New Distilled Spirits Epicenter Now Open in Downtown Louisville, Ky.

Grease Monkey Distillery, Moonshine University and Challenge Bottling Enable Startup Productions to Benefit From Kentucky’s Wealth of Distilling Expertise

LOUISVILLE, KY (April 4, 2012)—On Tuesday, April 3, the Distilled Spirits Epicenter opened in downtown Louisville with a VIP reception attended by Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher. The facility is the city’s first education and training center featuring an artisan distillery. The total investment in the project is $1.25 million, and the facility is expected to attract business to the Louisville area not only for distilled spirits, but also for companies that provide related products.

“With the rising popularity of micro distilleries, and our very own Urban Bourbon Trail, the Distilled Spirits Epicenter is an excellent addition to Louisville’s spirits scene, and offers training and education services that make it a grade above the rest,” said Louisville mayor Greg Fischer. “The world’s largest distilled spirits companies are located within 50 miles of Louisville, giving life to this center’s name, and becoming a beacon for the rest of the world to look to Louisville as a place to watch.”

The Distilled Spirits Epicenter was created by Flavorman custom beverage company founder David Dafoe. Making it possible for entrepreneurs, distillery operators and industry experts to create their own custom spirits, The Epicenter will offer the expertise of the “Beverage Mechanics” who will manage each project from start through finish. The Epicenter is named as a tribute to Louisville’s location at the epicenter of the distilling industry. Its operations will focus on education and training to enable startup productions to benefit from the area’s wealth of experience and knowledge and utilize the artisan distillery sized for training, pilot productions and small runs.

Grease Monkey Distillery, Moonshine University and Challenge Bottling will all operate under The Epicenter, offering state-of-the-art Vendome equipment, expert-led classes and onsite bottling services. The Epicenter will claim no trademark on its creations, making each product entirely the property of the client. The cost for developing a custom spirit will vary according to the complexity of the product and the level of service needed.

The Epicenter is part of a growing national trend toward artisan distilleries. While there were 143 distilled spirits plant licensees in the United States in 2006, there are now over 700. In order to facilitate this market growth, The Epicenter features event space with wi-fi and full audiovisual capabilities for groups who wish to collaborate on technical details, business planning or other industry topics. The versatile facility is suitable for everything from small teambuilding activities to receptions for 200. For information on event rentals or custom distilling projects, contact Kevin Hall at [email protected] or (502)301-8130.

Located at 801 S. 8^th St., the Distilled Spirits Epicenter consists of Grease Monkey Distillery, Moonshine University and Challenge Bottling and offers educational and training resources focusing on artisan spirits. Through hands-on distilling instruction, classes and bottling services, the Epicenter brings Kentucky’s unique distilling legacy to life. The Distilled Spirits Epicenter is the sister company to Flavorman, an international custom beverage development and ingredient supply company. Flavorman’s Beverage Architects and the Epicenter’s Beverage Mechanics can take your idea through every phase of beverage development and production…from start through finish. For more information, visitwww.flavorman.com.