After two years of aging, Watershed Distillery will release the first bourbon distilled in central Ohio on November 1.

“Right from the get-go in 2010 when we started, we started putting away bourbon,” said Greg Lehman, Watershed’s co-owner and distiller. “We knew it had to age for a long time, so we were kind of planning for this moment from the time we started the distillery.”

Before you post the comment, yes, it is legally and technically bourbon. Conventional wisdom says that that bourbon must be made in Kentucky and aged for a certain number of years, but conventional wisdom has a tendency to be incorrect.

For a spirit to be a bourbon, it must be:

Made in the United States More than 51% corn Aged (for any length of time) in new charred-oak barrels Bottled at more than 80 proof

(It needs to age for at least two years to be labeled as STRAIGHT bourbon.)

Be one of the first to try Watershed’s bourbon at their open house and release party on Wednesday, October 31 (Halloween costumes welcome!) starting at 11pm. Chat with Watershed owners Greg Lehman and Dave Rigo, explore the distillery and grab a bite from food trucks Ajumama and Swoop. At midnight, the first bottles of bourbon will be made available for tastings and purchase.

750ml bottles of the bourbon, finished at 94 proof, will retail for $39.95 at Columbus area liquor stores, including Weiland’s, Huffman’s, Europia and Campus Liquor.