Discover Nashville Distilleries + Cideries and a Meadery
Pick your poison–whiskey, moonshine, vodka, liqueur, gin–at our local distilleries. We’re experiencing Nashville’s biggest liquor-making boom industry since Prohibition. We’ve even got two cideries and a meadery. Some distilleries offer tours; some are just stores with sipping spots. Read on for what’s where, organized by geographic location. (Photo above: Pennington Distilling Co.)
More into hops than sour mash? Tap into profile of Nashville breweries and taprooms.
Downtown/SoBro/Germantown
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
In 2023, this Marathon Village distillery upped its appeal with a major renovation. In addition to a bar with tastings (and a Wednesday happy hour), they’ve opened an upscale restaurant serving brunch-leaning fare and a listening room featuring songwriters on Wednesday evenings, 6pm-10pm. Guided tours include the distillery’s storied history, a walk-through of the production facility, and samplings of four seasonal offerings. They often sell out so book in advance.
Old Smoky Distillery
Shares its spacious facility with YeeHaw Brewery. Lots of room to hang out and play cornhole and such. The distillery is like the Baskin-Robbins of PGA. Moonshine flavors include Butter Pecan, Moonshine Cherries, Cinnamon Toast Cream and Strawberry Mango Margarita.
Big Machine Distillery
Goes great guns with three unique outlets for their products. The downtown distillery offers tours, tastings and a Bloody Mary bar. In addition, it operates a combination distillery and tavern in Berry Hill (listed under South of Nashville). Its main production facility and tasting room is in Lynnville, TN.
Collier & McKeel
Located in Marathon Village at 1200 Clinton Street, the signature spirits here are small-barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Fiery Gizzard cinnamon-spiked whiskey and their version of moonshine called White Dog.
Corsair Distillery and Taproom
A tour with tastings will set you back $14 and the tour alone is $7. Kids are free but I’m not sure why you’re dragging them along. They also offer craft cocktail classes and guided tastings. Local beers are also available.
Nashville Barrel Company
Rum, small batch rye, bourbon, and wine are on tap at this innovative little business birthed as the founders began purchasing single barrels from distillers. Experiences range from flights (starting at $35) to the opportunity to blend your own bottle based on tastings (starting at $150). Two locations: 425 Church Street downtown and 222 Fesslers Lane, just a mile or two east of downtown.
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
In Marathon Village, just a few blocks west of the Bicentennial Mall, offers tours, tastings, a store and one of the most elegant bars among distilleries. (Pictured above: Sampling room)
Tennessee Legend Distillery
This Marathon Village store is the retail outpost of a distillery based in Newport, TN which is historically speaking the Moonshine Capital of the state, if not the U.S. They’ve gone legit with a collection which includes various spirits, whiskeys, cream liqueurs and, of course, moonshine. Among their more recent creations: white rum and apple pie moonshine.
Standard Proof Whiskey Company
The alchemists here were bartenders who experimented with concoctions until they met their own high standards. Working with 80-proof rye whiskey, infused flavors include ginger, honeysuckle, mint, pineapple, coffee and pecan. No tours but you can visit the tasting room or sign up for a cocktail class. Live music every Wednesday night 7-10pm.
East
Tennessee Legend
Located in the Opry Mills mall. Really more of a liquor store than distillery except that you can sample their wares if you’re 21+. Their wide-ranging collection includes whiskeys, bourbons, vodka, creme liqueur, rum and moonshine. The latter assortment features flavors such as apple pie, peach, coffee, blackberry and “fiery” mango margarita.
HoneyTree Meadery
It’s amazing what a little research will turn up. This hoppin’ little gathering place is a honey of a discovery. In fact, as mead-lovers know, honey (from their own apiary) is what makes mead mead. They host a surprisingly busy live events schedule including what may be the only fire-dancing exhibition in Nashville.
South
Nashville Craft Distillery
Three options await you at their 514 Hagan Street operation: #1 is the $20 45-minute tour which includes a cocktail and two tastings. #2 is the monthly two-day hands-on distilling workshop offered only on Tuesdays ($500). #3 is to simply purchase their offerings: Nashville Craft Bourbon Whiskey (Original and Traditional recipes), Golden Biscuit Sorghum Spirit, Naked Biscuit Sorghum Spirit, Crane City Gin, Spiced Honey Liqueur.
Big Machine Distillery and Tavern
In a rather unassuming location–the cottage-heavy retail section of Berry Hill. I wonder if this was a strategic move because there are several popular recording studios nearby.
Diskin Cidery
Nestled into Wedgewood-Houston (WeHo to the cool kids) is Nashville’s first cider house. The line-up of gluten-free variations of the lowly apple constantly evolving. And if you’re thinking, “I sure would like to see a drag show while sipping a crisp cider,” you’re in luck. They’re currently featuring a drag brunch on Sundays.
West
Pennington Distilling Company
Pennington offers tours, tastings and a gift shop. For the tour or tastings, you’ll pay $6 or combine them for $12. Unique to Pennington is a blend-your-own-bottle experience, a hands-on, three-hour adventure priced at $200. There’s also a single-barrel flight tasting with some of their more exclusive offerings that starts at $15 per person. Their brands include Davidson Reserve whiskey, Waltons Finest Vodka, Whisper Creek Tennessee Sipping Cream, Pickers Vodka and a variety of fruit-flavored Pickers canned cocktails and hard sodas.
Short Drives
Take a little roadtrip to discover whiskey-makers in the surrounding area.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery
It’s a nice drive through the country to get to Leiper’s Fork. Shop a little, maybe have a meal and take a start-to-finish tour of their small-batch operation. Sample their wares in the 200-year-old tasting room.
Uncle Nearest Distillery
Before Jack Daniels became world famous, an African American man known as Uncle Nearest was a local legend in Shelbyville and throughout the region for working his magic with sour mash. Learn his history, take the tour, and sample these wares at a stunningly beautiful facility nicknamed “Malt Disney World.”
Company Distilling
Just 45 minutes south of Nashville in Thompson’s Station, the folks are patiently waiting for perfection in their lines of bourbon, gin and flavored spirits.
George Dickel
Officially known as Cascade Hollow Distilling Company, you’re probably more familiar with the famed brand. Located in Tullahoma, the distillery has been in business since 1878 and today offers tours, tastings and product.
For a list of all distilleries in the state, visit the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.
Want to visit the mecca of Tennessee whiskey?
Head to Lynchburg, home of legendary Jack Daniels whiskey. Drive or consult one of these tour providers:
