Buffalo Trace Plans to Upcycle Whiskey Waste Into ‘Alternative Proteins’

Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery is one of America’s top whiskey producers, responsible for distilling and bottling renowned brands including the Weller, Eagle Rare, Pappy Van Winkle, and E.H. Taylor lines of whiskeys. While many of these whiskeys sell like liquid gold, a new initiative aims to create value from what is often viewed as a waste product: stillage, a common byproduct of whiskey production.

Buffalo Trace and Meridian Biotech recently announced a partnership to build a conversion facility in Franklin County, Kentucky. The goal? Turning stillage — a grain-rich liquid byproduct ofrom whiskey production left over after fermentation and distillation — into “multifunctional alternative proteins.” Meridian has pledged to invest $40 million in the new facility, which they claim will create up to 35 jobs in Buffalo Trace’s home county.

Stillage is a common byproduct at nearly all whiskey distilleries, consisting of both liquids and solids after the fermented mash is distilled. The more whiskey a distillery produces, the more stillage it must dispose of, with some estimates indicating around 10 gallons of stillage for every gallon of bourbon produced. 

Traditionally, stillage has often been trucked to local farmers, who can dry it for use as livestock feed. Some distilleries today also have large drying houses to make stillage easier to dispose of. But as bourbon production has increased, supply has far surpassed demand, and finding new ways to dispose of excess stillage has become essential for many distilleries. If a distillery can’t dispose of stillage quickly enough, it may need to slow down or temporarily stop operations. 

The new partnership between Buffalo Trace and Meridian takes a slightly different approach, with the primary goal of sending stillage directly to the new Frankfort conversion facility, eliminating the need for trucking. In a joint press release, Meridian emphasized a variety of possible uses for the byproduct, “including aquaculture (fish farming), pet foods, and the production of organic fertilizer.”

“By reimagining distillery stillage as a resource rather than a byproduct, we’re pioneering new pathways in biotechnology that have the potential to transform the spirits industry,” Brandon Corace, president of Meridian Biotech, said in a statement. “Like Buffalo Trace, we are committed to making a long-term, positive economic impact on the community. We believe our technology will play a pivotal role in enhancing Buffalo Trace’s commitment to innovation, as well as setting a new standard for the spirits industry.”

Indeed, Meridian primarily aims to develop innovative solutions for consumables, animal feed, and fertilizer. To achieve this, the company targets alcohol producers — including distilleries, breweries, and wineries — as key sources for raw ingredients that it can process into protein solutions. According to Meridian, the company combines “fermentation and advanced wastewater technologies” through non-GMO bacteria, which convert fermentation by-products into high-protein feed and food ingredients. Founded in 2017, the company is currently based in Lexington, Kentucky.

In 2021, Meridian was one of five companies selected to present at the Distillers Grains Reverse Pitch Competition. The event, sponsored by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and the Cabinet for Economic Development, “challenged innovators to create new ideas that tackle the growing need to address the bourbon industry’s spent-grain byproduct” while also focusing on environmental impact.

The partnership’s timing couldn’t be better for Buffalo Trace, which has invested $1.2 billion in recent years to expand whiskey production. The distillery’s output has increased by 50%, leading to more stillage to manage than ever before.

“As master distiller, I have studied the distilling process and always respected the full journey from grain to glass. Working with Meridian allows us to take our processes even further by transforming stillage into something with extended value and purpose,” Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace Distillery, said in a press statement.