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The April 9, 2015 Vol. 1 Issue 24 Positively Impacting Community News Micro-Distillery to Open Downtown Jerry Brady (left) and Chris Earnshaw (right) announce the addition of Bone Hill View Micro-Distillery to downtown Buckner. By Jessica Mauzey Partners Jerry Brady and Chris Earnshaw are opening a new and unique business in Buckner's his- toric downtown. The Bone Hill View Micro-Distillery, located at 321 Hudson St., will open its doors this coming summer. The partners were inclined to open a business in Buckner because of personal ties. Brady was raised in the area and still has family who live in Buckner. Earnshaw was raised in Independence, but moved to Buckner in the late 80s, where his son was born and raised. "Buckner is a town full of history. We love the small town feel and want to develop relationships with its residents. We want to recog- nize you and call you by your first name like it used to be," Brady said. Only a small, handful of micro-dis- tilleries exist in Missouri, mostly south of the Kansas City region. When it opens, Bone Hill View will be the only distillery located in Eastern Jackson County. In February, the City of Buckner held a public hearing to discuss the addition of several micro opera- tions, including granting the ability to operate a micro-distillery in Buckner's commercial zone. Cur- rently, the inner workings of the operation are being designed while the business is pending federal ap- proval. Brady and Earnshaw both possess a deep-rooted interest in history. This passion has influenced several of their business decisions thus far, including their name, location and product. The two are knowledgeable about Buckner's history, as well as its agricultural and economic history. The duo hope this will be evident not only in their business model, but also through their hard-alcohol products. "This is a great location and there is so much history behind the area, we are excited to share our knowledge and listen to others' sto- ries," Brady said. To distinguish their operations from those of existing distilleries or micro- distilleries, they are bringing an old tradition back by using sorghum to make the alcohol instead of traditional methods using grains. To start, the pair will offer three products; Sor- ghum Shine, Spiced Sorghum Shine and Aged Sorghum Shine. Both partners agree as the business gains success, other products will be added. These products will be available for sampling at the micro-distillery for adults 21 years and older. Guests will also be able to purchase bottled products to take with them. Beyond tasting, patrons will have the unique opportunity to witness the distilling process as it takes place. The process generally takes seven to 10 days for fermentation and three to five hours to distill each batch. "We don't take shortcuts, we want to do things in the way that represents our history," Earnshaw said. As opening day draws near, look for the business to launch a website, along with Facebook and Twitter pages. Brady and Earnshaw agree this is an exciting time for Buckner and they are looking forward to being a part of the city's revitalization efforts. This article was published in the March 26 issue and has been reprinted with corrections. Thank you for reading!