Whiskey House of Kentucky in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, which officially opened their custom whiskey distillery in July 2024, announced they’ll be building a dozen new state-of-the-art whiskey rickhouses over the next six years. The whiskey storage buildings will be built in partnership with The Koetter Group and utilize their proprietary K-RAX barrel storage system.
Whiskey House says the K-RAX whiskey storage buildings will be seven stories high, hold 48,048 barrels, and are designed to improve barrel maturation performance, enhance worker and contractor safety, reduce maintenance, and strengthen structural integrity and longevity.
“As the leader in custom whiskey production, we want the most innovative and advanced rickhouses in the industry for our exclusive customers,” said Whiskey House Co-founder and CEO David Mandell. “The Koetter Group provides us with an incredible product that delivers significant improvements in warehouse maturation, air flow, safety, and durability.”
The pioneering K-RAX warehouse design increases maturation performance and airflow by using a full-length vented cupola in conjunction with their continuous floor vents around the entire perimeter of the building. In addition to air flow, the floor vents allow alcohol vapors — which are heavier than air — to exit the building for lower vapor build up, which reduces barrel and structural damage. The K-RAX warehouse improves worker and contractor safety with its full width walk boards, wire mesh fall protection next to walkways, elimination of pinch points throughout the warehouse, and stronger dunnage that provides improved worker safety and smoother barrel rolling.
K-RAX warehouses are constructed using Southern yellow pine that is glue laminated, heat treated, and kiln dried. As a result, the material is stronger and prevents powder post beetles from damaging the wood. Moreover, the CNC machined connections create a very tight fit for very little movement. This eliminates the need for a plumb bob and enables unbalanced loading so that barrels can be loaded and unloaded from any floor or side of the building without jeopardizing its structural integrity.
“The Koetter Group could not be more excited to partner with Whiskey House,” said Bob Koetter, Owner and CEO of the Koetter Group. “Over the years we have been asked by multiple distilleries to help innovate barrel-storage warehouses. We are very thankful that Whiskey House is giving us the opportunity to bring our innovation and advanced warehouse solutions to the bourbon industry.”
K-RAX Systems Featured at University of Kentucky and The Blending House
The Koetter Group has deployed their K-RAX System at various distillery locations around the country including the James B. Beam Institute of Kentucky Spirits at the University of Kentucky, the nations largest hands-on distillery training program, and The Blending House® in Shelbyville, Kentucky.
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Whiskey House has produced more than 97,000 barrels in less than a year including 56 unique mash bills, and 59 different recipes for its exclusive custom whiskey production customers. The 110,000 square foot distillery boasts a highly sophisticated manufacturing system that is fully automated and runs on proprietary software 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Whiskey House of Kentucky is designed from the ground up to provide the highest-quality, customized American whiskey for the most discerning brands in the industry. By incorporating best practices, programs, and state-of-the art technology from advanced food manufacturing, and applying them to distilling, Whiskey House delivers unparalleled quality, unmatched flexibility in customization, and the ability to test and scale innovation projects for the best spirits companies in the world. Whiskey House has no brands of its own and a campus closed to the public, removing all potential conflicts of interest between the company and its customers. The team is hyper-focused on providing superior custom whiskey production, innovative liquid design, and exceptional customer service for its exclusive branded clients.
The family-owned and operated Koetter Group was founded in 1954 and is one of the region’s leading full-service commercial contractors and developers, serving Southern Indiana and the Greater Louisville area. With four divisions — Koetter Construction, Koetter Real Estate Services, Koetter Building Services, and K-RAX Premium Spirits Barrel Storage Systems — providing a wide range of services including design-build construction, land development, real estate services, facility repairs and maintenance, fall protection inspections and installation, and premium barrel storage solutions. Built on a foundation of quality, integrity, and strong relationships, The Koetter Group takes pride in treating every client and team member like family.
Related Stories
– The Spirits Group and Koetter Group Announce $44 Million Investment in ‘The Blending House’ for Spirit Brands Aug 2023
– Koetter Group Donates Unique Barrel Storage System to UK’s James B. Beam Institute for Research & Education Project Dec 2020
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