Stoli® Group Taps World-Renowned Shigeru Ban Architects to Create State-of-the-Art "Kentucky Owl Park"

BARDSTOWN, Ky., Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Stoli^® Group takes another step towards the creation of "Kentucky Owl Park" with the announcement that Shigeru Ban Architects has been chosen to oversee the project's plans and development. The world-renowned firm will design and build out the 420-acre site at Cedar Creek Quarry to include rickhouses for aging, a bottling center, a state-of-the-art distillery and offices for the American Whiskey Division of Stoli^® Group. With plans for a vintage dinner train to stop on the property, Kentucky Owl Park will become a must-see destination, connecting to other distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and creating a tourist experience unlike any other.

Kentucky Owl Park will be a collection of one-of-a-kind buildings that are rooted in industrial vernacular design, each of which will be carefully sited within the natural rustic landscape. Shigeru Ban's vision for the site hearkens back to the 19th century with long-span steel structures that have been reinterpreted with the use of mass timber. Each building will have a distinct structural form that incorporates visual elements of the local bourbon-making process. The existing quarry pits will be turned into beautiful lakes with crystal-clear, limestone-filtered water.

"When evaluating architectural firms for Kentucky Owl Park, it was imperative that the selected group boasted a strong portfolio of work, but also that their plans for this initiative truly pushed the boundaries within the design world and along the Bourbon Trail," said Yuri Shefler, Owner of SPI Group, the parent company of Stoli Group and the Kentucky Owl brand. "We are looking forward to Kentucky Owl Park being the next masterpiece from Shigeru Ban Architects, who bring an unparalleled background of more than 100 innovative and environmentally sustainable projects completed to-date. I am energized by Kentucky Owl's early success in the category and am committed to building a fitting home for this brand along with expanding our presence in whiskies overall."

Dean Maltz, Managing Partner of Shigeru Ban Architects, added, "We are honored to have been chosen to build Kentucky Owl Park and are eager to bring the joint vision of Stoli Group and Shigeru Ban to life. This is an opportunity for us to challenge ourselves like never before, as these plans serve as our first Kentucky distillery and incorporate unique highlights and nods to the industry and its history, while prioritizing light and a connection to nature, features the architectural world has come to expect from our firm."

Earlier this year, Kentucky Owl released Batch #8 of its bourbon and its second batch of rye. In June, Whisky Advocate awarded Kentucky Owl Rye #1 the top spot in its "Summer Buying Guide" with 95 points. For more information, visit www.kentuckyowlbourbon.com or follow @KentuckyOwl on Instagram and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kyowlbourbon.

About Stoli^® Group
Part of SPI Group - one of the world's leading premium spirits businesses - Stoli^® Group was established in 2013 as the division responsible for the management, distribution and marketing of SPI's global spirits portfolio.

About Kentucky Owl® Bourbon
Kentucky Owl Bourbon was founded in 1879 by C.M. Dedman and today is led by Master Blender, Dixon Dedman, who resurrected the brand and released his first batch in 2014, nearly 100 years after prohibition ended his great-great-grandfather's original endeavor. It is an artfully blended line of craft bourbons each bottled at barrel proof for the truest expression of whiskey, and now, a rye whiskey with the same craft approach in mind. Kentucky Owl is for those who appreciate high quality, attention to detail, craftsmanship, and authentic heritage.

About Shigeru Ban Architects
Shigeru Ban Architects is an international architectural practice founded in 1985 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban. The firm has offices in Tokyo, Paris, and New York, and has constructed over 100 projects across six continents. With pioneering work in both paper tube and mass timber construction, the award-winning practice is renowned for its structural and material innovations as well as its commitment to humanitarian relief projects worldwide.

SOURCE Stoli Group