Handcrafted flavors, award-winning spirits, dog-friendly digs, biking paths, and mouthwatering pub grub – if you’re looking for the total package, check out these eight distilleries in Tennessee.
Bootleggers Distillery
Located in the hills of East Tennessee, this rustic roadside distillery is considered one of the smallest in the United States. Stop by for a tour and tasting and watch the fermenting process from start to finish. Sample some of their oaky Old 15th Whiskey or take home a jar of the 144-proof Fire Moonshine (careful, it may put hair on your chest). Test your distilling chops and build your own barrel – you’ll pick the grains, create the mash and design your label. Pick it up later after it’s been aged to perfection!
Chattanooga Whiskey Distillery
The first legal distillery in Chattanooga in over 100 years, Chattanooga Whiskey Distillery crafts award-winning bourbon with a creative twist at its experimental space downtown. Enjoy a guided tour of the facility’s distilling system and get a taste of the latest bourbons, or sit at the bar where amber bottles line the shelves. Sample creative flavors like fig-infused high-malt bourbon and the apricot brandy. Or, go for The White Port Cask Finished Whiskey with its notes of honey and strawberries. This distillery also scores brownie points for being dog-friendly (tasting room only).
Company Distilling
For a taste of Tennessee’s great outdoors (and some fine whiskey), head to Company Distilling in Townsend. Nestled on 13.5 acres on the shores of Little River, it’s the perfect spot for a hike on the Townsend Greenway trails and a tasting. Try the bourbon and chocolate pairing experience from The Chocolate B’ar. Relax on the pet-friendly patio with a neat bourbon and gorgeous views of the Smokies. Play yard games like corn hole. And if you’re hungry, grab a bite at the on-site restaurant Amici – menu items include grilled cheese with pesto, charcuterie boards and pesto parmesan fries!
Junction 35 Spirits
At Junction 35 Spirits in Pigeon Forge, you’ll find more than whiskey and moonshine – they also distill vodka, gin, and tequila. Sit in a comfy leather booth or snag a stool at the bar in the railway-themed tasting room and try a vodka-based Bam Bam Hurricane to get the party started. Sample apple pie moonshine or, if you’re daring, the banana pudding! Offset the booze with their signature nachos loaded with juicy, slow-cooked brisket, or try the Hot Honey Pecan Chicken from their upscale pub menu.
Knox Whiskey Works
You won’t find your grandpa’s whiskey at Knox Whiskey Works in Knoxville. Instead, you’ll discover inventive spirits like Honey Habanero Whiskey and Fleur de Vie Floral Liqueur (a blend of botanical notes like rose and lavender). Tour the distillery and see the 300-gallon copper pot still at work. Grab a seat in the kitschy tasting room (the walls are covered in vibrant spirit labels) and sample 100% corn whiskey or enjoy a cocktail-tasting flight of four house-made cocktails like the Bourbon Blues, a blend of bourbon and pineapple juice with blueberries.
Lost State Distilling
In the heart of downtown Bristol, the family-owned Lost State Distilling is all about crafting small-batch gin, rum, Tennessee whiskey and canned cocktails. Saddle up to the aged wooden bar in the tasting room and pick your poison. Sample the light, warm Nolichucky Jack Silver Rum, juniper-heavy Secession Tennessee Gin, or go straight for Shelby’s Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Or, pick up one of their canned Lime Margaritas. If you’re a serious whiskey drinker, sign up for their exclusive Journey to Bottled in Bond program and receive two bottles of whiskey at each stage of the aging process.
Old Tennessee Distilling Co.
In Kodak, Old Tennessee Distilling Co. will reel you in with free tastings and keep your attention with mesmerizing rows of their 19 flavors of moonshine (including classics like Apple Pie and less common flavors like Orange Dreamsicle), along with whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, rye, and more. Drink your fill of their $5 cocktails, or go for the good stuff – Sid’s Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Tour their neon-lit distillery, play checkers at the bar, and take home a few bottles for your collection.
Ole Smoky Distillery
Take the whole family to the Barrelhouse at Ole Smokey Distillery in Gatlinburg, where mountain-made moonshine and whiskey reign supreme. Try unusual flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream or Salty Watermelon Whiskey, Hunch Punch Lightin’ Moonshine, or bite into some crisp Hot and spicy Moonshine Pickles. Take a walk over to their second location, The Holler, for a tour and park yourself in one of the rocking chairs for weekly live country and bluegrass music.
