Who We Are
Never Sourced, Pre-Prohibition Style
Flavors Lost to Time
There are many whiskey bottles on the shelf. Behind them there are brands, there are bottlers, blenders, rectifiers, and then there are distillers. At MB Roland Distillery we’ve distilled every drop of our own unique, pre-Prohibition style bourbon and whiskey since our founding in 2009. But to start our story, we need to start with Prohibition.
In 1918 there were more than 2,000 distilleries and spirits makers across America, with more than 200 in Kentucky. With the start of Prohibition, the national total dropped to just six total licenses to bottle medicinal spirits one could purchase with the appropriate prescription. American whiskey was forever changed. Smaller producers using locally grown grains and pot stills were lost to history. Production became focused mainly on efficiency and volume to include chill-filtration and lowering both the barrel entry proof and bottling proof. The whiskey became less flavorful and lighter.
Our story starts in 2007 when Paul Tomaszewski was brought to Kentucky via Fort Campbell while serving in the US Army. Born and raised in the New Orleans area, Paul gained an appreciation for Kentucky Bourbon’s historical ties to Louisiana. Although there is some debate about the exact origins of where the word “Bourbon” came from, the initial demand that helped solidify what Bourbon is came from those early barrels shipped to New Orleans from Kentucky. Paul wondered, “what did those barrels taste like?”
Paul met and married Merry Beth Roland (MB Roland) and came up with the novel idea to open a pre-Prohibition style distillery. As business partners, Paul and Merry Beth purchased an Amish dairy farm near Pembroke in Christian County, amongst the rolling fields known to be some of the best farmland in the Commonwealth. Coincidentally, their planned distillery was just five miles from Christian County Grain, a grower and supplier of food-grade white corn and red winter wheat. Eventually all grains would be sourced from Kentucky farmers growing grains for the purpose of distilling whiskey, rye from Walnut Grove Farms in Logan County and malted barley from South Fork Malthouse in Cynthiana. They also became one of the first distillers to buy barrels from Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville. Much like before Prohibition, these barrels are hand-made and fired over natural wood fires, not run through an assembly line with gas burners.
The business started with Just Paul and Merry Beth with a 100-gallon still filling a few barrels a year. Since then, its steadily grown to include fourteen employees with a passion for being a part of crafting their unique pre-Prohibition style bourbon and whiskey.



Our Founders
Paul Tomaszewski
Co-Founder, President & Master Distiller
Paul is originially from the New Orleans area, where he gained his appreciation for all things food and beverage. Before opening the distillery, Paul served in the US Army and, while stationed at Fort Campbell, met and married Merry Beth Roland. Together they opened one of Kentucky’s first craft distilleries in 2009. As president and master distiller, Paul focuses his efforts on overall production, product development, and ongoing growth efforts for the business.
Merry Beth (Roland) Tomaszewski
Co-Founder & Executive Vice President
Merry Beth (MB Roland) Tomaszewski is originally from tiny Adams, TN, just over the state line from Kentucky. Before opening the distillery with Paul, she worked in the banking industry serving as a vice president for a local community bank. As executive vice president of MB Roland Distillery, she oversees multiple departments and business developments.
