Casey Jones Distillery
review of Casey Jones Straight Bourbon and read more about the Coffin StillA visit to the Casey Jones Distillery combines the best of two worlds, a unique craft distillery and a charming rustic setting. Opened in late 2014, the distillery is located just 5 1/2 miles northwest of Hopkinsville Kentucky and is set on the homestead of its proprietors Arlon “AJ” Jones and wife, Peg Hays. Moonshine is the main focus at Casey Jones, and the distillery is now part of the recently reorganized Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. It is one of four distilleries to visit in the Western region. As luck with have it, Casey Jones is also part of the Stateline Whiskey Tour, which also includes nearby M.B Roland Distillery and Old Glory Distilling Co.
A short drive down the packed rocky dirt road, brought us to the owner’s former garage that now houses the distillery and visitors center. Casey Jones Distillery is open daily, Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday 1pm-6pm. Tours are available each day at the top of the hour at a cost of $5 per adult (includes tasting), children are free. Tickets can be purchased in the visitors center. There is currently no online reservation option, however based on our midweek visit, this is not a drawback. For groups of 10 or more, the distillery requests a “heads up” phone call in order to have everything ready to go upon arrival.
Due to our middle of the week visit, we had our tour guide, Cheryl, all to ourselves. The tour started in the distillery which is just a door down from the visitor’s center. Craft distilleries are generally very small and Casey Jones is no exception. Cheryl began with explaining the basics of making moonshine, which is a bit different from bourbon, in that heat is not needed for mashing. All the ingredients are simply added directly to the fermenter. The recipe used is the Jones’ secret family recipe which has been passed down since the long ago dark dry days of prohibition.
We then stepped over to the one of a kind still used at Casey Jones. The story of this distillery began with the still, and the story behind the still is dripping with history. AJ’s grandfather, as it turns out, was a very well known still maker for over thirty years in the Golden Pond area (now known as the Land Between the Lakes.) This, of course, was not a legal venture, but between Prohibition and the Great Depression, times were very tough and folks had to eat. Casey’s notoriety for still making came from the high quality and efficiency of his stills. Eventually however, the law caught up with Casey and he did two years in the federal penitentiary in West Virginia for bootlegging.
After his release, Casey built one last still on commission for the purpose of display at the visitors’ center in Golden Pond. AJ was eventually able to bring this family heirloom home, and it now resides over the bar at the Casey Jones Distillery. The still currently in use at the distillery was built by AJ himself. He used his grandfather’s final still to design his own. And so, moonshine continues to flow in the Jones’ veins, though now without the fear of a prison sentence.
After our enlightening education on the still, with some input from AJ himself, Cheryl continued on to the rest of the facility. Right next door to the distillery is the bar area which is open for business daily. It serves beer, wine, a selection of bourbons, and Casey Jones products. The distillery frequently plays host for public events such as music festivals. It also can be reserved as a private venue for events such as weddings. According to Cheryl, who also wears the hat of event planner, the distillery is booked into late 2020 for weddings. More event space can be found in another room behind the bar area. There is a large screened back porch which leads out to an even larger outdoor deck space. Both the enclosed back porch and outdoor deck have great views of the property and overlook a large green space and a scenic pond. The pond is well stocked with fish. Call ahead, then bring your pole. Casey Jones is happy to share its fishing hole.
Our last stop in the back of the house was the barrel area. Because moonshine requires no aging, the barrel room is on the smaller side. AJ does use new charred oak barrels for two of their products. The first is their barrel cut moonshine, which is the shine straight off the still and put in the barrel for some mellowing. The second is the Casey Jones bourbon. The bourbon is currently aging and will be very limited in supply. The barrel area also doubles as the bottling area. All products are bottled by hand.
As is customary for distillery tours, the final stop was back in the visitor center for the tasting. All products were available for tasting; a total of six. These included: Casey’s Cut, the original moonshine; The Total Eclipse, the original shine but at a higher proof; and the Barrel Cut, again a higher proof version of the original secret family recipe, left to mellow in a new charred oak barrel. Three flavored shines are also available: peach, apple, and grape. The gift shop also has ample varieties of Casey Jones swag along with some local crafts for sale. Of course, all of their moonshine is available for purchase.
A visit to the Casey Jones Distillery unveils a great family story, and it does so in a warm welcoming country environment. Start with a tour. Learn a little regional history. It’ll be $5 well spent. Whether it’s for the moonshine, the musical entertainment, or just for a little fishing, Casey Jones Distillery has its doors wide open, no matter your interest. Although it’s a little off the beaten path, the Casey Jones Distillery is definitely worth the trek!
Check out our review of Casey Jones Straight Bourbon and read more about the Coffin Still
| |
Please note that due to COVID Distillery Hours and Tour/Tasting Availability may vary. Please contact the distillery or check their web page or social media for details before you go.
| Days of operation | 7 days a week Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Sunday 1-6pm |
| Paved Drive / Lot | No, packed dirt and gravel |
| Motorcycle Parking | No |
| Motorcycle unfriendly features | Lot and drive not paved, but fairly well packed |
| Number of tours per day | 6-8 |
| Length of Tour(s) | 45m |
| Advanced topic tours? | No |
| Advanced topic tour names | N/A |
| Tours by owners /distillers available? | No, but AJ, owner/distiller, if he is around, will gladly answer any questions |
| Number of different types of tours | 1 |
| On-Line Tour Reservations Available | No |
| Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required | No. For groups of 10 or more reservations are requested. If you want to see shine coming off the still, call ahead and they’ll tell you the best time to arrive. |
| Cost for tour(s) in $ | $5 |
| Tasting Included? | Yes |
| Number of samples included in tasting | 5-6 |
| Tasting Only Option? | Yes |
| Tasting Only Option Cost | Free |
| High-end tasting option? | No |
| High-end tasting option cost? | N/A |
| Designated Driver Option | No |
| Handicapped Accessible? | Yes, distillery is all on the first floor |
| Souvenirs included with tour? | Yes. Shot glass. |
| Gift shop | Yes |
| On-Site bottle sales? | Yes |
| On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks | No, but food trucks visit for events |
| On-site Cocktail bar | Yes |
| On-site event space | Yes |
| Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No) | Yes |
| Unique Features | One of a kind still built by distiller, AJ Jones. The distillery sets on a beautiful piece of property. |
| Website | |
| Date Visited | May 2019 |
| |