New Era Whiskey Opens Downtown Lexington's First Distillery-and-Social-Club

New Era Whiskey put down roots downtown on September 2, 2026, opening Lexington's first combination distillery, gift shop, tasting room, and social club at 333 E. Short Street. Founder Zane Brammell cut the ribbon alongside Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeff Noel, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, and Visit Lex communications director Martina Barksdale.

The brand's house style is as distinctive as the location: every release is cask-strength and single barrel, with names that mimic newspaper headlines — Stage Diver, Frankenfurt, Lefty, The Heart.

The social club side of the house is a members' proposition: one bottle delivered to your door each month, plus private tastings and special events. The public got its first look during an open house from 4 to 6 pm on opening day.

An independent Lexington whiskey brand putting down downtown roots — with state and city officials at the ribbon cutting — is the kind of small-business win FreedomWire likes to lead with. Sometimes the best industry news is a founder, a pair of scissors, and a lease on Short Street.