century journey much of the whiskey made in Kentucky, within a wagon-journey’s distance of the Ohio River anyway. The very origin of the word “Bourbon” is sometimes pegged to the fact that much of that region was called “Bourbon County,” and the word bourbon was stenciled on the barrels as an indicator of origin.

“Joining the KDA is a proud moment for our team as it allows us to celebrate the industry’s rich heritage amongst a community of historical Bourbonmakers,” said Left Bank Bourbon President and Co-Founder, Ken Hagan.

“We have dedicated ourselves to craft spirits with our guiding passion rooted in the journey of early American Bourbonmakers. We’ve created a unique Bourbon expression that recreates the origin story of Bourbon in a bottle.”

Located at 1001 Logan Street, Left Bank joins the growing Bourbon tourism and economic impact in the Louisville Metro region. Jefferson and surrounding counties now have 27 distilleries that are responsible for more than 7,000 jobs and more than $664 million in payroll.

Bourbon brings an economic impact of $3.3 billion and nearly $77 million in local and state tax revenue to the Louisville region each year. In addition, Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries reported nearly 900,000 visitors to the area last year, adding more revenue to local coffers.

Left Bank Bourbon joins KDA as a “Craft” level member, aging between 1 and 1,000 barrels annually.