Officials of the Chattanooga Whiskey Company said they have decided to cancel a planned New Year's Barrel Drop event.
Officials said, "We regret to have to inform you that we at Chattanooga Whiskey have made the decision to cancel the New Year’s Eve Barrel Drop. This was not an easy decision for us to make and was most certainly not made lightly.
"It breaks our heart to cancel this event as we were looking forward to ring in the New Year with hundreds, if not thousands, of our Whiskey Friends. Not only that but we were extremely excited to bring two amazing acts, Houndmouth and The Weeks, to our city and are saddened that we will be missing out on what we are sure would have been an incredible show. However, at the end of the day we realized canceling the Barrel Drop was a decision we had to make.
"Why? Well, we got to a place where our team started to realize our focus was not solely on our core mission: to bring whiskey back to Chattanooga. Furthermore, to bring whiskey to the people.
"Please realize that we know we are letting many of you, our Whiskey Friends, down with this news. We truly hope that you will accept our apologies for any trouble or annoyances this announcement may cause.
"And though we may not be able to all join together as one in a physical space, we hope that you will still raise a glass of Chattanooga Whiskey with us in spirit at the stroke of midnight. There will be many events happening in Chattanooga and we hope that you will join our friends and neighbors for New Year’s Eve.
"It is our deepest hope that you have an amazing night on December 31st connecting and celebrating with those nearest and dearest to you. We are looking forward to the possibilities the New Year may bring and are eager to continue with the steps in bringing whiskey back to Chattanooga. Whiskey to the People."