[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 39 (Thursday, March 3, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                  RECOGNIZING NEELEY FAMILY DISTILLERY

 Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize 
an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American 
entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the 
small business, Neeley Family Distillery of Sparta, KY as the Senate 
Small Business of the Week.
  Today, I honor a business deeply rooted in Kentucky history. Founded 
in 2015, the Neeley Family Distillery bares a history far older than 
their date of official registration. The Neeley family has been 
distilling and bootlegging illegally in the mountains of Eastern 
Kentucky for 11 generations, with James Neeley distilling the first 
batch of Neeley family whiskey on American soil in 1740. James Neeley 
came to the New World with a mastery passed down to him by his Irish 
forefathers. Ten generations later, James' descendant and lead 
distiller Royce Neeley uses many of these same skills to craft fine 
Kentucky Bourbon.
  Though his single-barrel bourbon earned him a gold medal from the 
2020 World Spirits Competition, Royce is just as famous for his 
moonshine. Royce's great grandfather Leonard Neeley developed the 
moonshine over 100 years ago, by adding sugar to the original family 
recipe for rye whiskey. This concoction was so popular in the days of 
underground bootlegging that it led a vicious and at times violent 
rivalry with another local bootlegging family. Artifacts from this 
trialing era are all on display at the Neeley Family Distillery in 
Sparta, including the pistol Royce's great-grandfather used to shoot 
another moonshiner. Though the Neeley family business is no longer 
under threat of the law or mob rivals, Royce proudly bears that history 
in the creation of all of the distillery's products.
  Carrying the torch that his forefather lit long ago, Royce brought 
the Neeley family name to the legal production of bourbon for the first 
time in 2015. Starting out as a young entrepreneur with a wealth of 
expertise, he steadily grew his business in the years to come. However 
it was not until 5 years later that Royce switched gears and entered 
into a new kind of production. Faced with gross shortages of essential 
products during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Neeley 
Family Distillery joined forces with other Kentucky distillers to 
produce nearly 125,000 gallons of hand sanitizer. Together, the 
distilleries donated the much needed product to frontline workers 
across the Commonwealth. Fulfilling this desperate need required 
immediate retooling of their facilities, sourcing of necessary 
products, and totally shutting down their production of bourbon. The 
COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that an industry, once spurned by 
authorities during the days of Prohibition, could rise to be great 
stewards of their community during times of hardship and duress.
  The Neeley Family Distillery has since returned to their regular 
production of Kentucky's iconic spirit, though they remain ready to 
answer the call of their community. Realizing the extent of destruction 
their western neighbors sustained in the 2021 tornados, the Neeley 
Family Distillery again joined forces with the Kentucky Distillers 
Association, as well as the Bourbon Crusader, to organize a benefit 
auction in support of relief efforts. This once-in-a-lifetime bourbon 
auction led to a $3.4 million check benefiting the State's Western 
Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund. In their 7 years of operation, this small 
business has not only earned top ranking awards on the quality of their 
product, they have earned themselves a record for serving their 
community during times of adversity.
  Small businesses like the Neeley Family Distillery are the lifeblood 
of towns across Kentucky, and the rich history of bourbon and its times 
of legal and illegal production is an intricate detail in the fabric of 
our State. The Neeley family proudly honors that history by continuing 
the tradition of fine Kentucky craftsmanship and looking out for one's 
neighbor. Congratulations to the Neeley family and the entire 
distillery team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to 
watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

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