CHRISTIAN COUNTY, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Only a few veteran-owned distilleries from around the country were chosen to be part of the exclusive Bravo Whiskey Foxtrot tasting in New York, which includes MB Roland Distillery. The star-studded Veterans Day event is put on by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which fundraises across the United States to benefit veterans. In addition, the Pembroke business has recently announced an expansion and unique collaboration.

Hosted by comedian Jim Gaffigan, the event will be filled with other celebrities who will be able to try MB Roland’s signature spirits including The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, actors John Hamm, Liev Schreiber and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, along with Craig Melvin from NBC news. Veteran and notable bourbon voice Fred Minnick will also contribute to the evening.

“It’s definitely an honor,” MB Roland owner Paul Tomaszewski told Christian County Now. “We are Christian County people; we are pretty simple. We wear jeans and boots to work so this is a little bit out of our norm going to something in Manhattan. But it’s definitely something that is a neat opportunity.”

Open since 2009, Paul and his wife Marry Beth have slowly grown their distillery, utilizing locally grown grain to produce whiskey, bourbon, moonshine and spirits. Since they only have regional distribution of their products at this time, this event gives them the opportunity to highlight Christian County and western Kentucky on a larger platform.

“There is a realism to those of us that are from western Kentucky that is a little different of a flavor compared to when you get into all the hustle and bustle of these bigger areas,” said Tomaszewski.

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MB Roland expands into second Kentucky location, collaborations

In addition to the tasting in New York, the distillery has additional reason to celebrate as they open up their second location in Cave City. He said, “The idea is to make it a western Kentucky doormat for bourbon tourism.”

This expansion is in collaboration with two other distillers, with their location at 102 Broadway Street right next door to Dueling Grounds Distillery’s tasting room. A third business, Cave City Distilling, will be opening nearby as well, with the hopes of drawing people to the area by creating a mini bourbon tour.

“All three of us are kind of working on it at the same time…we’ve got ideas and plans to continue to develop it, and I’ve never really heard of that in Kentucky or otherwise where you’ve got independent distilleries doing the connecting of the dots together,” he told Christian County Now.

In a fun twist, to blend in with the tourism landscape of Cave City, the new location has an authentic New Orleans theme. In addition to their spirits, they will offer Cajun spices, cigars, and boutique items along with authentic decor straight from the bayou.

“It will be fun over the next months and years to see it evolve, but we enjoy the fact that we can develop more people coming here and frankly spending more money in the area and making western Kentucky part of that conversation,” he added.

Find MB Roland’s Pembroke location at 6534 Pembroke Oak Grove Road and visit their website to find a list of their available spirits and tour information.

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