Brough Brothers Distillery, the first and only African-American-owned distillery in Kentucky, recently held its grand opening in Louisville.
The distillery was founded by Bryson, Christian and Victor Yarbrough, three brothers born and raised in Louisville. They wanted to produce quality bourbon whiskey in an industry that has historically been largely inaccessible to minority entrepreneurs.
Led by Kentucky’s first African American master distiller Bryson Yarbrough, Brough Brothers distills a proprietary mash of corn, rye and barley and can currently produce one barrel a week. Most of the historic first barrels will be aged for a minimum of one year to meet the Kentucky Bourbon designation.
In April, Brough Brothers Distillery became the 42nd member—and 24th craft-level member—of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. It is the first African-American-owned and operated facility to join KDA since the organization’s founding in 1880.
“As Louisville’s Congressman and the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus, I’m thrilled to help celebrate the grand opening of Brough Brothers Distillery in West Louisville,” said Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY). “Black Louisvillians have been involved in distilling for centuries, and the Yarbrough family’s work to build this company from the ground up is a tremendous step forward in making the distilled spirits industry more reflective of our nation, our city, and our people. Louisville is lucky to have Kentucky’s first Black-owned distillery call the Park Hill neighborhood home, and you don’t have to look any further than a Brough Brothers bottle to see the love Victor, Bryson, and Chris have for our hometown. Cheers to them!”
“I want to congratulate Victor, Christian and Bryson Yarbrough for pouring their hearts and spirits into their vision for Kentucky’s first Black-owned distillery,” said Greg Fischer, mayor of Louisville. “Bourbon is a critical part of our growing economy, and with the addition of this new distillery in the historic Park Hill neighborhood, the industry will grow stronger and investments will continue to flow into the area.”
Brough Brothers Bourbon brand is now one of the fastest growing brands in the US with distribution currently in 25 states.