Bently Heritage Estate Distillery, in Minden, Nevada (a short drive from South Lake Tahoe) is comprised of three key properties:  the ranchlands nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and the Mill and Creamery buildings. Each building is over a century old, are some of Carson Valley's oldest structures — they’re the heart and soul of this small agricultural town. 

The estate distillery spent five years redesigning its Mill and Creamery buildings to meet the highest standards of design and environmental responsibility.The hundred-plus year-old flour mill and creamery buildings sit proudly on the National Register of Historic Places.

Once the largest operating mill and creamery in the area, today they have been restored to modern LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-certified standards.

Lightswitch designed a modern energy-efficient lighting design, achieving LEED certification objectives while maintaining a warm, welcoming ambiance.

While the construction process was intensive, it was carefully orchestrated to minimize waste and preserve everything possible — in some cases, even the original bricks themselves.

The facility’s overall design – which includes skylights, high-efficiency LEDs, and lighting controls (both occupancy sensors and daylight controls) – has been designed to comply with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007, resulting in a 40% reduction in annual energy consumption in the Mill and 38% in the Creamery.

Today, the mill serves as a public house and single malt distillery, and the creamery produces vodka, gin, and American whiskies, bringing distilling industry and a welcome attraction to the Carson Valley and the Sierra Nevada region.