To print this page, select "Print" from the File menu of your browser salon.com > Travel May 19, 2000 URL: http://www.salon.com/travel/planet/2000/05/19/bourbon Kentucky distillery goes up in flames Lawrenceburg finds itself short 17,000 barrels of bourbon. - - - - - - - - - - - - By J.A. Getzlaff How fast does 101-proof bourbon burn? Pretty darn fast, according to an Associated Press report. Last week in Lawrenceburg, Ky., a distillery warehouse stocked to the gills with aging barrels of Wild Turkey went up in flames. The cause of the fire is unknown, but workers nearby told Reuters that once the fire started, whiskey barrels could be heard exploding like gunshots. Within minutes, the seven-story wooden building went up in flames, taking 17,000 barrels of Kentucky's favorite hooch with it. The oaken barrels contained young (and very volatile) bourbon that had been aging for three years, as well as high-priced bourbon that had been aging for 15 years. In addition to destroying the warehouse, the burning booze surged into the town's water supply, forcing schools, businesses and the water plant to shut down. It never made it into residents' tap water, but it did flow into the Kentucky River. Though officials said they found no dead river creatures, a few drunken-catfish jokes made the rounds. City worker Debbie Steele told the Associated Press, "I just tell them we're having happy hour at the river later. Just bring their own bucket." salon.com | May 19, 2000   - - - - - - - - - - - - About the writer J.A. Getzlaff's Daily Planet appears every weekday. Do you have a tip or tale for J.A.? Send it to DailyPlanet@salon.com.