Oak and Moore: From Kentucky, for Kentucky

On3 imageby:Piper McCoun05/29/23

Along the endless Kentucky backroads, surrounded by the greenest of trees and bluest of skies, lives history. A deep, rich history that needs no explanation through words, but one you can feel. For some, that pride turns into productivity. Few creatives are able to successfully harness the history that lives here and turn it into art that speaks to and for Kentuckians. 

Lane Moore, the founder and owner of Oak and Moore, is a 23-year-old entrepreneur from Versailles, KY who has successfully harnessed Kentucky traditions and created beautiful and functional pieces from the state’s biggest product — bourbon. 

Moore constructs bar carts, stools, tables, stands, decor, trays, and so much more out of bourbon barrels. What started as selling a few items on Facebook turned into a full-time business, which recently landed him a brand new storefront in downtown Versailles. 

How It Began

His entrepreneurial qualities, however, started much earlier. Moore says he was always working growing up. 

“My first job was in middle school working with my uncle, Kevin, pouring concrete on a job site,” said Moore. “In high school, I did lawn care, so I’ve always done manual labor, until I went to school and had internships in an office.” 

Moore graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2022 with a degree in Finance alongside a minor in Agricultural Economics. His original plan was to pursue a career in investment banking and work with venture capital firms. 

The further he got in his college education, the clearer it became that his original plan wasn’t sustainable for the life he wanted to build. 

Small-town guy

“I realized if I wanted to have that career I’d have to move to a big city. So after I learned that, my whole perspective changed,” said Moore. “The first question I needed to ask myself is where do I want to live for the rest of my life, and I don’t ever plan on leaving Kentucky.

“So I knew I needed to have a career that was specific to where I wanted to live that can make a sustainable amount of money. Since bourbon is huge in Kentucky, I thought, ‘Why not make things from bourbon barrels?,’ since I’ve always liked working with my hands.”

How does one even go about finding bourbon barrels to work with? This is a question that I wondered, and I’m sure most of you are, too. 

An interlude for Facebook Marketplace

Let me start by explaining the entity that is Facebook Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace is, what I would consider, the elevated version of eBay. People post their old, unwanted items at extremely low rates, in hopes of getting them out of their possession as quickly as possible. If you’re in the market for a new piece of furniture, car, or heck, even bourbon barrels, Facebook Marketplace is the way to go. 

Now that you know this, I can tell you that Lane Moore lives on Facebook Marketplace. In fact, it is how his career began. 

“I’ve always been big on Facebook Marketplace, and the whole reason I thought of bourbon was because they were selling a bunch on Facebook Marketplace for really cheap at the time,” said Moore. 

He bought five barrels, made various items out of them, and sold them all within a week. 

“That’s when I knew, I was like ‘Oh! I could potentially do this for a living,’” Moore added. 

Moore has hit the ground running ever since, making custom orders and the like. Through trial and error and hours of hard work, he’s found the perfect process to make the best bourbon barrel products possible. 

What Makes the Difference

Moore takes pride in the fact that he sells products that will last a lifetime. He puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of drying barrels and barrel heads before attempting to make or sell any of his products. 

“We dry all the barrels to 15 percent humidity and all of the barrel heads to 8% humidity. That’s crucial if you want to have a life-lasting product.” 

Neglecting to dry the barrels before selling them would result in cracks and warping over time. Moore says he’s had to fix dozens of barrel heads for people that have bought them from other businesses for that very reason. 

“With my products, [there is a] guarantee that that will never happen, because they’re already dried to 8% in a wood kiln.” 

He takes pride in this process, ensuring that every metal band he uses has “KY” engraved on it so that his customers can appreciate the authenticity of the product. 

This process, although tedious, has allowed him to make the best quality products. It’s the reason he’s already found so much success at just 23. 

In March of this year, Moore was selected as the Patron’s Pick of the 2023 Masters of Craft Awards for Keeneland Mercantile. As of this week, Oak and Moore products will be available for purchase at the Keeneland Mercantile store. 

If you ever find yourself headed to the small town of Versailles, check out Oak and Moore. You can follow him on Facebook at Oak & Moore and on Instagram @oakandmoore.

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