McBrayer Legacy Spirits announced its upcoming release of Cedar Brook Wheated Bourbon – only this year’s batch invites whiskey lovers to not only honor W.H. McBrayer’s most celebrated brand of spirits, but to help preserve a vital piece of Kentucky history. 

For every bottle sold from the 2024 release, a portion of the proceeds will go towards funding the restoration of an 800-foot-long, 110-foot-tall viaduct bridge that crosses over Cedar Brook Road. The bridge is located on the same land where W.H. McBrayer’s Cedar Brook Distillery (DSP 44) was established in 1847, and grew to become known as the most famous distillery in Anderson County. 

As one of Kentucky’s founding distillers, the county’s first Judge and a Kentucky State Senator, W.H. McBrayer’s impact was far reaching. A 1906 publication said, “As long as the hills of Anderson stand, In the grandest spot on earth, we wish success to the Cedar Brook brand, and the place that gave it birth.” 

“With the 2024 release of our Cedar Brook Wheated Bourbon, the McBrayer family renews our commitment to paying homage to W.H. McBrayer for his contributions to Kentucky Bourbon history, and the prosperity of Anderson County,” W.G. (Bill) McBrayer IV, president and founder of McBrayer Legacy Spirits, said in a news release. 

The revival of Cedar Brook Bridge will be completed during Phase 2 of the Rails to Trails project, which was initiated in 2019 by the Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission to transform a portion of the railroad line that once connected Lawrenceburg to the Kentucky River into a walking trail. Phase 1 was completed in June of 2024, with $240,000 of grant money secured by the Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission used to fund the initiative. 

The trail is located on the site of the trail line that W.H. McBrayer was instrumental in bringing to the area in the late 1800s. In addition to donating the land and financial support needed to bring the Southern Railroad to Anderson County, McBrayer worked for the railroad and was a director up until the time of his death in 1888. The railroad ran from 1889 for about 100 years, and a station in the county bore the McBrayer name in his honor for several years. 

The trail is approximately one mile long and crosses through the property purchased by McBrayer Legacy Spirits with the intent of building a future distillery. To complete the second phase of the Rails to Trails project, the City of Lawrenceburg needs to raise $500,000 to repair the Cedar Brook Bridge and connect the trail.

Once restored, the bridge will connect Cedar Brook Rails to trails to the world-famous Wild Turkey Distillery – one of the many distilleries that McBrayer’s influence touched through his partnership with T.B. Ripy. 

“Our vision is to create a space where the next generation of Bourbon and history lovers can walk in the footsteps of one of Kentucky’s founding distillers – and experience the spirit of Anderson County firsthand,” McBrayer added. “We would love to present the City with a substantial portion of the funds needed for this project to help make this vision a reality.”

In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds from every bottle purchased, McBrayer Legacy Spirits is seeking donations at large to help bring Phase 2 of the Rails to Trails project to completion. Those who wish to make a donation may do so through a GoFundMe fundraiser organized by Bill McBrayer. 

To purchase a bottle of the 2024 release of Cedar Brook, a 100-proof wheated Bourbon with barrel ages ranging from 4-6 years, sign up for the Legacy Club on the McBrayer Legacy Spirits website. Members will be notified with first access upon its release on Sept. 14, 2024.

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About McBrayer Legacy Spirits 

McBrayer Legacy Spirits was founded in 2015 to honor the life and legacy of famed Kentucky distiller William Harrison (W.H.) McBrayer by resurrecting his award-winning brands of pre-Prohibition spirits. Inspired by the tradition of excellence handcrafted by “The Judge” himself over 175 years ago, McBrayer Legacy Spirits is now reintroducing one of Kentucky’s earliest distillers to a new generation of whiskey enthusiasts. Since 2021, McBrayer Legacy Spirits has brought to life three of W.H. McBrayer’s most celebrated brands of Kentucky Bourbon: W.H. McBrayer, Old McBrayer and Cedar Brook.