History

Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. is a family-owned business in Lexington, Kentucky, behind Town Branch and the Pearse- and Ha’Penny brands. The early history goes back to the 1890s, when Lexington Brewing Co. emerged but was wiped out by Prohibition. In 1999 the brewery was revived by Pearse Lyons and his son Mark Lyons, who brought new energy and a passion for both brewing and distilling into the company. Two copper stills were ordered from Scotland and arrived in 2008, and in the fall of 2012 Town Branch Distillery opened across the street from Lexington Brewing Co. as the first newly constructed distillery in Lexington in more than a century. Their family history includes seven generations of Irish brewers, distillers and coopers, providing a deep grounding in craft and innovation.

Town Branch Distillery and Lexington Brewing Co. are known for a unique combination of brewery and distillery – and for being the only combined brewery and distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The beer line includes Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and a range of barrel-aged brews, while the Town Branch line spans bourbon, rye, malt whiskies and special editions such as Sherry Cask Finished. Over the years, gins and pre-made cocktails have also been added under the Town Branch and Pearse families.

Alongside production, the company has focused on sustainability. They communicate a long-term commitment to quality, natural ingredients and a more sustainable future – including through the concept The Life Of The Barrel, where each vessel follows a full life cycle and where old bourbon barrels get new life in downstream products both in Kentucky and Ireland.

Production and Manufacturing

The Life Of The Barrel and the development of the Town Branch collection show how the brewery and distillery work together to create unique flavor experiences. Town Branch Bourbon is produced with a high-malt mash and aged in new, charred white oak casks, giving a golden amber color and a complex flavor of oak, caramel and brown sugar. The water in Kentucky is known for its calcium-rich composition, which affects the distillation process and the flavor.

Both Town Branch and the adjacent Town Branch Distillery follow a life cycle, where used bourbon barrels are often reused for other products before they reach Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin, Ireland, where barrels can be used as the fourth fill in finish products such as Pearse Irish Whiskey. Town Branch's own beer-based history began with Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale in 2006, where used bourbon barrels were later used for Town Branch Kentucky Single Malt, which matures for at least 7 years and houses some of the oldest Kentucky single malt stock found in Lexington. This approach illustrates how sustainability and innovation go hand in hand in the company.

The brewery’s products range from Town Branch Bourbon and Rye to malt whiskies and sherry/port finishers, and they continuously expand with special lines such as MMXXIV Imperium Bourbon, Sherry Cask Finished and Maple Barrel Stout Bourbon. Pearse and Ha’Penny brands bring Irish whiskey and gin categories into the portfolio, just as MiL Mediterranean Gin stands as another supporting element in their spirits portfolio.

Products and Whisky Range

• Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Mash Bill 72% corn / 15% rye / 13% malted barley. Proof 90 (45% ABV). Tasting notes include oak, caramel, brown sugar and cherry.
• Town Branch True Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Mash bill not published; cask strength; batch-varying.
• Town Branch Overproof Kentucky Straight Whiskey – 104 proof; blended mash bills; 90% bourbon, 10% rye (if the exact composition is not specified on the page).
• Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (standard) – The classic Town Branch bourbon with a high-malt mash, aged in new, charred white oak casks.
• Town Branch Maple Barrel Stout Bourbon – Bourbon finished in Maple Barrel Imperial Stout cask, giving notes of maple and chocolate combined with the bourbon base.
• Town Branch Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon Whiskey – A blend of bourbons finished in oloroso sherry casks together with select single-barrel bourbons finishing in oloroso cask; notes of sherry, vanilla and roasted nuts.
• Town Branch 11yr Cask Strength Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey – 100% malted barley; aged in its own single malt profile for 11 years; variant: non-chill filtered; ABV around 55% on some batches.
• Town Branch 7yr Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey – 100% malted barley; at least 7 years old; 87 proof (43.5% ABV).
• Town Branch MMXXIV Imperium Bourbon Whiskey – 50/50 blend of two bourbon mash-bill barrels; Limited annual release; batch and proof vary.
• Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey – single barrel, barreled proof; flavor notes typically wood, caramel, brown sugar and cherry.
• Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey – single malt in a single barrel, barreled proof.
• Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Rye Whiskey – single barrel rye; barrel proof; spicy and floral notes.
• Town Branch Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey – 100 proof; mash bill 90% rye / 5% corn / 5% malted barley.
• Pearse Original 5yr Irish Whiskey – malt- and grain-blend; aged in bourbon cask for at least 5 years; notes of malt, pepper, apple, citrus and oak.
• Pearse Distiller’s 7yr Irish Whiskey – malt- and grain-blend; at least 7 years; finish in bourbon-/bourbon-barrel- and sherry-finish; known for balanced body with oak and caramel.
• Pearse Founder’s 12yr Irish Whiskey – Single Malt aged in bourbon cask before a 12-year finish; notes of lemon, dried orange, honeywort and cloves.
• Ha’Penny Dublin Dry Gin – 13 botanicals; juniper-forward with blackcurrant, lavender and orange; not a whiskey, but part of the company’s spirits portfolio.
• Ha’Penny Rhubarb Gin – rhubarb notes in gin based on rhubarb; part of the Ha’Penny line.
• Ha’Penny Four Cask Irish Whiskey – four-finish Irish whiskey; non-chill-filtered.
• Pearse Irish Whiskeys – Pearse Original 5yr, Pearse Distiller’s 7yr, Pearse Founder’s 12yr.
• MiL Mediterranean Gin – a Mediterranean-based gin with Iberian-Irish fusion, inspired by St. James Church and Camino de Santiago.
• Bluegrass Sundown Bourbon Coffee Liqueur – coffee-based liqueur with Town Branch Bourbon as the base.
• Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale – beer, which initially was finished in bourbon barrels and helped set the stage for later barrel-aging of beer and spirits.

Tours and Experiences

• Town Branch is The Only Brewery & Distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and is open for tours and tastings. Visitors will find a Visitor Center and Taproom with signature cocktails, fresh on-tap beer and spirit tastings.
• Private Tour Package includes a one-hour private tour of both our brewery and Town Branch Distillery and four tastings from our beer or whiskey range. Reservations must be pre-booked and held at least 10 days in advance.
• Hours of operation (March – December): Monday–Saturday 9:30–18:00 and Sunday 11:30–18:00 (with the first tour around noon and seasonally scheduled slots).
• Visitors receive allergy information; facilities are handicap accessible; tours and private events are available on request.

Philosophy

• Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. emphasizes sustainability at every step of production and describes a consumer and management philosophy where quality, natural ingredients and innovation go hand in hand. The Life Of The Barrel-driven approach shows a circular mindset: using the entire oak barrel in the life cycle, reusing barrels in different finishes and profile development across the chain – from Kentucky to Dublin.
• The Lyons family heritage and seven generations of experience in Irish brewing, distilling and coopering shape the company culture and its ongoing focus on craftsmanship and innovation. Their stories and campaigns (Off To The Races, Bourbon Heritage Month, Bring The Bourbon, etc.) show an ambition to connect tradition with innovation and to give consumers experiences through tours, cocktails and unique barrel programs.