Hard Truth begins work on third whiskey rackhouse
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Less than a year after cutting the ribbon on its second one, Hard Truth Distilling Co. in Brown County has begun construction on its third rackhouse.
The project, which has begun well ahead of original plans, is in response to increased demand for Hard Truth’s sweet mash whiskeys, the distillery said Tuesday.
“Building a complex of rackhouses on our 325-acre property has always been the long-term plan, but recent product introductions, sales success, and growth into new markets required moving up our construction schedule,” Hard Truth partner and Master Distiller Bryan Smith said in a news release.
The distillery is investing $7 million in the construction of the new rackhouse and the increased production.
The 14,000-square-foot building will be able to hold 8,000 whiskey barrels, bringing the distillery’s total on-site capacity to more than 20,000 barrels. Hard Truth said the expansion puts it on track to go from 400 barrels sold in 2023 to 4,000 barrels ready for release by 2028.
“The enthusiasm for our award-winning whiskeys from consumers, bartenders, retailers, and distributors has been amazing,” said Smith. “The authenticity of our grain-to-glass approach is being welcomed all across the country by connoisseurs and new fans alike. Our goal was always to be a national whiskey company.”
The distillery’s operations sit on a 325-acre campus in Nashville that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Last June, Hard Truth cut the ribbon on its second rackhouse, which totals 15,000 square feet.
Construction on the new rackhouse is slated for completion in mid-July. A spokesperson said no new jobs are being added as a result of the project.
And there’s more growth already planned. Hard Truth said a new on-site stillage facility will be completed by mid-May to hold and process the spent grains, or stillage, from the whiskey distilling process.
The stillage facility, according to the distillery, will provide more efficient storage, separation of liquids from solids, and shipments of the stillage for local farmers to use as fertilizer nutrients and livestock feed.