Jeptha Creed Distillery

Jeptha Creed Distillery and Classic Car

Jeptha Creed Distillery Bar

Jeptha Creed Distillery Event Space

Whiskey Making Education at Jeptha Creed Distillery

Bloody Butcher Corn (Photo courtesy of Jeptha Creed Distillery)

Jeptha Creed Distillery Cat House - Home of Barley, Malt, Rye and Wheat

Jeptha Creed Distillery Fermenters

Jeptha Creed Distillery Stills

Jeptha Creed Distillery Sampling Bar

Jeptha Creed Distillery Gift Shop

Jeptha Creed Kentucky Straight Bourbon First Release May 2019

Jeptha Creed Distillery Barrel Barns (photo courtesy of Jeptha Creed Distillery)

500 Gordon Lane

Shelbyville, KY 40065

(502) 487-5007

The Jeptha Creed Distillery first opened to the public on November 11, 2016, making it one of the more recent additions to the Kentucky distillery line-up. However, preparations had begun years prior to opening. The Nethery family that owns Jeptha Creed grows, or locally sources, as many of the ingredients used in their spirits, as possible. This “ground to glass” philosophy is an ambitious endeavor and takes some time.

One unique feature of Jeptha Creed Distillery, in addition to being mother and daughter owned, is that they use their own farm grown Bloody Butcher corn as the majority grain in all their spirits. The distillery produces a variety of flavored and unflavored vodkas and moonshines, and their first Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was released May 10, 2019, although some younger small batches were released earlier.

We made tour reservations online, and arrived at the distillery early, as we wanted to grab a bite to eat. They serve a small, but tasty, menu in their comfortable and spacious bar area. Seating is available at the bar or at tables, and one can have drinks and/or food at either. We opted to sit at the bar. Cocktails made with Jeptha Creed spirits, as well as wine and beer, in addition to food, are available. We had the Rueben and Ham & Pimento Cheese sandwiches, both of which were very good. For our sides, we had the Roasted carrot and tomato soup, which was also excellent. We were now ready for our tour (and tasting)!

Our tour began with a brief history of the distillery and Nethery family, then a walk through their large event space, which has both indoor and outdoor areas. During our visit, they were busy setting up for a wedding; it looked wonderful and we were wishing that we were invited. Unfortunately, we were not.

We then headed back to the distillery production area. First, we watched a brief movie about the distillery, narrated by Autumn Nethery, the daughter of the mother and daughter ownership team. Around us were the grains and grain processing areas, and the distillery cats. The cats, Barley, Malt, Rye, and Wheat were found as kittens on the distillery property during construction, and now are a permanent part of the distillery family.

From there we went farther into the distillery, and were given a brief lesson on the production process, complete with a white board and diagrams. We were shown the cooker and the fermenters, and then moved on to the stills. There are 2 column stills and one hybrid still, as well as a “thumper”, which is used to for second distillation, turning the “low wine” into “high wine” and allowing production of higher proof distillates.

Our tour then finished back in the gift shop at the tasting bar, where we could choose four of Jeptha Creed’s spirits to sample. As they have multiple varieties of vodka and moonshine, as well as their newly released bourbon, this was no easy task. Many of our group seemed to enjoy the flavored moonshines the most, although there will be something to suit everyone’s palate. After the tasting, we were free to browse the gift shop, which is very warmly decorated with comfortable leather furniture scattered throughout it, or to head back to the bar for food and/or drinks.

Overall, the tour gave us a nice overview of the distillery and spirits. Our tour guide was friendly and enthusiastic, and his passion for the distillery was contagious. I would have liked to have seen a little of the farm and barrel barns, as they call the buildings where the whiskey ages, but perhaps that will be available another day.

Please note that 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 (as of May 2019)	JANUARY THRU MARCH Monday – Wednesday: Closed Thursday: Noon – 5pm; Friday – Saturday: Noon – 10pm Sunday: Noon – 5pm APRIL THRU DECEMBER Monday: Closed Tuesday – Thursday: 11am – 6pm Friday – Saturday: 11am – 10pm Sunday: 12pm – 5pm
Tour Schedule (as of May 2019)	JANUARY THROUGH MARCH Thursday: Noon – 5pm on the hour. Last tour at 4pm. Friday: Noon – 6pm on the hour. Last tour at 5pm. Saturday: Noon - 6pm every half hour. Last tour at 5pm. Sunday: Noon – 5pm on the hour. Last tour at 4pm. APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER Tuesday – Friday: 11am – 6pm on the hour. Last tour at 5pm. Saturday: 11am - 6pm every half hour. Last tour at 5pm. Sunday: 12pm – 5pm on the hour. Last tour at 4pm.
Paved Drive / Lot	Yes
Motorcycle Parking	No, but motorcycle friendly parking lot
Motorcycle unfriendly features	No
Number of tours per day	4-5
Length of Tour(s)	1h
Advanced topic tours?	No
Advanced topic tour names	N/A
Tours by owners /distillers available?	No, but they may be available for questions
Number of different types of tours	1
On-Line Tour Reservations Available	Yes
Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required	Yes
Cost for tour(s) in $	$10.00 (service charge for online reservations)
Tasting Included?	Yes
Number of samples included in tasting	4
Tasting Only Option?	Yes
Tasting Only Option Cost	?
High-end tasting option?	No
High-end tasting option cost?	N/A
Designated Driver Option	Cost is the same, but non-alcoholic beverage provided during tasting
Handicapped Accessible?	Most areas, except fermenter & cooker
Souvenirs included with tour?	Shot glass. $5 for large souvenirs glass
Gift shop	Yes
On-Site bottle sales?	Yes
On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks	Food available at the bar
On-site Cocktail bar	Yes. Bar serves cocktails with Jeptha Creed spirits, wine & beer.
On-site event space	Yes
Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No)	Yes
Unique Features	Uses bloody butcher corn; locally grown (many on-site) ingredients; family owned.
Website	https://jepthacreed.com
Date Visited	May 2019

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