September 27th 2023.
In April 2023, Aaron Floyd and Antonio Santago founded D.A.A.D Distilling with the goal of fostering community for single fathers and boosting Kentucky’s economy through their shared love of bourbon. Now, their dream includes opening a family-friendly distillery on land they believe was once owned by a Kentucky KKK leader.
Floyd and Santago, along with two other partners, plan to bring their vision to life in the Lancaster area of Garrard County. This is a place they enjoy visiting, despite its history.
“Garrard County is a place where we come to free our minds. We come to the nature preserves here; it’s very peaceful and relaxing,” said Floyd. “We’ve felt a strong gravitational pull to that area, and we want to reshape it and change its ties to this particular area.”
The men of D.A.A.D also intend to debunk the myth of the absent Black father through their commitment to their own families and support of fathers in the area. Santago, who grew up without a father, said he finally met his biological father three years ago. “After having a long conversation with him, he explained to me my main purpose of being a father and what I needed to do.”
A family-friendly distillery provides an alternative solution for places to spend quality “daddy and me” time. “We want to be able to do more for the children, families, and communities, give back to city services, and be a pillar in the community,” Floyd said. “We want to show what dads are capable of doing.”
D.A.A.D Distilling estimates that its vision for the 100 acres of land will cost over $1 million to bring to life. To this end, it is currently raising $100,000 via GoFundMe.
The history of racial tensions in Kentucky has continued in recent years, with KKK propaganda being posted throughout several cities in June 2023. In 2017, the state reportedly had four active Klan chapters. D.A.A.D's mission is not only to create a family-friendly space, but to reshape the area's ties to its history, and to show what fathers are capable of doing.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
