Jail Break
Boone County Jail Distillery Repurposes Historic Building
Writer / Alli Donovan
Photographer / Krystal Dailey
Identifying and taking advantage of a great opportunity are key steps in all business decisions. That is how businesses, inventions and developments all come to be.
Sean Stoller and his family took advantage of an opportunity in 2014 when the old Boone County Jail was up for auction. Seeing the possibilities for this historic building in the heart of Lebanon was a decision to jump on.
When we heard that this jail was being auctioned off, we felt that it was too good of an opportunity to miss, Stoller says. All within a week, we found out about the jail, did some research and bought it.
The Boone County Jail first opened in 1833 in Lebanon, Indiana. It moved to its future home of 115 years on the corner of Washington and Meridian St. in Lebanon. The new jail was built in 1992. So, when the jail was up for sale in 2014, the Stoller family saw potential in the jails historic look and beautiful architecture to create a new distillery in town.
Stoller owns and operates the business with his sister, Nicki. The two have an incredible background of three generations worth of expertise in the liquor industry. This includes a phenomenal understanding of taste profiles for their vodka, bourbon, whiskey, gin and moonshine that customers are bound to love.
A main goal of ours was that we wanted to get our customers to know what they are drinking and understand the food science behind different spirits, Stoller says. We want to have a little bit of something for everyone.
The Boone Co. Jail Distillery has a great product line-up that appeases all tastebuds.
Their vodkas (Hoosier Vodka and Boone County Jail Vodka) are made from 100% corn, have a semi-sweet taste and are praised for their smoothness.
Boone Co. Jail Distillery has a couple of different gins that are considered New World American. They use many of the same botanicals in their gins as you would in teas. Their Boone County Jail gin mixes doses of citrus with some sweet spice and floral notes. Then, the distillery also offers gin aged in bourbon barrels for 9 months. It is loved for its gin and bourbon flavor combinations.
The distillery also offers an absinthe drink called Poets Potion Absinthe Classique. It is a 125-proof drink with hints of cinnamon, clove and licorice.
The distillery offers three different bourbon products that are loved by customers. The Kinnard and Drake Straight bourbon is raved about for its sweet butterscotch and apricot taste followed by rye spice. The Kinnard and Drake Toasted Straight bourbon and Kinnard and Drake single barrel straight bourbon are delicious options for bourbon-lovers too.
Lastly, fan-favorites are the Boone Co. Jail Distillerys moonshine options. With choices of plain moonshine or delicious, flavored moonshine (lemon drop and apple pie), customers love the fun flavors that the distillery has on the menu.
The Boone Co. Jail Distillery products are sold across the country. Six states offer them at a variety of liquor stores. The Stoller family has plans to expand into another 10-15 states in 2023.
The Boone Co. Jail Distillery is located on 104 W. Washington Street in Lebanon, Indiana. You can find additional information at boonecojaildistillery.com.
