Annual Southern Gentleman® Issue
Each year, more than 8 million tourists visit the 30 distilleries located along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. You may be wondering, how did whiskey become so popular in Tennessee? Read on to learn about the state’s whiskey distilling history and the origins of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, plus a few key stops along the way.
By Kristen Dee
Spanning more than 800 miles, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail includes stops all over the state, in cities such as Chattanooga, Knoxville, Cookeville, Memphis, Nashville, and more, offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy large-scale distilleries like Jack Daniel’s and craft distilleries such as Chattanooga Whiskey. While the Tennessee Whiskey Trail has only been open since 2017, Tennessee has a much longer distilling history.
The state of Tennessee has been a leading producer of distilled spirits since the 1800s. In 1810, there were hundreds of distilleries across Tennessee, including more than 30 just in Chattanooga. By 1866, distilling was Tennessee’s largest manufacturing industry. That same year, Jack Daniel’s officially established themselves as a business in Lynchburg, Tennessee, now recognized as the first registered distillery in the U.S.
Despite the popularity of the spirit, Tennessee led the way in prohibition movements – the Confederate government of Tennessee outlawed whiskey production during the war and later banned the production of whiskey again in 1910. Even after the federal prohibition laws were lifted, Tennessee remained a dry state, leading to an uptick in illegal spirit making, particularly whiskey and moonshine. In 1937, Tennessee repealed in-state prohibition but allowed distilling to occur in only three counties: Lincoln, Moore, and Coffee.
Photo Courtesy of Chattanooga Whiskey
Legislation in 2009 expanded distilling opportunities to 41 additional counties. Then in May of 2013, “The Whiskey Bill” passed, further expanding the distilling laws by allowing distilling in any city where voters have approved both liquor by the drink and retail package store sales. These new expanded laws included Hamilton County, and the bill was largely made possible by the efforts of Tim Piersant and Joe Ledbetter of Chattanooga Whiskey. Following the bill’s passing, Chattanooga Whiskey was able to move their production from Indiana to Chattanooga, and in 2015, they released the first unaged whiskey produced in Chattanooga in more than 100 years. Thanks to updated legislation and the efforts of the Tennessee Distillers Guild, Tennessee’s whiskey scene is now thriving once again.
Photo Courtesy of Chattanooga Whiskey
Established in 2014, The Tennessee Distillers Guild is an organization that supports Tennessee distilleries through networking, events, resources, and more. The Guild’s three main goals are to responsibly promote Tennessee spirits, advocate for the industry at the local, state, and federal level, and create a network for distillers to connect with and support each other. There are 40+ distilleries across the state that belong to the network, including all of the distilleries on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.
Photo Courtesy of Chattanooga Whiskey
In June of 2017, the Tennessee Distillers Guild established the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, drawing in more than 6.3 million visitors to its 26 distilleries in the first year. Today the trail has 30 distillery stops spanning 42 counties, each with a unique approach to distilling and spirits. Together, the distilleries on the trail produce 250 million barrels of whiskey annually.
Those wanting to visit the trail can access a full map or list of stops on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail website. The website’s trip planner tool has suggested routes for hitting the full trail, which starts in Nashville and works its way toward Memphis, as well as curated trail routes with different stops based on region, trip type, holidays, and more. Explore Tennessee’s many state parks with the “Adventure Quencher” trail, or prioritize live music on your route with the “Tastings and Tunes” trail. This year, the trail is hosting their annual Carols & Barrels event running from November to January, which features handcrafted holiday cocktails and holiday-themed pop ups at 12 participating locations.
Photo Courtesy of Chattanooga Whiskey
Spanning more than 800 miles, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail includes stops all over the state, in cities such as Chattanooga, Knoxville, Cookeville, Memphis, Nashville, and more, offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy large-scale distilleries like Jack Daniel’s and craft distilleries such as Chattanooga Whiskey. While the Tennessee Whiskey Trail has only been open since 2017, Tennessee has a much longer distilling history.
The state of Tennessee has been a leading producer of distilled spirits since the 1800s. In 1810, there were hundreds of distilleries across Tennessee, including more than 30 just in Chattanooga. By 1866, distilling was Tennessee’s largest manufacturing industry. That same year, Jack Daniel’s officially established themselves as a business in Lynchburg, Tennessee, now recognized as the first registered distillery in the U.S.
Despite the popularity of the spirit, Tennessee led the way in prohibition movements – the Confederate government of Tennessee outlawed whiskey production during the war and later banned the production of whiskey again in 1910. Even after the federal prohibition laws were lifted, Tennessee remained a dry state, leading to an uptick in illegal spirit making, particularly whiskey and moonshine. In 1937, Tennessee repealed in-state prohibition but allowed distilling to occur in only three counties: Lincoln, Moore, and Coffee.
Legislation in 2009 expanded distilling opportunities to 41 additional counties. Then in May of 2013, “The Whiskey Bill” passed, further expanding the distilling laws by allowing distilling in any city where voters have approved both liquor by the drink and retail package store sales. These new expanded laws included Hamilton County, and the bill was largely made possible by the efforts of Tim Piersant and Joe Ledbetter of Chattanooga Whiskey. Following the bill’s passing, Chattanooga Whiskey was able to move their production from Indiana to Chattanooga, and in 2015, they released the first unaged whiskey produced in Chattanooga in more than 100 years. Thanks to updated legislation and the efforts of the Tennessee Distillers Guild, Tennessee’s whiskey scene is now thriving once again.
Established in 2014, The Tennessee Distillers Guild is an organization that supports Tennessee distilleries through networking, events, resources, and more. The Guild’s three main goals are to responsibly promote Tennessee spirits, advocate for the industry at the local, state, and federal level, and create a network for distillers to connect with and support each other. There are 40+ distilleries across the state that belong to the network, including all of the distilleries on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.
In June of 2017, the Tennessee Distillers Guild established the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, drawing in more than 6.3 million visitors to its 26 distilleries in the first year. Today the trail has 30 distillery stops spanning 42 counties, each with a unique approach to distilling and spirits. Together, the distilleries on the trail produce 250 million barrels of whiskey annually.
Those wanting to visit the trail can access a full map or list of stops on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail website. The website’s trip planner tool has suggested routes for hitting the full trail, which starts in Nashville and works its way toward Memphis, as well as curated trail routes with different stops based on region, trip type, holidays, and more. Explore Tennessee’s many state parks with the “Adventure Quencher” trail, or prioritize live music on your route with the “Tastings and Tunes” trail. This year, the trail is hosting their annual Carols & Barrels event running from November to January, which features handcrafted holiday cocktails and holiday-themed pop ups at 12 participating locations.
Photo Courtesy of Gate 11 Distillery
As each distillery is unique in their history, production, environment, and more, you’re sure to get a different tour and tasting at each stop. If you plan to hit multiple stops on the trail, consider grabbing a free passport booklet at any of the distilleries, which allows you to collect stamps from each stop on the trail. Those who are able to collect all 30 stamps receive a commemorative gift. There is also a convenient digital passport option to check in to each stop.
For those visiting with furry friends, more than 20 of the distilleries are dog friendly – just look for the paw print next to the distillery listing on the trail’s website. Visitors can also download a digital “pawsport” for their pup, complete all the stops, and receive a free gift. While visitors have to be 21 and up to participate in tastings and the passport booklet, most of the distilleries are family friendly. Each distillery has different requirements for tour bookings and reservations, so be sure to research each stop before visiting.
These five distilleries on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail offer unique spirits and fantastic tour experiences, recommended by Athens Distributing. Read on to learn about the distilleries’ histories and approaches to distilling, as well as see a bottle recommendation from each.
Chattanooga WhiskeyChattanooga, Tennessee
After paving the way for Hamilton County to produce legal whiskey once again, Chattanooga Whiskey began production in Chattanooga in March of 2015, and has been winning awards ever since. In 2017, the distillery launched their Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Single Batch Series, starting with Batch 001: Tennessee High Malt – the first aged whiskey sold in Chattanooga in 102 years. Take a tour at their downtown tasting room to try some of the 100 plus barrels maturing in their aging cellar.
Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest release, Michigan Maple Syrup Cask Finished, is crafted from a blend of two straight bourbon mash bills – each containing at least 25% specialty malted grains – finished in late harvest maple syrup casks from Michigan. Aged for over four years, including one year in the finishing casks, the resulting fall-forward bourbon offers notes of pancakes, sweet potato, maple candy, and malted milk ball.
Leiper’s Fork DistilleryFranklin, Tennessee
Aiming to highlight small batch production that’s true to Tennessee’s whiskey making roots, Leiper’s Fork Distillery focuses on a pre-prohibition concept of production. Since filling their first barrel in 2016, all of their whiskeys are 100% mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled on site with significant attention to detail, and they produce only 25,000 gallons a year. Tour their Stillhouse to learn how they make their whiskey, then taste spirits in the 200-year-old tasting room, and enjoy live music most weekends!
This 100 proof whiskey is aged for five a half years. The mash bill is 70% corn, 15% rye, and 15% barley malt. No detail is spared in the production, including using local, non-GMO grains and a pot distilling method to create a full-bodied whiskey. Enjoy notes of butterscotch, herbs, cherries, and toffee.
Jack Daniel DistilleryLynchburg, Tennessee
Jack Daniel’s is a key part of the whiskey distilling history in Tennessee. On their large campus in Lynchburg, you can learn about the iconic brand’s history, see how they make the whiskey, take part in one of their many different tour options, and of course, enjoy a tasting.
Jack Daniel’s classic Tennessee Whiskey mash bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye is distilled and mellowed through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. Barrels are prepared with a high-toast, low-char toasting technique, creating a deeper, richer toasted layer before the barrel is charred. Offered at 100 proof (50% abv), Single Barrel Heritage Barrel has a soft oak nose, warm notes of honey and candied fruit across the palate, and a lingering finish of brown sugar.
Old Dominick DistilleryMemphis, Tennessee
In 1866, Italian immigrant Domenico Canale began operating a produce business selling fruits, vegetables, and sweets in Memphis. In addition to produce, he also made and sold a bourbon whiskey called Old Dominick, which gained a large customer base. Following Domenico’s passing and prohibition, production of Old Dominick ceased. After a surprise discovery of an unopened bottle of Old Dominick Toddy from the late 1800s, Canale’s great-grandchildren Chris and Alex decided to reinstate the spirit brand with a world-class distillery in downtown Memphis. Today, visitors can enjoy a trip to the distillery to “share a sip of pure Memphis.”
Old Dominick describes their Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey as “unapologetic,” packing a high proof while still offering bold, complex flavors. There is honey and cinnamon flavors on the nose, as well as notes of buttercream and caramel. On the palate, enjoy the warmth of the rye with leather, dark chocolate, cinnamon, and caramel.
Gate 11 DistilleryChattanooga, Tennessee
Located inside the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal Station, Gate 11 is a family-owned small batch distillery. Opened in 2018, the distillery produces unique craft spirits with high quality ingredients, making everything from whiskey, tequila, gin, vodka, rum, and more. Stop by for a tasting or craft cocktail and enjoy some Chattanooga history along the way.
Named after founder Bill Lee’s great-grandfathers, this award-winning single malt whiskey is Gate 11’s take on Irish whiskey, but made in Tennessee with local grains. The mash bill contains 83% malted barley and 17% rye. It’s distilled in a custom-built pot still, then barrel aged for two years, producing tasting notes of bold caramel and woody spices.
Photo Courtesy of Gate 11 Distillery
So you’re ready to hit the Tennessee Whiskey Trail and sample some whiskeys? Here are some popular whiskey-related terms you will likely encounter during tours and tastings.
Tennessee whiskey: All whiskey made in Tennessee follows the standard distillation rules for whiskey, with two additional rules: It must be produced in Tennessee, and it must undergo the “Lincoln County process,” which involves filtering the new-make whiskey through maple charcoal before maturation.
Proof: A spirit’s proof is the measure of alcohol present per volume, found by measuring the density of the spirit. In the U.S., proof is two times the percentage of alcohol by volume, or ABV. For example, a whiskey that is 40% ABV is 80 proof.
Mash: Mash is the mixture of grain, water, and yeast used to produce the alcohol. Popular grains include corn, rye, wheat, and barley. Each distillery has a distinct mash bill for their recipes, typically set by the master distiller, and the composition of the mash has a significant impact on the flavor of the final product.
Rye: A rye whiskey’s mash is at least 51% rye. These whiskeys are typically very dry, spicy, and intense.
Cask strength: If a whiskey is cask strength, no water is added to the spirit after the distillation process. This keeps the proof high and provides a bold-tasting whiskey. Typically, cask strength whiskeys are 100 proof or higher (50% ABV).
Bottled in bond: As whiskey gained popularity, counterfeit spirits began to enter the market. As a result, Congress passed one of the earliest consumer protection acts, the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, to ensure quality control. Bottled in bond whiskey must: Be produced at the same distillery by the same distiller within the same distilling season, be aged for at least four years in wood containers in a federally bonded warehouse, be unaltered from its original condition, be bottled at exactly 100 proof, be labeled to identify the distillery and location, and only water may be added.
Photo Courtesy of Gate 11 Distillery
