Henderson County produced a variety of alcoholic beverages in the 19th and early 20th centuries. An early winery operated here, and at the turn of the last century, Henderson was home to a large brewery and two distilleries with national reach.
But Prohibition brought an end to that. For generations, Henderson was considered “wet” — meaning it allowed package liquor sales — but it didn’t produce any beer, wine,
or spirits.
That’s changed in recent years. Newest to the scene are a resurrected Henderson whiskey brand and a distillery about to open near Downtown.
Silk Velvet was a whiskey produced at the Winstead Distillery from 1880 until the 1910s, and advertised nationally. Henderson brothers Zach and Zeb Hargis, along with their father, Mark, revived the brand about 18 months ago, using a label nearly identical to the one from the 1900s. The brothers had years of industry experience, Zach at distilleries and Zeb at a major distributor.
They’ve reintroduced Silk Velvet, a bourbon produced by eighth-generation distiller Jacob Call. Zach has worked with Call since 2019, first at Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, then at Western Kentucky Distilling at Beaver Dam, where Call is Master Distiller.
Their initial market was regional — Henderson, Owensboro, and Bowling Green. But when they served their whiskey in September 2025 at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, the brand took off. Today, Silk Velvet’s single barrel and small batch whiskeys are available at liquor stores and cocktail lounges in three states (with more in the works) and available for direct-to-consumer online ordering in most U.S. states.
Meanwhile, backed by a group of Henderson investors, Andrew and Meredith Powell broke ground in October 2024 on Rhythm River Distillery. The $5 million craft distillery — Henderson’s first in more than a century — will produce a variety of spirits. Its vodka and gin will be available immediately, while its bourbon and rye whiskey will require years of aging in charred barrels. In the meantime, it will offer aged bourbon and rye produced at other distilleries under its Rivertown brand. Rhythm River will offer tours, tastings, and cocktail-mixing experiences, and will operate a bar as well as an event venue at 405 N. Main St.
LOCALLY MADE SPIRITS ALSO ARE AVAILABLE AT THESE BUSINESSES
BOUCHERIE VINEYARDS & WINERY opened a decade ago at 6523 Keyway Drive
in Spottsville, Kentucky, and produces nearly a dozen varietals as well as wine slushies. It also hosts events.
FARMER & FRENCHMAN WINERY, 12522 U.S. 41 S., Robards, Kentucky, has been known for its French-Italian cuisine and wine since 2016. It serves F&F branded wine produced under co-owner (and Frenchman) Hubert Mussat’s direction at another Kentucky winery, plus wines from around the world.
HENDERSON BREWING CO., 737 Second St., produces more than a dozen craft beers — from lagers to IPAs and bitters — that it serves at its taproom, where food trucks regularly drop by (and carry-in food is welcome).
