Sazerac has emerged as the successful bidder for the former Garrard County Distilling property at a court-ordered auction in Lancaster, Kentucky. The distressed distillery was sold for USD 20 million during a master commissioner sale on June 26. However, the transaction has not yet been completed and remains subject to customary closing procedures.
The winning bid was submitted by Tom Collins Distilling LLC, a wholly owned affiliate of the New Orleans-based spirits company. Earlier this year, the subsidiary acquired approximately USD 26 million of debt originally held by Truist Bank, becoming the property's primary creditor and positioning itself to pursue foreclosure. Court records show that Tom Collins Distilling was the sole bidder at the auction. Garrard County Distilling, which began production in early 2024, ceased operations and entered receivership in April 2025 following mounting debt, unpaid property taxes and millions of dollars in liens.
The 210-acre site includes a fully equipped distillery with a stillhouse of approximately 50,000 square feet (around 4,650 m²) and multiple rickhouses for bourbon maturation. If the transaction closes as expected, the acquisition would add substantial potential production and barrel-aging capacity to Sazerac's whiskey operations, which include brands such as Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and George T. Stagg. The purchase also follows the company's recent launch of its first Tennessee whiskey after acquiring a distillery in Newport, Tennessee, in 2016. While the North American spirits market has softened in recent years, the company continues to invest selectively in long-term production assets.
