Many states and countries are renowned for their whiskey and bourbon. But none of them top Tennessee whiskey.
As of now, Tennessee whiskey is not only the most popular form of whiskey but also the most popular spirit.
It should be no surprise that there’s now a Tennessee Whiskey Trail. This trail includes a tour of the most legendary Tennessee whiskey distilleries where whiskey connoisseurs can take a tour, hitting each distillery.
Which distilleries are on the trail? Here’s your guide to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail and all of the rules you should know.
The trail includes 29 distillery stops in multiple regions of Tennessee. This isn’t a trail where you can walk to the different distilleries. In order to properly plan your transportation, you should know how the trail is organized.
Different Regions
The Tennessee whiskey trail is separated into multiple regions. This includes:
Middle Tennessee includes main cities such as Nashville, Lynchburg, Clarksville, and a combination of smaller cities.
Eastern Tennessee includes major cities such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, and smaller cities. Southern Tennessee includes a distillery in Memphis.
The routing starts in Eastern Tennessee. From here, you move west to Nashville and stay in the middle of the state. The trail ends with Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis.
Taking a Whiskey Trail Tour
Do you want to enjoy your tour, but don’t want to plan out all the details yourself? You can have all that fun and reliable transportation with a professional tour company.
Taking a Tennessee Whiskey Trail tour also lets you plan your own trip with other considerations such as meals and entertainment.
Our guides will take you to each distillery safely. We're also knowledgeable in whiskey and in the distilleries so we can offer plenty of insight.
Taking a whiskey tour prevents drinking and driving, which we definitely don't recommend. All the fun, without all the worry or risks!
Before you embark on the Tennessee whiskey trail, you should know which distilleries you’ll be visiting. Here are a few favorites. Keep in mind, you’re visiting over 25 distilleries so there’s plenty more we missed!
East Tennessee
These Eastern Tennessee distilleries will be the first on your list. Here are select favorites.
Bootleggers Distillery
The legends state the bootleggers were a secret society devoted to tracking the best distillation methods and recipes. While the distillery is no longer a secret society, they’re still devoted to producing the best moonshine.
Chattanooga Whiskey Co.
Chattanooga Whiskey Co. produces both whiskey bourbon and Tennessee high malt. They’re a newer distillery, only starting in 2011. But they quickly reached fame because they’re the first whiskey company since Prohibition.
Cocke County Moonshine Distillery
This is one of the few distilleries that only offers 100% moonshine. Some of their most famous moonshines include honeymoon shine, apple pie shine, blackberry shine, and peach shine.
Cocke County Moonshine Distillery is owned by Arvis Keys, who grew up in the heyday of moonshine distillation.
Doc Collier Moonshine Distillery
The city of Gatlinburg has an incredible history of moonshine distillation.
Doc Collier Moonshine Distillery aims to include that history in their moonshine.
The distillery was inspired by the folklore and stories that emerged from eastern Tennessee, which is why there’s a little bit of history in every Doc Collier moonshine bottle.
Knox Whiskey Works
Even in the busy city of Knoxville, Knox Whiskey Works is a small distillery releasing only a small batch of whiskey. That’s because each whiskey is brewed with skill and they have the passion for proper whiskey distillation.
Old Forge Distillery
Old Forge Distillery is another small distillery. This distillery offers a little bit of everything — from moonshine to bourbon. No matter what you try, their spirits are of great quality. Favorites include their apple pie and French toast moonshine.
Ole Smoky Distillery
Ole Smoky Distillery promotes themselves as “the most visited distillery.” They offer everything from whiskey to multiple flavors of moonshine. In addition, Ole Smoky hosts many events and concerts, making this a lively stop on your trail.
From here, we go into the music capital Nashville and visit iconic distilleries. Here are a few to know.
George Dickel Distillery
George Dickel is one of the oldest and most iconic Tennessee distilleries.
Their whiskey is not only high quality but unique. Even with their success, they still maintain quality whiskey and while scaling their tasting room and tours to small sizes.
Jack Daniel’s Distillery
There’s no question that Jack Daniel’s famous distillery is included on the trail. The distillery is tucked back in the town of Lynchburg, a small town not far from Nashville. Guests are welcome to take the famous Jack Daniels distillery tour.
Corsair Distillery
Are you a whiskey connoisseur but also a craft beer fan? You’ll love Nashville’s first stop on the beer trail. Corsair Distillery offers the best of both spirits and craft beer.
It’s recommended you take the short distillery tour, followed by plenty of samples.
West Tennessee — Old Dominick Distillery
Memphis only offers one distillery on this tour — Old Dominick Distillery.
They’re best known for their distinctive whiskeys but also for their vodka. Try a well-crafted cocktail and make sure you attend a day they’re hosting a live music event!
If you want to participate in the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, it’s recommended you embark on a tour with a knowledgeable guide. Here are the tours we offer.
Posted on May 16 2019
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