Popular Kentucky Distillery: Town Branch Distillery

Origin	Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Manufacturer	The Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company
Established	Founded in 2012
Ownership	Alltech

In 1999, Irish entrepreneur and biochemist Pearse Lyons explored the dilapidated Lexington Brewing Company and saw an opportunity to revive the city’s craft beer tradition. Lyons brought in copper pot stills from Scotland in 2008 as he set his sights on distilling. This led to the opening of Town Branch Distillery in 2012, the first new distillery built in Lexington in over a century.

Town Branch Distillery has since become known for its high-quality bourbon and whiskey products, including the flagship Town Branch Bourbon, the spicy Town Branch Rye, the coffee-infused Bluegrass Sundown liqueur, and the Pearse Lyons Reserve – the first malt whiskey produced in Kentucky since Prohibition. The distillery’s success has been driven by the vision of founder Pearse Lyons and continued leadership of his son, Mark Lyons, as they have revived Lexington’s distilling heritage and pushed the boundaries of innovation.

Popular Products

Town Branch Bourbon – Aged in new, charred white oak barrels, this bourbon has a golden amber color and flavors of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and hints of cherry.

Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey – A cask strength, single cask expression of the flagship Town Branch Bourbon, hand-selected by distinguished palates. It has notes of oak, caramel, brown sugar, and cherry.

Town Branch Rye – A spicy, robust rye whiskey with notes of vanilla and oak, and a peppery, warm dry finish.

Pearse Lyons Reserve – The first malt whiskey produced in Kentucky since Prohibition, with notes of molasses, brown sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Timeline

• The distilling of whiskey began as early as settlers arrived in the Lexington, Kentucky area in the late 18th century, taking advantage of the limestone-filtered water from the Town Branch of the Elkhorn Creek.
• In the late 19th century, the Lexington Brewing Company was founded, but was shut down during Prohibition.
• In 1999, Pearse Lyons, an Irish entrepreneur and biochemist, explored the dilapidated Lexington Brewing Company and saw an opportunity to revive the craft beer tradition.
• In 2008, Lyons brought in two copper pot stills from Scotland as he set his sights on distilling.
• In 2012, Town Branch Distillery opened, becoming the first new distillery built in Lexington in over 100 years.

Famous Product Releases

• Town Branch® Bourbon – Aged in new, charred white oak barrels, this bourbon has a golden amber color and flavors of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and hints of cherry.
• Town Branch Rye® – A spicy, robust rye whiskey with notes of vanilla and oak, and a peppery, warm dry finish.
• Bluegrass Sundown® – A liqueur made by infusing Kentucky bourbon and sugar with dark roasted coffee.
• Pearse Lyons Reserve® – The first malt whiskey produced in Kentucky since Prohibition, with notes of molasses, brown sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Important People

• Pearse Lyons – The Irish-born founder of Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., who revived the company’s craft beer tradition and launched Town Branch Distillery.
• Mark Lyons – Pearse’s son, who took over as the company’s leader and continues to drive innovation in brewing and distilling.

Significant Historical Events

• The opening of Town Branch Distillery in 2012, the first new distillery built in Lexington in over a century.
• The production of the first malt whiskey in Kentucky since Prohibition with the launch of Pearse Lyons Reserve® .

Sources

[1] https://lexingtonbrewingco.com/whiskey-spirits/town-branch
[2] https://lexingtonbrewingco.com/about
[3] https://www.distillerytrail.com/directory-distillery/listing/town-branch-distillery/
[4] https://www.townbranch.org/info/?p=25
[5] https://bourbonveach.com/2021/11/22/lexington-kentucky-distilleries-town-branch-distillery/