James E. Pepper Distillery

Located on the historic Pepper Distillery campus in Lexington's Distillery District, which was built in 1880 and was once the largest and most technologically advanced whiskey distillery in America. The brand carries the legacy of Colonel James E. Pepper, who coined the term 'Old 1776' for his whiskey, named after his grandfather's Revolutionary War-era recipe. After sitting abandoned for over 50 years (closing in 1967), the distillery site was purchased by Amir Peay, who revived the brand in 2008 and resumed distilling on-site in December 2017. The Distillery District surrounding the campus has become a vibrant hub of craft beverage producers in Lexington.