LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The Jack Daniel Distillery here in Lynchburg may be one of the oldest distilleries in the U.S. but it’s far from the only whiskey maker of note in the State of Tennessee. Last Thursday, a group of state and local officials officially launched a Whiskey Trailhead here in Lynchburg meant to be the launch point for promoting whiskey tourism in Lynchburg and the surrounding counties as well as throughout the state.

The Tennessee Whiskey Trail website allows visitors to download a digital passport on their smart phones that gives them all the information they need to explore Tennessee distilleries at their fingertips.

Nearest Green in Shelbyville, Cascade Hollow (formerly George Dickel) in Tullahoma, Prichard’s in Kelso, and Short Mountain in Woodbury are also featured.

“Creating this trailhead in Lynchburg means future growth for the members of the Tennessee Distillers Guild and increased visitation for the highlighted communities,” Ezell said. “Of equal importance is the economic development that can come to our rural communities from partnering with a trail like this. That’s why the Whiskey Trail matters and why this Whiskey Trailhead matters. Thanks to Ryan French for bringing the idea to Tennessee Tourism.”

Welcome Center also opens in Lynchburg

In additional to the Tennessee Whiskey Trailhead, a Welcome Center is now officially open in Lynchburg – helping elevate Tennessee and Lynchburg’s global whiskey brand. A ribbon cutting and rebranding event was held on September 7 featuring remarks from Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell. Experience TN Executive Director Ryan French hosted the festivities.

French, a graduate of Moore County High School, oversees management of the center, which opened in 2022 as The Lynchburg Welcome Center.

In addition to Commissioner Ezell, the program also featured Tennessee Distillers Guild President Alex Castle of Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis, Executive Director Charity Toombs of the TN Whiskey Trail, and Erik Brown the Director of the Jack Daniel Distillery Homeplace. Jack Daniel Distillery Vice President and Master Distiller Chris Fletcher concluded the formalities with a congratulatory toast.

“This marks an exciting beginning of a very important partnership for the region between the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association, the Tennessee Whiskey Guild, The Tennessee Whiskey Trail, the Department of Tourist Development, and Jack Daniel Distillery,” French said. SCTTA is the umbrella company of Experience TN.

“More than 300,000 visitors come to Lynchburg annually,” French said. “Our hope is the new brand will inspire visitors to explore the entire region, resulting in major economic opportunities for surrounding communities, attractions, and small businesses.”

To learn more about the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, visit this link. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a nonpartisan community newspaper serving Lynchburg, Tennessee and the surrounding counties. We also provide news and information for the 350,000 folks who come to Lynchburg to visit The Jack Daniel’s Distillery each year. We are dedicated to public service journalism for the greater good of our community. You can support us, by clicking here.}