“I drank Kentucky bourbon in Pleasureville.” While that sounds like a lyric in a Bob Dylan song, it actually has a different relationship to the legendary artist. It’s a phrase that will likely be said by many visitors in the spring of 2024 when they step inside the folk rock legend’s new Heaven’s Door Distillery in the aptly named town of Pleasureville, Kentucky.
Never one to shy away from a new form of creative expression, Heaven’s Door, co-founded by Bob Dylan—is now the owner of a 160- acre property along Six Mile Creek in Pleasureville, Kentucky, a plot that originally belonged to Squire Boone—Daniel Boone’s brother. Under the direction of esteemed distiller Ken Pierce, the new Heaven’s Door Distillery site features two stillhouses in Western horse barns in addition to a series of outbuildings, including an eighteenth-century gristmill, two eighteenth-century cabins, and a Moravian barn, all restored to their original glory.
“Dylan is a voracious reader and a big history buff,” Marc Bushala, Heaven’s Door CEO, says. “The authentic history of Six Mile Creek resonated with him.” Considering Dylan’s restless spirit, it will surprise no one that this is only part of the Heaven’s Door Kentucky story.
Heaven’s Door will also open the doors to a multimedia art experience in Louisville’s NuLu district this fall. Phase one is the Last Refuge, a retrofitted church turned bar that will showcase “every whiskey we can get our hands on,” Bushala says, along with live musical performances and a neighboring art gallery for the prolific folk star’s work.
“Everyone knows that Dylan is an amazing musician, but the fact that he’s an accomplished visual artist, we find that much more interesting,” Bushala says. Next door to the Last Refuge, Zephyr Gallery will display Dylan’s found object, welded sculptures and cinematic paintings for visitors to enjoy in person.
In a state where you can spend days learning about the history and science of distilling, the brand’s Kentucky arrival is about celebrating the art in the craft, an approach as free-spirited as Heaven’s Door’s iconic founder.
Plan your trip to Heaven’s Door’s Distillery, the Last Refuge, and Zephyr Gallery at HeavensDoor.com
