Economy · Archive
How Barton 1792 worked to save bourbon after a warehouse collapse
Crews used cranes, inspections and barrel repairs to recover spirits from thousands of barrels after a warehouse fell at the Bardstown distillery.
Wooden barrels stored in an aging warehouse. This contextual archive image does not depict the collapse or recovery site.
Recovering bourbon from a multistory pile of broken barrels and timber required a slow, deliberate process.
After a barrel warehouse collapsed at Barton 1792 in Bardstown, crews began removing one barrel at a time from the debris. One half of the building, containing about 9,000 barrels, fell on June 22, 2018. The remaining section, which held about the same number, came down on July 4.
A barrel-by-barrel recovery
The process began with a large crane lifting an accessible barrel and lowering it carefully to the ground. A second crane moved the barrel clear of the debris, and compact equipment then carried it to an inspection point.
Barrels showing damage or leaks were separated for coopering—the repair of wooden casks. When a barrel could not be repaired immediately, crews transferred the whiskey into a clean holding tank until it could be placed in another barrel.
Crews documented the lot numbers on barrels that appeared undamaged before moving them from the work area. The recovery began in early July 2018 and was expected to take months because each accessible barrel had to be handled and assessed individually.
What the recovery involved
- Stabilizing access to a large and uneven debris field.
- Lifting barrels individually with heavy equipment.
- Inspecting casks for leaks and structural damage.
- Repairing viable barrels or transferring their contents.
- Recording lot information before intact barrels were removed.
Uncertain totals and environmental effects
During the recovery, the company did not provide a confirmed count of completed inspections or saved barrels. It also had not announced plans for the recovered spirits because the final volume remained unknown.
The cause of the warehouse failure had not been determined while the site remained in recovery mode.
Not all of the bourbon could be recovered. A retention pond was created to contain runoff after the initial collapse, but whiskey reached nearby Withrow Creek. Kentucky wildlife officials reported a fish kill along roughly one-third of a mile of the creek, and the state notified the company that enforcement action and a potential fine could follow.
The incident illustrated the complex mix of worker safety, product recovery, recordkeeping and environmental protection involved in responding to an aging-warehouse collapse.
Archive questions
When did the warehouse collapse?
One section fell on June 22, 2018, and the remaining section came down on July 4, 2018.
How many barrels were involved?
The two sections together held about 18,000 barrels, divided roughly evenly between them.
How were barrels recovered?
Crews used cranes and compact equipment to remove barrels individually before inspection and documentation.
What happened to damaged barrels?
Repairable casks were sent for coopering. Contents from barrels that could not be repaired promptly were transferred into clean holding tanks.
Was all of the bourbon saved?
No. The recovery total was not known during the response, and some runoff reached a nearby creek.