Kentucky is known for bourbon whiskey, and its Appalachian region was once known for illegal whiskey. Now a legal distillery will be built in a major coalfield town, in an apparent attempt to capitalize on the burgeoning interest in bourbon and the ways of making it, and on the history of the area, which includes the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
Alltech Inc., a Kentucky-based manufacturer of animal feed and additives that has expanded into brewing and distilling, will "turn a large section of buildings on Second Street in Pikeville into a brewery and distillery business," with new product lines, Russ Cassady reports for the Appalachian News-Express.
“We’re going to develop more products that we see as suitable for this area, something that’s unique to this area, something that ties in a lot of history to the area,” Alltech Master Distiller Mark Coffman told a local gathering. “We’re now trying to focus a little bit more on trying to bring visitors into this area. There’s a lot to see with this area, there’s a lot of history with this area.”
On a hill above Pikeville is the grave of Randolph McCoy, leader of the Kentucky family in the late-1800s feud with the Hatfields of West Virginia. Counties in both states have tried to cash in on the history, with such devices as a Hatfield-McCoy Trail for all-terrain vehicles, much of it through reclaimed surface coal mines. The area's coal industry has sharply declined, generating more interest in tourism jobs.
UPDATE, July 21: Gov. Steve Beshear told the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's Business Summit and Annual Meeting that the distillery would have a name playing off the feud. He also announced that Alltech will locate an aquaculture facility and an egg laying and processing plant near Pikeville.
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| Google map locates Pikeville and Pike County, Kentucky |
“We’re going to develop more products that we see as suitable for this area, something that’s unique to this area, something that ties in a lot of history to the area,” Alltech Master Distiller Mark Coffman told a local gathering. “We’re now trying to focus a little bit more on trying to bring visitors into this area. There’s a lot to see with this area, there’s a lot of history with this area.”
On a hill above Pikeville is the grave of Randolph McCoy, leader of the Kentucky family in the late-1800s feud with the Hatfields of West Virginia. Counties in both states have tried to cash in on the history, with such devices as a Hatfield-McCoy Trail for all-terrain vehicles, much of it through reclaimed surface coal mines. The area's coal industry has sharply declined, generating more interest in tourism jobs.
UPDATE, July 21: Gov. Steve Beshear told the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's Business Summit and Annual Meeting that the distillery would have a name playing off the feud. He also announced that Alltech will locate an aquaculture facility and an egg laying and processing plant near Pikeville.
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