Bently Heritage Distillery

Minden, Nevada

Haskell gave life to a vision for converting two historic buildings into an innovative distillery.

Bringing ultra-modern, high-proof spirits production to century-old structures.

In the small enclave of Minden, Nevada, a mountain pass away from South Lake Tahoe, Bently Heritage set out to fulfill a vision for farm-to-flask spirits production. At the center of this vision were two historic buildings in the heart of Minden, each over 100 years old. Where they were once used as a grain mill and dairy creamery, the two facilities needed to be updated and converted to manufacture high-proof spirits, including vodka, gin, brandy and whiskey. Outfitting these historic structures with miles of process piping and equipment required a high level of skill and industry knowledge, which is what brought Bently Heritage to Haskell.

Haskell’s EPC project delivery kept this project organized and efficient.

We put together an all-star team of architects, engineers, project managers, a certified master distiller and a range of other subject matter experts to execute this one-of-a-kind project. This team visited over 50 different distilleries, breweries and suppliers to generate a library of industry best practices for process design and installation. Our design scope included a dry grain conveyance system, high-proof distillation systems, spirits blending systems, casking and disgorging, and two caustic CIP systems as well as the utility systems, controls and automation technology to support the process. With four independently operating distillation systems, the production of the distiller’s single-malt and American whiskeys, brandy and clear spirits is driven by a complex network that includes more than 10 miles of piping, 40 miles of controls cable, 1800 valves, 80 vessels, and both traditional and nontraditional aging environments.

In order to coordinate the design, procurement and installation of all the necessary equipment as well as the subcontractors and other stakeholders involved in the project execution, Haskell utilized a detailed Master Program Schedule, Communication Flow Diagram, and a complex Roles & Responsibilities Matrix.

Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) prevented costly conflicts.

The density of piping and equipment in these historic buildings made accuracy critical. Haskell’s Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) group integrated models from all disciplines to ensure the constructability of the building and processing systems prior to installation. Utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) we analyzed over 80 Process & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), 300+ equipment datasheets and 350+ process drawings. This was critical time-saving technology to detect potential clashes when trying to retrofit two existing structures with a complex process system.

A unique challenge resulted in a one-of-a-kind legacy landmark for high-proof spirits distillation.

Working in tandem with the team at Bently Heritage, as well as vendors and suppliers from around the world, Haskell helped infuse a national landmark with 21st-century infrastructure that will set a new standard for sustainable production.

  • Unique EPC project to convert a 100+-year-old historic grain mill and dairy creamery into a distillery for multiple high proof spirits
  • Managed complex multi-partner scope with a Roles & Responsibilities Matrix
  • Design included both process and material handling systems for dry grain conveyance, spirits distillation and blending, casking and disgorging, and CIP systems
  • Additional utilities, controls and automation were also added to the design to support the process systems
  • Utilized Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination to manage 80+ P&IDs, 300+ equipment datasheets, and 350+ process drawings
  • Over 3,000+ submittals were reviewed and processed in order to find the best vendors to procure the 3100+ process devices needed for the project
  • Construction installed over 10 miles of piping, 40 miles of controls cable, 1800+ valves, 500+ instruments, 70+ Stainless steel tanks, and many other elements
  • LEED Gold Certified
Vice President – Manufacturing Solutions

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