Mike Williams
“From Lawmaker to Whiskey Maker”
In 2009, Tennessee’s distilling scene was stuck in the past. With outdated Prohibition-era laws still in place, legal whiskey production was allowed in only three counties. That changed when Mike Williams, a former Tennessee State Legislator from Franklin, stepped in. Williams led a groundbreaking legislative effort that year to expand distilling rights to 41 additional counties, igniting a craft distilling renaissance across the state.
Williams wasn’t just interested in changing laws; he wanted to make whiskey. Soon after the legislation passed, he founded Collier and McKeel Distillery in Nashville. Housed in the historic Marathon Auto Works building just blocks from the state Capitol, the distillery launched its first products in 2011. The lineup included aged whiskey, cinnamon whiskey, vodka, and a clear, unaged whiskey known as “white dog.” By 2013, Collier & McKeel had grown far beyond Tennessee, partnering with The Vintner Group to expand distribution across the East Coast and Midwest.
In May 2014, Williams sold the Collier & McKeel brand to California-based North Coast Spirits. Though the brand changed hands, he retained production in Nashville, keeping a foot firmly planted in Tennessee soil. But Williams wasn’t done building. Just a few months later, he co-founded the Tennessee Distilling Group (TDG) in Columbia, about an hour south of Nashville.
Where Collier & McKeel focused on craft, TDG aimed to scale. Spanning more than 150 acres and multiple campuses, the operation includes two independent distilleries, a food-grade bottling facility, and vast contract storage space. Under roof, TDG covers around 800,000 square feet. The facility produces, stores, bottles, and ages traditional Tennessee Whiskey, Bourbon, Rye, Corn, and Single Malt whiskeys—not just for itself, but for clients across North America and around the globe.
TDG quietly serves some of the biggest names in the alcohol industry, along with major retailers, celebrity brands, and craft labels. Despite its scale and influence, the company remains largely under the radar, even to many in the whiskey world. But Williams wouldn’t have it any other way. As both Founder and Master Distiller, he believes in letting the whiskey—and the results—speak for themselves.
TDG quietly serves some of the biggest names in the alcohol industry, along with major retailers, celebrity brands, and craft labels. Despite its scale and influence, the company remains largely under the radar, even to many in the whiskey world. But Williams wouldn’t have it any other way. As both Founder and Master Distiller, he believes in letting the whiskey—and the results—speak for themselves.
Williams’s approach to distilling is deeply rooted in education and innovation. A 1981 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where he studied economics and served as student body president and cheerleader, he maintains strong ties to the school. He has hired many graduates of MTSU’s Fermentation Science program, whose scientific training in yeast health, mash chemistry, and fermentation has helped TDG scale its operations with precision. Williams even reimburses employees for master’s degree tuition in the field, knowing that investing in people is the surest path to quality and growth.
From reshaping state laws to revolutionizing Tennessee’s distilling infrastructure, Mike Williams has left a mark on the whiskey world that few can match. His journey—from a lawmaker to the founder of a powerhouse distilling operation—has helped Tennessee evolve into a hub of innovation blended with tradition. Today, Tennessee Distilling Group stands as a quiet giant in the industry, blending science and spirit under the guidance of the man who made it all possible.
Contributed by Kevin Hazard, Columbia, Tennessee
Sources:
eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com, “Tennessee Whiskeys”, April 2025
Murfreesboro City Lifestyle, “The Aging Process”, Allison Gorman, August 2024
WBBJ-TV, Jackson, TN, 2014
