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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Beam Suntory Expands Boston, Kentucky, Distillery

09/20/2022
Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, will expand production at its Booker Noe distillery in Boston, Kentucky. The $400 million project is expected to create 51 jobs.

The expansion will increase capacity by 50%, while reducing the distillery’s greenhouse gas emissions by the same percentage, through the use of anaerobic digestors that will produce renewable natural gas to power the facility, according to company officials. Upon completion, which is expected in 2024, the distillery, which produces Jim Beam, will be 65% powered by renewable natural gas, and 35% by fossil-based natural gas.

“We are committed to making a difference by investing in cleaner technologies and systems, and the expansion and significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from this project does just that with our biggest brand,” said Beam Suntory President and CEO Albert Baladi. “This expansion will help ensure we meet future demand for our iconic bourbon in a sustainable way that supports the environment and the local community that has helped build and support Jim Beam.”

Beam Suntory said it entered into an agreement with 3 Rivers Energy Partners to build a facility across the street to convert spent stillage into biogas which will be treated to renewable natural gas standards and piped directly back to the Booker Noe facility. The digestors will also produce a high-quality, low-cost fertilizer, which will be made available to local farmers, thereby supporting sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.

“As consumers around the world continue to discover bourbon, we want Jim Beam and our commitment to sustainability to be part of that discovery,” added Carlo Coppola, Managing Director of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. “I’m so proud to be honoring our legacy as the First Family of Bourbon by leveraging this renewable energy to support our brand’s trajectory for the next 225 years.”

Beam Suntory said it invests more than $500 million every year to make bourbon in Kentucky. The company recently completed a $60 million transformation of the James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s homeplace in Clermont, including a new and elevated visitor experience, inclusive of the full Beam family of brands like Knob Creek, Basil Hayden and Booker’s Bourbons, the Fred B. Noe Distillery, and the Kitchen Table restaurant.

“I want to once again thank the leadership at Beam Suntory for this commitment to grow the Booker Noe Distillery in Nelson County,” noted Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “The dozens of jobs this project is creating will benefit so many families in Central Kentucky, and the company’s continued growth reflects the strength of our state’s signature bourbon industry. Congratulations to everyone involved with this significant investment. I could not be more excited to see what’s next for Jim Beam Brands in Kentucky.”

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