WHY HIGH BANK?

When Ohio forged plans for the state capital, the area known as Franklinton was a primary consideration due to its close proximity to the water and pre-existing infrastructure. After much consideration, they concluded the risk of flooding was too great. On February 14th, 1812, the state legislature accepted plans to lay out the capital, now known as Columbus, on the High Bank, opposite Franklinton, at the fork of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers. We take the same uncompromised approach when selecting each ingredient to create every plate of food, crafted cocktail, and bottle of High Bank spirits.

From March 24 to 27, 1913, Columbus was hit with its worst flood. The flood killed at least 93 in Columbus, and stranded dozens more in their homes. The area most affected was Franklinton, also known as the Bottoms, for its low elevation near the Scioto River. Among many infrastructure projects, a 7.2-mile floodwall was built from 1993 to 2004 to protect most of Franklinton from future flooding.

FOR THE LOVE OF CRAFT

It all started with a chance motorcycle ride in the fall of 2006. Adam Hines and his father saddled up on their Harleys and headed south, through the hills and hollers of Kentucky and Tennessee. As they crested one hill near the border, a sea of large white barns covered the landscape. The Rickhouses that dotted the landscape were unlike any of the barns that Adam was used to seeing in Ohio. His father explained their purpose, to age whiskey and bourbon. Later that same day, the two riders happened across the Jack Daniels Distillery and decided to take a detour. As fate would have it, that was the beginning of a lifelong obsession for brown spirits and years later Adam would co-found High Bank Distillery and become its first and only Master Distiller. 

That same sense of exploration and adventure still is alive and well in every whiskey Adam creates. And his award winning whiskeys have made him the most decorated Master Distiller in Ohio. We raise our glasses to that fateful motorcycle ride all those years ago, and the great whiskeys it birthed.