Tennessee whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest, has announced that phase one of its Nearest Green Distillery will open on September 14, 2019.
The distillery, located in Shelbyville, Tennessee, is named after the first known African-American master distiller and the brand’s namesake, Nearest Green. The new distillery will mark the first in the US to commemorate an African-American whiskey maker, as well as celebrating the important historical contributions that he made to the whiskey world.
Those visiting the first phase of the Nearest Green Distillery will see the beginnings of what is set to be built on the 270-acre property, including buildings and visitor experiences that will open in the following years.
The new distillery, built on the former site of the famous Sand Creek Farms, will see the old Tennessee walking horse farm and event centre turned into a destination for whiskey enthusiasts and walking horse lovers.
Phase one the new Nearest Green Distillery will include a walking horse experience with the 50 championship walking horses that still reside there, the Welcome House and bar, Copper Skies Experience, retail store, Bottling House and Hard Hat Tour.
“When I went to write the invitations for the distillery opening, tears began to stream down my face,” said Fawn Weaver, co-founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest. “I’m not a person who cries often, but something about this history just chokes me up. When I wrote the opening line, ‘If Nearest Green could have owned his own distillery, would he have?’ I could only think of this incredible master distiller that likely never had the chance. And posthumously, we are working to ensure his name is cemented in the hearts and minds of people around the world for generations to come. The Nearest Green Distillery is his legacy and that of his descendants. Being able to bring that to life, quite frankly, still blows my mind.”
The distillery, located in Shelbyville, Tennessee, is named after the first known African-American master distiller and the brand’s namesake, Nearest Green. The new distillery will mark the first in the US to commemorate an African-American whiskey maker, as well as celebrating the important historical contributions that he made to the whiskey world.
Those visiting the first phase of the Nearest Green Distillery will see the beginnings of what is set to be built on the 270-acre property, including buildings and visitor experiences that will open in the following years.
The new distillery, built on the former site of the famous Sand Creek Farms, will see the old Tennessee walking horse farm and event centre turned into a destination for whiskey enthusiasts and walking horse lovers.
Phase one the new Nearest Green Distillery will include a walking horse experience with the 50 championship walking horses that still reside there, the Welcome House and bar, Copper Skies Experience, retail store, Bottling House and Hard Hat Tour.
“When I went to write the invitations for the distillery opening, tears began to stream down my face,” said Fawn Weaver, co-founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest. “I’m not a person who cries often, but something about this history just chokes me up. When I wrote the opening line, ‘If Nearest Green could have owned his own distillery, would he have?’ I could only think of this incredible master distiller that likely never had the chance. And posthumously, we are working to ensure his name is cemented in the hearts and minds of people around the world for generations to come. The Nearest Green Distillery is his legacy and that of his descendants. Being able to bring that to life, quite frankly, still blows my mind.”
