SHELBY COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Anybody that has driven down I-64 between Lexington and Louisville has undoubtedly noticed a big red building near exit 32.
What looks like an unassuming farm property is the foundation of a family business.
Jeptha Creed Distillery.
The pride and joy of the Nethery family over the last decade.
"My family has been in the area for about 300 years, even before Kentucky was a state," Autumn Nethery said.
"It kind of started with my dad who wanted to create a distillery that really tied into his agricultural roots and my mother's distillation knowledge.
Autumn's mother Joyce spent years as an industrial engineer before taking the world of bourbon on.
A plan she at first thought was a bit silly, but warmed up to after taking a five day distillers course at Moonshine University in Louisville.
"The most important thing that came out of that class was the concept of ground to glass," Joyce Nethery said.
"Along with my husband's agricultural expertise, we could grow our own heirloom varietal corn and with my engineering we could distill it and make a beautiful bourbon product."
The distillery itself has been open to visitors for roughly seven years, giving people more than 60 acres to explore in Shelby County.
From touring the grounds, to tastings at the visitors center to enjoying a drink on the backyard property, there's a little bit of everything for guest to enjoy.
"We just popped in here. I'd never been in before. It's very nice, good atmosphere," Don Blair said.
"The bourbon is great and we're just having a good time."
"I love the place. The atmosphere here, the people here," Jeromi Rogers said.
"It feels more like a family environment here more than anything else. You feel welcome. It's just nice and relaxing."
The family theme came up a lot talking to guests and it's an intentional one for the Netherys.
They wanted to take an activity that is mainly an adult adventure involving alcohol and skewing it slightly to a more inviting experience for the whole family.
"We really wanted this to be a place people would feel comfortable at. That they could feel at home," Autumn Nethery said.
"We wanted it to be something where you walked in and you could be a part of the family."
Beyond the standard show room and tasting area, Jeptha Creed's visitors center has an extended outdoor patio with a recreation area with games like shuffleboard, foosball and giant Jenga.
Combine that with an amphitheater for live music and plenty of outdoor seating and you have an experience that goes beyond just tasting bourbon.
Beyond family, Jeptha Creed has another key trait they hold closely.
Honoring veterans.
Aptly they opened to the public on November 11, 2016.
Also known as Veteran's Day.
"On our first anniversary, we created a mash bill with red corn, white corn and blue corn and made a red, white and blue bourbon," Autumn Nethery said.
"Each year when we release it, a different charity gets a portion of the proceeds of that bottle."
The attention and respect to former military is something that resonates not just with the Nethery family but also to many patrons of the distillery.
"Being the patriarch of the family and having two veterans in the family, it does me well," John Sasin said.
"Having the people here at Jeptha Creed take that to heart and actually show some acknowledgment of the veterans and really giving back to them as an entity really does my heart good."
In reflection of the last 10 years, it's been a whirlwind for Jeptha Creed and the Nethery family.
However, it's a journey they believe is really just beginning as they are getting to the point of having more mature bourbon to share and more experience to better run this business as a family.
"It is an awesome experience to be able to see a decade of work, a decade of dedication start to come to fruition," Joyce Nethery said.
"To see my children grow and develop their leadership skills has been such an honor and a blessing."
Jeptha Creed is located at 500 Gordon Lane in Shelbyville right off I-64.
They're open 11 a.m.-6 p.m Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as 12-6 p.m. on Sunday.
Click here to learn more.
