Whiskey distilleries growing in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Whiskey is to Tennessee as cheese is to Wisconsin and potatoes to Idaho. Or maybe more like bourbon is to Kentucky.

But until recently there were only three distilleries allowed by law to manufacture whiskey in the state. That's because there were only three counties out of all 95 allowed to produce distilled spirits: Moore, Coffee and Lincoln counties. Those are where distillers Jack Daniel's, George Dickel and Prichards' Rum, respectively, operate.

Under a law passed last year by the Legislature, about 40 more counties, including Nashville's Davidson County, now are eligible locations for distilleries.

Manufacturers are allowed to begin production in any county where both retail package sales of liquor and liquor-by-the-drink sales already have been locally approved. And that means you can open a distillery in any part of the county even if only one city meets both qualifications. Otherwise, you need to have an election to get the go-ahead.

"It was seen as being a really strong barrier to starting up, particularly for a microdistillery where you really don't want to spend that much money and you don't have that many people," William Cheek, a lawyer with Bone McAllester Norton, told the Westview. Cheek represents people in the liquor business who need help getting all the legal work done.

"Any changes to the state liquor laws are going to be very difficult," he said.

Eventually, the hope is that the new distilleries opening up will be able to work in conjunction with the established brands to create a draw for tourists to Tennessee to sample the expanded local fare.

"What is happening now really lays the foundation for a whiskey trail that is similar to the bourbon trail that Kentucky has," Cheek said. "The bourbon trail is fairly successful, but what the bourbon trail lacks is an international brand. We know Maker's Mark and we know Wild Turkey, but those aren't big brands in Europe or China or Japan.

"We've got Jack Daniel's and that might be the best-known brand of spirits worldwide. We have a real marquee that draws people, and if we could have a number of micro-distilleries that are available for touring and marketed properly, it could be really neat."

Part of that trail could be occupied by Short Mountain Distillery in Cannon County. It had to go a different route to getting the doors open because Cannon County does not allow liquor by the drink.

An election held in November gave the distillers the approval to proceed, and construction will continue in 2011.