HARRODSBURG, Ky. (LEX 18) — Imagine starting a brewery in a dry county, which is exactly what happened when four entrepreneurs launched Lemons Mill Brewery in Mercer County in 2013.
Lemons Mill moved to its current location on Marimon Avenue in 2016, not knowing that the city was preparing to submit a ballot to make the city wet.
"We just happen to be in the right place at the right time. I think we voted in February of 2016, the city officially went wet in May of ’16, and we opened labor day weekend," said co-owner Jay Anderson.
Anderson has celiac disease and says finding a beer to enjoy was difficult.
"That was our niche into the market and we started making some gluten free beers and it kind of spiraled into that and it became a hobby."
Now Anderson compares his experience creating brews to being a mad scientist. He says they’re never “bad beers.”
"It’s kind of like a mad scientist almost. You get to play and have live testers and a lot of our patrons say you know there’s not a bad beer, so you try something, you let them taste it," he continues, "If it works it does, if it doesn’t, you go back to the drawing board. There’s a lot of creativity in the brewing industry.”
Over the years, the brewery has created a new culture in the city of Harrodsburg.
In terms of creating their own culture in this city, Anderson says, "We try to create an atmosphere here were you’re just kind of hanging out with your friends at your house, relaxing, having a good time, enjoying each other’s company, while enjoying a good beverage."
Lemons Mill keeps busy on Thursdays, Fridays, and the weekends. Find out more about the brewery on their website and social media.
