Welcome to Coal Pick Distillery
The late great John Prine wrote his legendary song Paradise about his beloved Muhlenberg County, Kentucky as a cautionary tale of man’s destructive ways, putting industrial needs above preserving the beauty of his parent’s hometown. This was land known for lush grassy fields, laden with crystal clean water, and a thriving wildlife seen. In the 1970’s more coal was produced in this area than anywhere else in the world, leaving an industrial footprint that seemed insurmountable. While he longed to go “Down by the Green River where Paradise lay”, “Mister Peabody’s coal train” had “hauled it away”.
The coal industry is all but gone and in the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way”. Paradise has returned with large tracts of land, that are once again abundant with wildlife. Nestled on a farm in Muhlenberg Countyon the outskirts of the former Paradise, Kentucky, Coal Pick Distillery is aiming to change the landscape of bourbon whiskey and establish a bourbon presence in our little corner of Kentucky. Our distillery is located on 2,700 acres of sprawling meadows, rolling hills, lowlands, swamps, and lakes teeming with white-tailed deer, bison and cattle. We believe our farm offers the perfect setting for distilling Kentucky’s beloved nectar.
At Coal Pick Distillery, we pride ourselves in “Distilling, Aging, and Bottling” our hand-crafted bourbon on our little piece of Paradise. Starting with locally sourced grains from within Kentucky, we aim to keep it local and produce truly authentic Kentucky Bourbon from start to finish. With the departure of the coal industry from Muhlenberg County, there has been a shortage of good paying jobs in the community, therefore it is our goal to create jobs and increase tourism in our part of Western Kentucky. Coal Pick Distillery aims to be one of the best distilleries in the Commonwealth of Kentucky by being a supportive partner to it’s community who produces a truly authentic liquor inspired by both the beauty of the land and grit of the coal miners of Muhlenberg County.
While it will still be a bit before it hits any shelves, we hope that with every sip of our “Wheated Straight Kentucky Bourbon”, that Paradise will always be “Just five miles away from wherever” you are.
