30 Years On: Heaven Hill Rebuilt After Fire Destroyed Seven Warehouses
The fire that struck the Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown, Nelson County, 30 years ago remains one of the most searing disasters in the memory of Kentucky's bourbon industry. Three decades ago, an ember-laden storm ignited a blaze that spread into a river of fire, consuming seven of the distillery's warehouses and burning roughly 2 percent of the world's bourbon stock at the time; Heaven Hill itself was badly damaged. The Courier Journal looked back on November 5 at how the company recovered: after the fire, it rebuilt production facilities in Bardstown, gradually restored distilling and warehousing capacity, and over the following decades grew again into a major brand in Kentucky bourbon. The article appeared exactly 30 years after the fire, and the distillery's recovery is also seen as an example of resilience in local manufacturing. Bardstown is a hub of bourbon country in central Kentucky, and Heaven Hill's survival and growth are closely tied to local jobs and tourism.
(Source: The Courier Journal)
Source: The Courier Journal
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 巴兹敦法院广场（图：美国国家档案馆，公共领域） / Courthouse Square in Bardstown (National Archives, public domain)
