Eastern Light Distilling officially unveiled its new brand as co-founders Caleb Kilburn and Cordell Lawrence commit their full focus to the creation of a new craft bourbon distillery in Eastern Kentucky. 

In December, Kilburn and Lawrence departed from Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company where they had honed their craft for nearly the past decade. Both said in a statement they are grateful for the friendship and mentorship of Corky and Carson Taylor and the entire Peerless family, as well as for the knowledge and expertise they developed over the past decade at the award-winning distillery.

Now they are looking east and focusing on a new mission—creating a community of craft bourbon makers and delivering Eastern Kentucky a tangible piece of the state’s signature bourbon industry. 

First announced last summer, Eastern Light will be a locally owned and operated distillery located in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky. Far more than another distillery producing a single bourbon brand, Eastern Light will help bring innovation to the spirits industry while supporting craft distillers unlike anything before it, making Kentucky’s bourbon heritage accessible to more makers. 

The name Eastern Light is inspired by the rising sun which illuminates a region of Kentucky full of culture, ingenuity and talented artisans, according to a news release. A region marked by natural beauty and abundant resources. The distillery’s brand is designed to evoke newness, innovation, directionality and hope — all of which are reflected in Eastern Light’s mission to provide craft makers with something new in the bourbon industry, a tailored brand experience and their own distillery homeplace. 

Kilburn and Lawrence’s shared goal is to continually push themselves and the industry to expand the legacy of what’s possible in the world of whiskey and Kentucky bourbon, the release said. But this is not something they can accomplish alone. Both are immensely grateful to their family, friends, colleagues, investors, craft partners and the many others who share their strong faith that Eastern Light Distilling will create a new legacy while honoring an age-old tradition. 

For more information, visit https://easternlight.com/.