Wild Turkey has unveiled a new $50 million distillery that represents Kentucky’s first major distillery expansion in decades.
The new facility will allow the company to double its production to meet a growing global demand for bourbon and rye whiskies. The first aged Wild Turkey from the new distillery will be available in 2016.
The new 134,000-s.f. facility expansion makes Wild Turkey not only one of the biggest whiskey distilleries in Kentucky, but in all of North America. It is capable of producing up to 11 million proof gallons of liquid annually, up from the 5 million proof gallons of the previous distillery that was first put into operation back in 1869.
“I was surprised to learn that no major distillery expansion had occurred in Kentucky for several decades,” said Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Gruppo Campari, a global company that acquired the Wild Turkey business in 2009. “This project reflects the confidence we have in the growth prospects of the iconic Wild Turkey family of brands.”
The entire Wild Turkey line is getting a new U.S. marketing campaign entitled “Give ’em the Bird” and in Australia, the brand is getting a packaging upgrade, new advertising and a new premium brand added to its ready-to-drink product line. Wild Turkey is also introducing a new mixable bourbon in the United States called Wild Turkey 81.
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