Fred B. Noe Distillery
A ground-up, state-of-the-art distillery designed to celebrate a legacy, educate the next generation of bourbon distillers, and produce innovative small-batch whiskies for the JBBDCo brand.
The Fred B. Noe Distillery, located on the James B. Beam Distilling Co. (JBBDCo) campus, is a ground-up state-of-the-art distillery dedicated to the seventh-generation Master Distiller Fred Noe. A place for innovation, guests can find eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe — Fred's son — experimenting with some of the most advanced techniques in distillation.
The FBN Distillery celebrates the prolific past and present of the Noe and Beam family legacies, enabling the brand's forward-thinking innovation and education into the next–generation of American whiskies. For the first time in JBBDCo's history, two master distillers are working alongside one another, and this connection between the heritage brand and its forward-thinking future became a leading concept for creating the FBN distillery.
As the architectural designer for the rebranded JBBDCo campus, Bergmeyer worked with the creative director, LOVE, to design the distillery's consumer-facing spaces and worked alongside Joseph & Joseph Architects to execute and enhance their base building design.
Designed to fit within the landscape of the expansive campus, its modest profile rings true to its namesake, Fred Noe, a humble and honest distiller, and speaks to the premium quality of the experience and whiskies produced within. Guests are immediately welcomed into a warm and hospitable space that showcases both the 225-year-old JBBDCo’s past through the display of never-before-seen artifacts from the Fred Noe family, as well as getting a glimpse into the future of bourbon that is being produced at the facility, where only a wall of glass separates guests from the fermentation happening beyond.
The materiality used in the space needed to encapsulate the JBBDCo brand and stay true to their heritage, which is why all the wood in the space came from unused ricks in various warehouses across the campus, and the artwork and artifacts were all selected from the JBBDCo archives, welcoming guests into the home of the most storied producer of American whiskey.
Additionally, as a center of innovation, the FBN Distillery houses classroom space in connection with the University of Kentucky to educate the next generation of distillers. The classroom overlooks the distilling operations so students can learn how to craft premium bourbon firsthand.
Perhaps the most enthralling aspect of the property happens on the lower level. As you walk down the grand staircase, guests have a full view of the 50' still just beyond the glass façade. Upon reaching the lower level, guests are invited to interact directly with Freddie Noe and follow his process for experimenting with the next whiskey selection: thief their own bourbon straight from the barrel in the Barrel Room and blend their own whiskey in the adjacent Tasting Room.
Creating a new space for innovation, education, and VIP tasting experiences, The Fred B. Noe Distillery will continue to push boundaries for the James B. Beam Distilling Company's legacy brand.
Market
- Hospitality
- Food & Beverage
Services
- New Construction
- Strategy
- Architecture
Tags
- Cultural
- Hospitality
- Restaurant
Collaborators
- Greenbaum Associates
- Hartranft Lighting Design
- WorkFlow Interiors
- OJB Landscape Architecture
- Commercial Construction Consulting
- L.A. Fuess Partners
- Colburn & Guyette
- Fiskaa Engineering
- Stys Hospitality Initiative
- LOVE Creative
Contractors
- Shawmut Design and Construction
- Land Design & Development, Inc.
Photography
- Luke Hayes Photography
Awards & Press
- AIA Kentucky Honor Awards 2023: New Construction (greater than $25M)


