Beam's New Visitor Experience Is Officially Open

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Beam executives officially opened the doors yesterday to a new visitor experience at Beam's flagship distillery in Clermont.

They also officially inaugurated Beam's new Global Innovation Center and celebrated Beam's one-year anniversary as a standalone, publically-traded company, Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM).

Beam predicts that the new visitor experience will more than double tourism visits to Clermont, to 200,000 annually.

This will be the first time public tours have gone inside a Beam distillery.

Yesterday's openings represent a $30 million multi-year investment by Beam.

According to family lore, patriarch Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of whiskey in Kentucky in 1795.

“Today is another great day for the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” said Governor Beshear. “The Bourbon industry plays a vital role in Kentucky’s economic success and the opening of the fantastic Jim Beam American Stillhouse means more tourism for our state and ultimately more jobs for Kentucky families.”

The new 57,000 square foot Global Innovation Center on the distillery grounds features state-of-the-art technical, R&D and design labs that will fuel the company’s aggressive new-product development initiatives for all markets around the world. “We aim to deliver 25 percent of our company’s annual sales growth from new products, and our new Global Innovation Center will help ensure our innovation capabilities remain second to none,” said Beam President and CEO Matt Shattock.

The Jim Beam American Stillhouse showcases the Jim Beam Bourbon-making process from start to finish. Guided tours start with Beam’s natural limestone water well and take guests through the mashing, distilling, barreling, storing and bottling lines. A total whiskey immersion engages the senses, while also offering guests a historical look at The First Family of Bourbon.

The Jim Beam American Stillhouse is located approximately 30 minutes southeast of Louisville and is open weekdays and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Closed on Sundays in January and February, as well as New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). For more information or to order your reservation tickets online, visit the Jim Beam American Stillhouse online at www.AmericanStillhouse.com or under the “distillery” section of www.JimBeam.com.