Inside Nashville’s Craft Distillery Movement

In one of Nashville’s more industrial corners, a neighborhood just a few blocks south of the State Capitol, two distilleries – Corsair and Nelson’s Green Brier – make whiskey in what was formerly the Marathon automobile factory. Their products can be found on liquor store shelves across the United States, but a mere decade ago their existence, or the existence of any other craft distillery in Tennessee, seemed a pipe dream. While Jack Daniels has propelled the “Tennessee Whiskey” category into a globally recognized household name, until 2010 only three distilleries operated in Tennessee post-Prohibition: Jack Daniels, George Dickel, and Prichard’s (which only opened its doors in 1997). State laws limited spirits production exclusively to dry counties (to this day a visit to Jack Daniels culminates with a glass of lemonade, not liquor), and permitting proved bureaucratically insurmountable. A state bill introduced in 2009 eased restrictions, paving the way for new entrants in the spirits world to set up shop in Tennessee’s wet counties. By early 2010, Corsair Distillery, founded just across the Kentucky border in 2008, opened a second location in Nashville, becoming Tennessee’s fourth distillery in production. Eight years later, an estimated forty plus distilleries now call Tennessee home, including five within Nashville’s Davidson County. The timing was ripe in the early 2010s for Nashville to embrace a craft spirits scene. The city’s most famous export – country music – further implanted itself into America’s aural landscape, with artists like Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan bringing the genre more mainstream. In the fall of 2012, ABC premiered the TV show “Nashville,” headlined by Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere, drawing further attention to Music City. The local culinary scene also blossomed beyond the more traditional “meat-and-three” joints, attracting such nationally renowned chefs as Sean Brock and Jonathan Waxman. “Nashville has grown so much in the last few years, we now have so many artisans – and it’s not just musicians,” says Will Atkinson, brand ambassador for Corsair. With five distilleries in place, what spirits are being made in Nashville? For Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, the focus has been on reviving old family traditions. Andy and Charlie Nelson grew up hearing periodic whispers of their family’s prior involvement in the whiskey business. One fortuitous day in 2006 brought them to a butcher shop in Greenbrier, Tennessee. After conversing with the butcher, they learned that their ancestor built the warehouse across the street. Some further investigation revealed Andy and Charlie’s great-great-great grandfather to be Charles Nelson, founder of what once was Tennessee’s largest distillery, before shutting down production at the onset of state Prohibition in 1909. Charlie Nelson recalls his epiphany moment when viewing his family relics on display at the Greenbrier Historical Society. “When I saw those bottles with my name on it, I had visions like, ‘Ok, I know what I’m here to do in life,” he says. Nelson’s Green Brier’s chief product today is their Belle Meade Bourbon, a whiskey aged in Nashville, but distilled in Indiana and the resurrection of one of their forefathers’ labels. Meanwhile, what is set to become their signature spirit, a Tennessee Whiskey , is ageing in barrel awaiting its inaugural release next year. Confusingly, all Tennessee Whiskeys are made in Tennessee, but not all whiskeys made in Tennessee are Tennessee Whiskey. Beyond originating in the Volunteer State, all Tennessee Whiskeys must essentially meet the same requirements as bourbon – namely, its mash must consist of at minimum 51% corn and it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. But, Tennessee Whiskeys must additionally undergo what’s known as the “Lincoln County Process,” whereby the liquid is filtered through sugar maple charcoal. The technique is said to “mellow” out a whiskey, providing a smoother experience. Nonetheless, Tennessee Whiskey isn’t everybody’s focus. “We didn’t have that tradition, and we didn’t want to feign it,” explains Corsair’s Will Atkinson. On top of a portfolio that ranges from barrel-aged gin to pumpkin spice moonshine, Corsair looks toward innovation in their whiskey program. Their best seller is their Triple Smoke Whiskey – crafted from malted barley smoked by three different fuel sources: peat from Scotland, cherry wood from Wisconsin, and beech wood from Germany. The cherry wood brings a sweetness to the whiskey’s aroma, according to Atkinson, while the peat provides the smoky finish. In addition, Corsair releases an oat-based whiskey, as well as what they believe to be the first whiskey distilled from quinoa. Bruce Boeko, a forensic biologist who founded Nashville Craft in 2016, places his project within the larger farm-to-table movement. “There’s a national and international trend for buying local, minimizing your carbon footprint…We’re right in that,” he explains. Boeko makes a point to source his ingredients from nearby–his rye and heirloom corn for his whiskeys growing roughly forty miles north at Windy Acres Farm in Orlinda, Tennessee. Additionally, Boeko’s “Naked Biscuit” spirit is based on sorghum – a grain well suited to Tennessee’s climate, whose syrup historically has been used as a natural sweetener and a staple in old-school Southern cooking. The result essentially is a clear, unaged rum (although regulations define rum as being made with sugar cane), with a distinctively floral aroma and an almost feathery lightness of texture. Nashville Craft is located in the newly burgeoning Westwood-Houston, or “We-Ho,” neighborhood, as is Corsair’s second Tennessee location and headquarters. Boeko calls both his gin and Nashville “Crane City,” a testament to the ever-evolving cityscape. As Nashville continues to grow and develop, these distilleries look to further weave themselves into the city’s cultural fabric – one that can embrace traditions such as Tennessee Whiskey or the more Twenty-First Century quinoa whiskey alike. — Bryce Wiatrak Have you enjoyed any craft spirits recently? We want to see what you’re sipping! Scan the label or search by name to add your tasting notes on Delectable.