Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, which is owned by American spirits maker Beam, is all set to undergo a $67m expansion, as part of plans to keep pace with surging demand for its bourbon whiskey.
American distilled spirits exports broke new records in 2013 crossing the $1.5bn threshold, driven by premium bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey which exceeded the $1bn mark for the first time, the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) reported recently.
Maker's Mark distillery reported 10.7% growth in shipments to 1.4 million cases in 2013 against the previous year.
To keep pace with this growth, Beam will add a third still adjacent to its existing facility in Loretto to step up bourbon whiskey production by almost 50%.
The company will also add new barrel rack houses and fermenters, with plans to add warehouses over the next seven years.
Last year, Beam announced that it would reduce the alcohol percentage in its Maker's Mark handmade premium Kentucky bourbon whiskey to meet the growing global demand.
Maker's Mark COO Rob Samuels expressed concerns over exceeding demand of the alcoholic beverage than the production capacity of the distillery in Kentucky.
The company, however, scrapped the idea due to sever backlash from consumers.
Japan-based beverage firm Suntory has recently agreed to acquire Maker's Mark parent company Beam for around $16bn.
