SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. — Bedford County is getting a cool, new place to go and something new to do when Humble Baron, the world’s longest bar, opens on Thursday, March 23. The restaurant, bar, and live music venue will debut in Shelbyville at the iconic Nearest Green Distillery, which welcomed more than 110,000 visitors in the past 12 months with that number expected to triple by the end of the year.

Featuring a 19-station, 525-foot-long showpiece bar that wraps around an indoor stage, Humble Baron allows guests to enjoy elevated fare and creative cocktails while watching live entertainment. The Humble Baron bar is approximately 120 feet longer than the current record holder for the longest permanent continuous bar in the world. The Grand Opening Weekend performances will include American Idol’s country music artist, HunterGirl, and international DJ BOVA.

“Humble Baron is a place where everyone has a seat at the table,” said Humble Baron’s inspiration, Keith Weaver. “We want our guests to pull up a seat and enjoy some amazing music over a craft cocktail or a bite to eat and engage with those around them. Humble Baron reflects my varied music tastes and will bring all types of people, with all interests and backgrounds, together.”

Craft cocktails, state-of-the-art music, and elevated fare

The bar program was crafted in partnership with Gin & Luck, the hospitality company behind renowned cocktail institution Death & Co., with Black-owned spirits taking center stage. Signature libations include the Queen’s Gambit, featuring Sorel Liqueur, Hella Cocktail Co. Apple Blossom Bitters, local premium Tennessee whiskey, pineapple gomme, and lemon juice, as well as the Dear Fawn, which is a spin on a favorite classic cocktail, the espresso martini, swapping the usual vodka for local premium Tennessee whiskey. Assistant Director of Beverage, DeAndre A. Jackson, leads the bar’s cocktail innovation.

Audio and visual for the state-of-the-art music venue, with an indoor and outdoor stage, was designed by the former technical director and engineer for Prince’s Paisley Park. The indoor stage, separated by a glass garage door from its mirroring outdoor stage, will allow live concerts hosting more than 15,000 guests.

For its culinary offerings, James Beard nominee and critically acclaimed chef and television host Chef G. Garvin has crafted a menu of sophisticated yet familiar dishes, including the restaurant’s signature Nashville Hot Shrimp and Grits and Snow Crab Claws sautéed in brown butter and sage. Renowned Atlanta Chef Jay Craddick will helm the kitchen as Executive Chef, bringing more than 18 years of experience and a passion for innovative Southern cuisine to Humble Baron.

“Although the vision of Humble Baron comes from the incredible mind of my favorite person on earth, I had the great honor of naming it,” said Fawn Weaver of her husband and partner. “Keith’s storied career as an executive vice president for one of the largest movie studios in the world and one of the highest-ranking Black executives in Hollywood for more than 20 years, causes people to look at him as a baron. But he’s remained the humblest person I’ve ever known throughout his impressive career.”

To celebrate its grand opening on March 23, Humble Baron will debut with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday at 6 p.m. followed by a performance of HunterGirl at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, Humble Baron’s resident DJ Bova will play at 6 and 8:15 p.m. with a performance by country music due, Neon Union in between. On Saturday, Kenny Burns and TKBS Nation will tape a live podcast on location at 2 p.m. followed by the Grown & Sexy Party from 3-7 p.m. On Sunday, the inaugural Gospel Brunch will happen at 1 p.m. with recording artist and signer songwriter Kai A. Pineda.

Humble Baron is the newest venue to debut at Nearest Green Distillery, which currently offers the Welcome Center, Barrel House II BBQ restaurant, as well as Philo + Frank’s –the world’s first non-alcoholic speakeasy. Their regular hours of operation will be Fridays from 5 – 11 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. For more information, please visit HumbleBaron.com. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}