Local Priest Blesses the New Rickhouse at Log Still Distillery

A uniquely Kentuckian way of community outreach and revitalization

Yesterday, local priest Father Matthew Hardesty had the honor of blessing Log Still Distillery’s newest bourbon rickhouse.

As a crowd of about 40 sat under a canopy and waiting patiently for the small bus to bring more people up the steep hill steeped in summer sunlight, Wally Dant, the President of Log Still, thanked everyone and expressed his gratitude for the distillery’s exciting success as it continues to revitalize the small town of New Haven, which has been slowly deteriorating over the years.

As all waited in suspense for something they have never seen, Father Hardesty then gave the blessing of a new building, a granary, and a crucifix first in Latin, afterwards reading the English to the crowd.

As the ceremony was done, Father was invited to hang the custom made, wooden crucifix inside the rickhouse. “Come on in, there is more room,” Father conveyed multiple times with exuberance. As he lifted the crucifix, cameras flashed and clicked. He then reverently kissed Jesus on the Cross, showcasing to all what tenderness Christ brings to men.

The ceremony in all was an occasion of southern delight in the happiness that gratitude for God’s creation brings. “In moderation,” Father Hardesty noted, “Bourbon can be great for fellowship.”

Watch our video of the occasion here:

This joyous celebration near the bourbon capital of the world, Bardstown, concluded with a toast and the best small bites, I, the author, have ever tasted.

This was a wonderful witness to the delight of the Catholic faith and an event which the locals were enthusiastic about.

A local Facebook page, called Cask Strength Catholic, wrote: “It is fitting that this would be one of the last public events for Father Matthew Hardesty as pastor here in southern Nelson county. We are sad to see him leave the area! He has been here to witness the revitalization here in New Hope!”

As we have already talked about how Log Still Distillery is a booming business in a stagnating small town, let’s end with a word about the Dant family, who own and operate the distillery.

The Nelson County Dant heritage can trace its lineage back to J.W. Dant, a Catholic-bourbon patriarch who donated the land on which the Abbey of Gethsemani now stands to the Sisters of Loretto in the 1800s.

The Kentucky Holy Land is remarkable in the fact that history is living, and God’s blessing is visible even today.

Father Hardesty blessing the rickhouse on June 9th, 2024