Dant Crossing in Gethsemane, Kentucky, is an evolving 300-plus-acre tourism destination campus conceived by the Dant family and anchored by their Log Still Distillery. When complete, the project will represent an investment of more than $40 million.
In turn, the Log Still Distillery is the maker of the Monk’s Road line of spirits.
Last year, just prior to the Log Still Distillery’s official launch, our bourbon columnist Susan Reigler provided a preview.
Log Still Distillery is being built near Gethsemane by Wally, Lynne, and Charles Dant, fifth generation descendants of J.W. Dant, who started making whiskey in 1836 with a copper still contained in a hollowed-out poplar log. Hence, the new distillery’s name.
Dants made bourbon in Nelson County until Prohibition. The family reopened the distillery after Repeal and ran it until the 1950s, when they sold the property. The current generation bought it back and has been restoring some of the original features, including a water tower.
Since J.W. Dant is a brand name now owned by Heaven Hill, Log Still’s bourbon and rye will be named Monk’s Road. While waiting for its whiskey to age the distillery will source bourbon and rye (though there has been no disclosure of from which distillery) and will be producing a dry gin and a barrel-aged gin.
Guest accommodations at the campus come in three distinct flavors: The Homestead Bed & Breakfast, The Poplar Cottages and The Mansion. In 2021 a new tasting room debuted, as well as a 2,000-seat amphitheater (The Amp).
The next facet of Dant Crossing will open April 21: The Legacy, a 21,000-square-foot events, conference and wedding center. The Legacy is to be divided into three unique spaces, The Chapel, The Banquet Hall and The Breezeway.
And, as we noted back in January, Dant Crossing has a full-service dining and catering component led by Executive Chef David Danielson, formerly of Churchill Downs.
For more on this story, check out Jason Thomas’s coverage at Louisville Business First: Distillery reveals opening date of new events venue.
Previously at F&D:
Bourbon Capital BBQ Challenge & Distillery Invitational is June 10-11
(Today’s photo credit: Dant Crossing)
