News & Events — Distillery

RD1 Launches New Bourbon and French Oak Finished Bourbon - September 10th.

In 1865, the Ashland Distillery was established, the first to obtain a federally registered distillery license, and was assigned RD#1. Located on Manchester Street at the city limits of Lexington, KY, today, the remains of the original distillery can be found at what is now the entrance to Lexington's Distillery District. In 2021, RD1 Distillery was reborn with the mission to bring a portfolio that inherits the storied history of the distillery but also a quality worth of Lexington's legendary whiskey heritage.  Below is a detailed history of our Distillery and the personal stories of the key figures in our...