FRANKFORT, KY (Oct. 3, 2023) – Gold Corn Investors LLC (“Gold Corn”), founded by beverage alcohol industry veteran Andrew Varga and private equity investor Carl Cordova, has completed an investment in J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, the craft bourbon company founded by Jeff Mattingly, a sixth-generation descendant of legendary John Graves Mattingly, who obtained Kentucky’s second distilling license for J.G. Mattingly & Sons Distillery in Louisville in 1845.  Varga and Cordova, who will both serve on the Company’s board, are partnering with the Mattingly family by bringing capital, industry experience and a global network of relationships to help them achieve their dreams and carry on their great legacy.  Gold Corn’s capital will be used to complete the opening of the new distillery and expand the business.

Throughout the Commonwealth’s history, the Mattingly family have been innovators in the bourbon industry, resuming their legacy in 2010 by opening their bourbon operation in Georgetown, KY and expanding their market reach via their new J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery at 20 Reilly Road in Frankfort, KY, across the street from the most-visited bourbon distillery in the state.   The 25,000 sq. ft. facility is expected to open in early October 2023 and will offer, tours, tastings, and the J. Mattingly 1845 Experience, a custom blending experience.  

Jeff Mattingly, founder and chief executive officer, noted, “I’m proud to be from humble roots in Kentucky, and have long felt a responsibility to carry on the Mattingly family legacy when we started our bourbon crafting operations.  Now, through the partnership with Gold Corn, we can focus on the ‘fun’ part of the business by creating more new world-class bourbons and experimenting with different finishes even more so than we’ve done in the past.”

Gold Corn recognized the distinctive quality in Jeff Mattingly’s bourbon releases, and became interested in helping the Company expand its tourism operation, product releases, and global distribution.  “The Mattingly family story is intertwined with the histories of both bourbon and Kentucky for almost 200 years, with connections to many of the most illustrious distilling families of all time,” said Andrew Varga. “We were attracted not only to the unique and outstanding quality of Jeff’s bourbons, but also by the authenticity of the Mattingly family history and the fact that its family-founded culture remains the core of its ethos even as it embarks on its rapid expansion.”  Carl Cordova added, “The new location in Frankfort offers an outstanding opportunity to bring their crafted bourbons and ryes to hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts who enjoy world-class bourbon and who seek to experience the great lifestyle the bourbon industry can offer, including tours of the production process and customizing their own proprietary formulations.”

About Gold Corn - Gold Corn was founded in 2022 by beverage alcohol industry veteran Andrew Varga and private equity investor Carl Cordova, in partnership with other private investors, to provide capital and strategic support to Kentucky Bourbon entrepreneurs looking for accelerated growth of their brand’s business.  Andrew Varga, as a former senior executive of Brown-Forman, one of the largest global beverage alcohol companies, and later as the Chief Marketing Officer at Papa John’s International, has an association with some of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands, including iconic global brands like Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and others.  Carl Cordova is a 30-year private equity veteran with a top-quartile track record in structured equity investments in diverse industries, including food & beverage, restaurants and retail, and has focused on pre-IPO, growth capital in rapidly expanding companies, including brands such as Steinway, Planet Hollywood, and LIDS.

About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery - Starting in 1845 with John Graves Mattingly’s first distillery in Louisville, Registered Distillery #2, the Mattingly family has been involved in distilleries in Bardstown and St. Mary, KY, and is connected to some of the most prominent distilling families in Kentucky including the Willetts and Samuels.  Born in Mattingly, KY, Jeff Mattingly grew up working on his family’s 600-acre farm, learning the value of hard work and absorbing the family’s distilling traditions.  In 2010 he formalized that expertise in Georgetown, KY, carrying on the Mattingly distilled spirits plant (DSP) #2.  Today, his son Cameron has assumed the mantle of Vice President of Production, continuing the legacy into the latest generation for J. Mattingly Distillery 1845 in Frankfort, Kentucky.