Buffalo Trace Distillery touts over 90% recovery from April flooding
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) – It's been almost two months since near-record flooding tore through Frankfort and Franklin County.
While much of the county looks to be back to normal, you still see some of the scars left by the storm.
One of the places where the scars are still present despite being busy seemingly at all hours of the day is Buffalo Trace Distillery, a staple of Kentucky's capital city.
Floodwaters nearly engulfing this site is one of the lasting images of April's storms.
This place plays a major role in both Kentucky's bourbon and tourism industries, and the staff here know that. It is why they have worked so hard to get it back to the top-notch experience people have come to expect.
It's often said that waiting is the hardest part, and that was especially the case for those who call Buffalo Trace Distillery home.
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'There's only so much you can do,' explained General Manager Tyler Adams. 'You prepare, you prepare, and then you need to wait for that river to crest.'
When that wait was over, the Kentucky River had crested at a near-record level. If you look inside the distillery, you'll see just how historic this flood was.
'We crested on Monday; we were able to come in, assess the situation,' Adams said. 'But honestly, before it even crested, we had already started the process of what a cleanup would look like. Preparing contractors, our team members, and getting everyone in here to get ready for that inevitable cleanup that is going to come.
It shouldn't be a surprise that Buffalo Trace has changed a lot over the years from when it first opened in the 1700s, let alone when the all-time record flood for Franklin County happened in 1978.
One thing that has changed mightily at the distillery is the level of technology they rely on, something that needed to be planned for accordingly when it came to the overall flood plan.
'A couple of days before, there's a lot of work in bringing those things up,' Adams detailed. 'But yeah, you mentioned a lot has changed. I mean, where we're at now is a boiler house. These were originally been coal boilers powering the distillery and the steam. So, we moved on from that a little bit. But this was another place that's definitely affected by the water crest right against.'
Read more of the latest Kentucky news
With Kentucky Derby 151 just four weeks away from when the flood happened, Adams said distillery staff were on a mission to get things back to normal.
'Knowing that tourism drives visitation here, that was top of mind for us to make sure we could have visitors back to support the local restaurants and shops and everything happening in Frankfort,' said Adams.
People from all over were ready to lend a hand.
'I cannot believe how many people reached out,' Adams recalled. 'They called us, [messaged us on] social media, emailed that they wanted and to come and help with the cleanup. Like the physical cleanup, they offered to do anything, and I think that's just such an amazing part of what Kentucky is.'
Buffalo Trace is an institution of Frankfort and Kentucky as a whole.
When asked how he thinks people will look at this flood from a historical context 10, 20, 30 years down the road, Adams touted the community's recovery and resilience.
Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news
'Well, we know that mark is going to be on the wall, we hope so,' Adams said. 'I hope they look back at the resilience and not just of recovering, but the people that supported it, supporting the community, and like seeing Kentucky and really what bourbon means. I really hope they are proud of what was overcome during then, and maybe a little inspiration that they have to deal with it again.'
Another way Adams hopes people look back on this flood is how Buffalo Trace wasn't just worried about itself.
While the distillery bounces back from its devastation, they are also doing what they can to support Kentucky flood and tornado victims.
You can use the link here to be a part of the 'Pour it Forward for Kentucky' Charity Fundraiser.
They have a lot of cool items on there, but act fast; it closes at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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