Boyle County’s Wilderness Trail Distillery was given the Bluegrass Tomorrow’s 2018 Vision Award for Outstanding Community Project Tuesday morning in Lexington.

Bluegrass Tomorrow is an independent non-profit organization that monitors quality of life issues and activities across the Bluegrass region, according to its website, and addresses emerging issues and opportunities that are important to the region.

BGT’s mission is “to connect, unify, and motivate the current and future stakeholders of the Bluegrass Region to preserve, protect, and promote those activities in Central Kentucky that positively affect the quality of life enjoyed, desired, and deserved by the citizens and their communities. These include, but are not limited to, our shared natural and cultural heritage, as they relate to land use, transportation, education, sustainability and recreation, all based on and contributing to a diverse and thriving economy.”

For Tuesday’s awards program, WTD founders Shane Baker and Pat Heist wrote, “We have a pioneering spirit here at Wilderness Trail Distillery, just like the settlers who followed the path Daniel Boone blazed into central Kentucky.”

“Our specialty is making unique spirits from locally-grown grains to ensure quality, and adding a healthy dose of science in the process.”

Since opening in 2012, WTD has received the 2012 Kentucky Pacesetter, the 2013 Excellence in Entrepreneurship, the 2015 Rum Distillery of the Year, the 2016 Kentucky Manufacturer of the Year and the 2018 Danville-Boyle County Small Business of the Year awards.