Our History

Peter E. Hart Spirits is an innovative spirits brand at the intersection where new, rich evolving tastes meet history.

Peter E. Hart Spirits was founded by family, Aaron and Lizzy Haynes and Nancy and Michael Wilder. Nancy, a direct descendant of Sgt. Hart’s, and Michael, a proud Harlan Kentucky native, are the current residents and fifth generation family members to live on the farm. Nancy and Michael raised Lizzy in a family in which whiskey and bourbon were not merely spirits to break out during julep season, but rather a lifestyle, where a glass was poured and shared around the table while listening to stories of ancestors that shaped the farm’s vibrant legacy. Aaron, from Ohio, traveled down to the University of Kentucky where he studied chemical engineering and immersed himself in Kentucky culture, developing his own appreciation for whiskey and bourbon. During his time at UK, he studied master distilling as a chemical engineer and received his "Bourbon, wine, and brewing" certificate.

One fall evening at the farm, the family gathered around Grandaddy’s self-proclaimed “stogie station”. With a bourbon in one hand and cigar in the other, Grandaddy hunched down to tell the newest generation the tale of the creek that ran alongside the farm, and of its namesake. The story of Sgt. Peter E. Hart, Union soldier, and survivor of the battle of Perryville. The two hung on every word, and out of that retelling came an inspiration to marry their love of spirits with the rich history that shrouds the family farm. Peter E. Hart Rye Whiskey is finished in smoked bourbon barrels to honor the story that brought our dream into a reality.