Originally constructed in 1887, the distillery unified grandiose European architecture with the most modern production techniques of the era. As time progressed and the site was shuttered, it fell into severe disrepair as the local flora and fauna attempted to retake the facility. Upon purchasing the site, our team was proud to diligently restore such a monolithic facility back to our industry. After years of hard work, we were honored to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017 and to be awarded the Ida Lee Willis Memorial Historic Preservation Project Award in 2019 for our dedication to historic preservation.
The property’s architecture draws heavily from E.H. Taylor Jr.’s travels through Europe in 1869. Many of the structures exhibiting flourishes drawn from Scotland, England, Ireland, Greece, and Italy. This is further demonstrated in the site possessing various walking and pleasure gardens. After 40 years of neglect, many of these gardens were nigh unrecognizable and required deliberate restoration. In 2015, Castle & Key began working with the famed fine gardener, Jon Carloftis, to restore the historic gardens to their iconic beauty. This allowed for the historic SunkenGarden to once again be the jewel of the facility. In addition, a stunning botanical trail was shaped by Jon Carloftis’ deft hands to offer visitors a place to stroll and enjoy nature.
When designing the bottles for our spirits, it was imperative to translate the artistic and architectural aesthetic of our grounds into the vessel that would represent Castle & Key. Working withStranger & Stranger, they were able to depict architectural shapes from the site into the design of our package. Examples of this include the enclosure mirroring the chandelier that hangs in the historic Springhouse and the use of brass elements throughout the bottle. This process depicts the importance of a focus on art and experience in all that we do.
