EAST TENNESSEE WHISKEY FOUNDERS
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Tennessee Whiskey Industry. These may have been historical figures that lived long ago before prohibition or may be living leaders that have advanced the cause of the industry as a whole. Tennessee Whiskey has been its own whiskey category for years but the requirements of a Tennessee Whiskey weren’t defined by statute until May of 2013.
1
Jeff Arnett
Arnett was a quality control engineer at the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg.. He began that position, which, very importantly, took him throughout the campus to be a part of each aspect of the distillery. So, when Jimmy Bedford stepped down as Master Distiller in 2008, Arnett became the 7th Master Distiller at Jack Daniels. Arnett has since departed JD and founded Company Distilling in 2020, which currently has three locations in Tennessee, including one in Lynchburg.
2
Joe Baker
In 2009, when the State of Tennessee legalized moonshine, Baker decided to take one of his family traditions (and moonshine recipes) to rest of the world. That decision took Ole Smoky Moonshine LLC from a family tradition to a company that now controls 40% of the moonshine market.“For anybody on the outside looking in, it looks easy. It’s easy to see this as just a wildly successful business that anybody can do, but I think the more realistic assessment would be: Damn, that’s hard,” says Baker.
3
Stephen Callahan
In 2014, Stephen and Jessica Callahan purchased the Civil War–era Salt House in Jonesborough, Tennessee, a warehouse that once stored precious salt near the East Tennessee rail line. They renovated the building for two years, and it was there that the couple opened Tennessee Hills Distillery in 2016..
4
Greg Eidam
Sevier County’s decision to allow distilling opened the door of opportunity for Greg and his reunited business partner, Ned Vickers (and others), to work through the many layers of Federal, State, county, and municipal government bureaucracy. Their goal was to get permission to establish a new distillery on land that they had acquired in Gatlinburg. The name of Eidam’s distillery is Sugarlands.
5
Justin Holeman
Justin Holeman traveled widely around the United States as well as abroad, and it was during this period of expedition that he developed a keen interest in spirits, just as the Modern Bourbon Renaissance of the late 2000s and early 2010s was taking root. Soon he began thinking seriously about making his own whiskey.
6
Bill Lee
The cacophony of the colossal locomotives that rumbled passengers and cargo through Gate 11 at Chattanooga’s Terminal Station died an inglorious death in 1970 due to the building’s disrepair and disuse. But in the early 1990s, the Station was resurrected into a beaux-arts style hotel, restaurant, museum, and gardens, and the site is now known as the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
7
Kent Merritt
In 2013, Kent teamed with friend Sid Blalock to realize a shared dream: founding a distillery that produced premium Tennessee bourbon using local ingredients: heirloom corn, rye, barley, and mountain spring water. Their venture began in 2014 under the name Thunder Road Distillery, later rebranding to Old Tennessee Distilling Company. in 2019 to honor not only their vision, but also the region’s broader people and history
8
Tim Piersant
Born in July 1981, Piersant is the son of an entrepreneur who spent much of his career in ministry. After graduating from Auburn University, Tim worked for 7 years with his father. Amazed to find Chattanooga dry yet once a prospering hub for distilling, he launched a Facebook campaign with close friend and co-partner Joe Ledbetter, posing a question for residents on the then rapidly-growing social media platform Facebook, asking "Would you drink Chattanooga Whiskey?"
9
Jeremy Reed
On September 27, 1976, Jeremy T. Reed was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee and grew up there, as did his friend Daniel Taylor. As adults, they built careers in different places, Reed stayed home, while Taylor built his vocation in San Antonio, Texas. But the two remained close and eventually turned their shared interest in whiskey into a solid business plan.
10
Tiana Saul
When Tiana Saul was promoted to Head Distiller, she was only the second person to hold that title in the company’s history. Founding Head Distiller Grant McCracken moved into the role of Chief Product Officer, focusing on long-term innovation and expansion, while Saul assumed day-to-day leadership at both distillery sites.
11
Keener Shanton
Keener Shanton’s portfolio leans heavily on Tennessee heritage shine as well as on whiskey. Old Forge Distillery emphasizes a lineup of moonshines, some traditional, some clearly designed for approachability to visitors passing through Pigeon Forge, and including Coffee, Vanilla Bean, Apple Pie, Peach, Oatmeal Cookie, and a spectacular Bananas Foster.
12
Stanton Webster
Passion for discovery, pursuit of the new, love for the city of Knoxville, and desire to be different have made Post Modern Spirits what it has become today. Stanton and Master Distiller Ron (the “Brains of the Operation,” according to Stanton) tried many different combinations. They wanted to “Create flavors and spirits that represented Knoxville without sourcing, to truly be an original, much like Knoxville itself”.