By Derek Doyle, Building Kentucky
at Luckett & Farley.
Dana Zausch, senior architect and distillery design manager for the distilled spirits studio at Luckett & Farley, will headline the Bourbon Women SIPosium’s Bourbon Beginnings Breakfast as keynote speaker from 8–10 a.m. on Friday, August 15, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville.
Her presentation, “The Spirit of Architecture,” will set the tone for an inspiring day of learning, sipping and connecting. For tickets to the three-day event, visit Bourbon Women Association.
With more than 25 years of experience and a focus on distillery master planning, Zausch brings a deep understanding of how design shapes both the craft and the business of spirits.
“Just as a great whiskey matures over the years, distilleries themselves are shaped by cycles of growth, reinvestment and adaption to market shifts. At Luckett & Farley, we have seen how thoughtful planning and resilient design can help navigate these transitions without losing site of what makes their craft unique,” Zausch said.
Her recent article, Designing for the Long Game: Supporting Distilleries in Every Economic Cycle, explores how design influences operational efficiency, visitor engagement, sustainability and legacy preservation, particularly for historic distilleries reimagining their spaces for the future.
“Master planning for a distillery is not just about expansion. It is about creating a roadmap that supports both operational growth and guest experience. This means evaluating land use, understanding environmental constraints and staging construction so that current production remains uninterrupted. The most effective plans also consider the movement of grain, equipment and people because a well-designed flow is not just efficient, it is safer and more intuitive,” she added.
With a history of distillery design that dates to the 1890s, Luckett & Farley has helped producers create spaces that reflect their craft, optimize operations and bring their stories to life.
Learn more by visiting Luckett & Farley’s Distilled Spirits page here.
