Good News NKY: Limited-edition bourbon to support LifeSciKY’s Stronger Together Grant Program

Raising a glass to regional innovation, LifeSciKY has teamed up with New Riff Distilling for the second year in a row to release an exclusive single barrel bourbon to benefit the growing life sciences community.

Bottled with a purpose, proceeds from the collaboration will fund lab bench grants at Covington’s life sciences incubator, lowering the barrier to entry for startups by providing the critical space and equipment needed to scale scientific discoveries. Blue North, the Northern Kentucky-based entrepreneurial hub, will match all bourbon sales and bottle pre-orders generated through this initiative, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000.

This year’s release builds on the success of last year’s inaugural fundraising effort, which generated two $10,000 grants: the Science is Bourbon Bench Grant awarded to Clareo Biosciences — made possible by the New Riff Distilling collaboration with support from Blue North — and the Stronger Together Bench, awarded to PAN Biologics, founded and sponsored by McD Concrete. The financial support allowed PAN Biologics to relocate its offices from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Covington; and Louisville-based Clareo Biosciences used the funds to expand their footprint into Northern Kentucky.

“Receiving last year’s grant helped make it possible for Clareo Biosciences to expand our Louisville operations up into Northern Kentucky as well,” said Melissa Smith, CEO of Clareo Biosciences. “As we’ve expanded our organization, we’ve experienced firsthand the generosity and collaborative spirit that make this region so special. That sense of community and overwhelming support for our team has been instrumental to our growth, and has given us, as an early-stage company, the resources, motivation, and confidence to keep building and innovating here in Northern Kentucky.”

These grants, combined with a donation from the William J. Motto Family, inspired the creation of the LifeSciKY Stronger Together Grant Program. This new initiative is designed to provide entrepreneurs, researchers, and emerging founders with grant-supported access to laboratory infrastructure, equipment, mentorship, and commercialization resources.

“Many promising entrepreneurs never get the opportunity to test their ideas because they lack access to the infrastructure, equipment, and support needed to get started. That’s why LifeSciKY is here,” said Dr. Christin Godale, executive director of LifeSciKY. “Our new Stronger Together Grant Program takes our mission a step further by helping remove barriers to innovation by providing founders with access to the capital and the resources needed to transform ideas into real-world solutions.”

Kentucky’s legacy of innovation in the bourbon industry is a story of science – from the chemistry of distillation to the precision of aging barrels. That same spirit of discovery and entrepreneurship drives LifeSciKY as it elevates Northern Kentucky as a nationally recognized hub for life sciences innovation by providing the space for founders, researchers, and life sciences visionaries to build the future of healthcare and life sciences technology.

“Northern Kentucky’s superpower is working together to lift up our community, and it’s no different when we’re supporting entrepreneurs and the region’s growing life sciences ecosystem,” said Dave Knox, executive director of Blue North. “By providing matching funds for the Science is Bourbon Bench, we’re proud to work alongside LifeSciKY to help remove barriers for early-stage innovators and provide them with greater access to the incredible resources that can turn promising ideas into realities.”

The single-barrel bourbon will be hand selected by representatives of LifeSciKY, Blue North and community partners.

Bottles of the single barrel bourbon can be pre-ordered from July 13 to Aug. 4 for $69.99 each at bit.ly/LifeSciKYNewRiff26. A limited number of bottles will be available for purchase. Pickup instructions will be coordinated by LifeSciKY and will be sent to purchasers.

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About LifeSciKY

LifeSciKY is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to accelerating science, entrepreneurship, education, and economic development that opened for operations in Covington, Kentucky, in December 2025. From affordable lab space and state-of-the-art equipment to collaborative partnerships and networking opportunities, LifeSciKY empowers innovators with the critical resources and connections they need to bring their groundbreaking work to life. To learn more, visit LifeSciKY.com.