There are many unique ways to safely celebrate the season along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail—a trail of over 25 distilleries spanning 36 counties. Across the state, distilleries have developed a variety of experiences to enable guests to enjoy their favorite spirits. From virtual concerts to holiday-inspired cocktails, there is no shortage of methods for whiskey lovers to imbibe in their favorite drinks or shop for holiday gifts.
Knox Whiskey Works
Knox Whiskey Works is offering holiday-themed cocktail recipes featured on their website, like Santa’s Sombrero and a Cranberry Winter Mule.
Doc Collier Distillery
Located on the main strip in Gatlinburg, Doc Collier Moonshine has recently released a 65 proof Gingerbread Cookie moonshine, available at for purchase at their distillery, which is open 7 days a week.
Ole Smokey Distillery
December 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Ole Smokey Distillery is hosting a Holiday live stream concert. Attendees can enjoy the music of Emily Ann Roberts, Meghan Patrick, JT Hodges, Jenna LaMaster and Kasey Tyndall from the comfort of their own living rooms. The concert benefits the Friends of the Smokies and event information can be found on their Facebook page.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery and H Clark Distillery
Both distilleries are stops along the Masters & Makers: Holiday Edition trail in Williamson County. Participants are given a festive cocktail to sip on at each stop. There is a limited-edition t-shirt available for those who check in at 4 of the 5 stops along the way, and the first 50 people to complete the trail will receive a special Christmas ornament.
Nearest Green Distillery
For those looking for the perfect gift for the whiskey lover on their list, Uncle Nearest Distillery has two items listed on Oprah’s Favorite Things 2020. Both their 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey and 1884 Small Batch Whiskey are featured on this year’s list. Customized engraving can be added to either one for a personal touch.
Bootlegger’s Distillery
At Bootlegger’s in Hartford, guests can come in to sample hot and cold holiday cocktails and peruse their gift sets which include six packs of 50 ml moonshine flavors for $34.99 and sets of two 375 ml flavors for $29.99. Locals to the area also receive a discount.
Jack Daniel’s Distillery
Jack Daniel’s will continue with their Barrel Tree tradition in both Lynchburg and Nashville this year. Beginning December 1, bids will begin o the top barrel from each tree in support of Operation Ride Home. They are also offering a Holiday Countdown Calendar that features a twenty 50 ml bottles in a variety of flavors, along with 4 shot glasses.
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
Located in Nashville, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery not only has cocktail recipes available, they also offer food recipes to make with their whiskies and liqueurs. Recipes like Whiskey Glazed Party Mix and Louisa’s Brownies allow customers a chance to utilize their spirits when cooking. For those who love to a great cider recipe, this video shows how to make the perfect Honey Bourbon Cider.
Chattanooga Whiskey Distillery
Chattanooga Whiskey, who’s Chattanooga Straight Rye Malt recently was named one of the Top 20 Whiskies of 2020 by Whiskey Advocate, has a new bourbon for the season. December 4, the Experimental Distillery released Experimental Batch 016: Fig Infused Amaro. This limited-edition bourbon liqueur infuses their signature Tennessee High Malt bourbon with a blend of figs and aromatic botanicals and will be sold exclusively at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery. Beginning December 12, Chattanooga Whiskey will also kick off a social media campaign called the Chattanooga Whiskey 12 Days of Christmas. The campaign, which runs through December 23, will give social media followers an opportunity to win Chattanooga Whiskey merchandise each day.
Sugarlands Distillery
Sugarlands is famous for their moonshine and has several holiday recipes available including the Candy Cane, Cinnamon Apple Mimosa and Cran-Pumpkin Mule. They also created a handy Moonshine Gift Guide to help customers with their holiday shopping.
Old Forge Distillery
Old Forge Distillery is once again transforming their cocktail bar into a Whiskey Wonderland complete with signature drinks like their Cinnamon Espresso Martini, S’more Shine and Rosemary Maple Bourbon Sour. While visiting this indoor wonderland, guests can also pick up an Old Forge Holiday Spirits Calendar – an advent calendar with 24 mini jars of moonshine.
“The distilleries of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail have come up with some creative experiences to celebrate the season. This year has been a tough one, so it’s more important than ever to us to boost people’s spirits.” explained Executive Director of the Tennessee Distiller’s Guild, Sara Beth Urban.
Visitors to the Whiskey Trail can take advantage of the Passport. Hard copies are available at participating distilleries or available through the TN Whiskey Trail app for Apple or Android devices. Start collecting stamps with each distillery visit and once all are visited, the passport can be redeemed for a commemorative gift. Visitors are encouraged to register their passport before embarking on their journey.
For more information on the Passport and for a trip planner, list of distilleries and maps, visit https://www.tnwhiskeytrail.com/.