Missouri’s Holladay Distillery Starts Making Bourbon

Holladay Distillery is counting down the days to the release of its first bourbon. The distillery underwent a $10 million renovation of its original stillhouse in 2015 and started distilling bourbon on site again for the first time in over thirty years.

The origins of the distillery date back to before the Civil War, when Kentucky-born brothers Ben and David Holladay acquired the property. They knew the limestone springs running through the land were perfect for one thing: Bourbon. Ben Holladay went on to fame and fortune as the “Stagecoach King” for his involvement in both the Wells Fargo Express and the Pony Express and for using those stage lines to get his bourbon to the West.

Given the company’s history, the decision to resume bourbon production was an easy one, but its undertaking came with restraint. “Making good bourbon takes more than a good story,” said Mick Harris, president of Holladay Distillery. “There is no instant gratification if you’re doing it right.” The company hired Kyle Merklein, a Master Distiller with a Masters of Science in Biological Engineering and expertise in Fermentation Engineering, to oversee its bourbon operation.

“Making bourbon is a complex mix of art and science,” Harris continued. “There are nuances in every detail, from the grain to the climate to the water, that demand the careful attention of a skilled distiller. Producing a true craft bourbon whiskey is much more than putting the word ‘craft’ on a mass-produced spirit, and I think consumers are starting to realize that.”

The first bourbon release from Holladay Distillery will be a four-year-old wheat, with other varieties to follow.