The Jack Daniel Distillery Tour
Established in the 1830s and registered with the U.S. government in 1866 by Jack Daniel, the Jack Daniel Distillery is the oldest registered distillery in the United States (registered No. 1). The distillery is also included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Every year roughly 250,000 people from around the world visit Lynchburg and tour the distillery. The distillery offers guided tours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. seven days a week, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Just pull into the lot in front of the Visitor Center and sign up for your tour at the front desk. It’s just to the right of Uncle Jack. You can’t miss him.
A distillery tour takes about an hour. Our tour guides are wonderful storytellers who will walk you through our Tennessee whiskey-making process. You’ll meet plenty of friendly people along the way who will be glad to see you and proud to introduce you to our Lynchburg way of life.
Highlights of the Jack Daniel Distillery tour
Visit the rickyard where we burn the cords and cords of hard sugar maple into the famous charcoal that mellows our Tennessee whiskey, one drop at a time.
Peer into the underground cave spring that inspired and encouraged Uncle Jack to locate his distillery here. The spring is the source of the pure, virtually iron-free water that goes into our whiskey. Cave spring water runs at a constant 56°F.
Take your picture with Uncle Jack at a few spots along the tour—at his life-size bronze statue where he stands guard at the cave spring; at two places in the Visitor Center—by his historic white marble statue in the center of the room, or next to the life-size black and white photograph of Jack on the wall; and in Jack Daniel’s first office which bears the plaque designating the distillery as a National Historic Register site.
Watch and smell whiskey-making underway, including the whiskey stills; the fermenting tanks filled with the finest corn, rye, and barley malt; and the charcoal mellowing vats where our whiskey drips through the charcoal beds during the ten-day process.
Wander around a quiet barrel house where the whiskey spends four years aging. Each barrel house stores more than twenty thousand barrels of whiskey, each barrel holding about fifty gallons and weighing more than four hundred pounds. Just about anywhere you look, you’ll spot a barrel house in the hillsides of Lynchburg.
Enjoy the White Rabbit Saloon, a reconstruction of a saloon Uncle Jack operated in Lynchburg before Prohibition. There we’ll serve you a glass of lemonade or coffee while you visit the little shop that sells commemorative bottles of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, the only location in Moore County where whiskey can be sold.
While you’re with us, be sure to take in our beautiful town square. It’s a short walk from the distillery, and you’ll find a variety of local merchants and shops, including the old Lynchburg Jail that’s now a museum. The Lynchburg Hardware and General Store, originally opened by Jack Daniel’s nephew Lem Motlow so he could make a living during Prohibition, offers the whole line of Jack Daniel’s merchandise; and the Barrel Shop sells all kinds of furniture and creative household items crafted from used Jack Daniel oak barrels.
The centerpiece of our town square is a red brick courthouse (Lynchburg is the Moore county seat) built in 1884 from brick made right here in Moore County. Miss Mary Bobo’s is just a few houses down from the square, just past the gazebo at the corner.
Visit the Lynchburg cemetery up the hill where you can see my Uncle Jack’s grave. Look for the two cast-iron chairs originally placed near his headstone for local ladies who mourned the passing of Lynchburg’s most eligible bachelor. Sometime, not any time soon I hope, you’ll be able to lay a flower on me. I’ll be buried in the Tolley plot right next to Uncle Jack.
Lynchburg is halfway between Interstate 65 and Interstate 24, about seventy-five miles south of Nashville, TN.
Makes 6 servings
Our Tennessee Barbecued Shrimp is a New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp that’s not barbecued at all. It’s shrimp slathered with a garlicky, buttery, spicy sauce perked up with a little Jack Daniel’s. Crusty French bread will be important for sopping. Barbecued shrimp is a great dish when you want folks to lighten up and get to know each other a little better. Serve the shrimp in a big bowl in the middle of the table, pass the bread, and go to town. A little creamy slaw or a spoonful of creamy cheese grits are nice on the side, but resist distractions.
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, or to taste
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 pounds large (16 to 20 count) shrimp, shells and tails intact
Crusty bread for dipping
Heat the oven to 500°F. Combine the butter, lemon juice, Jack Daniel’s, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic, and salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter has melted. Blend well. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour the barbecue sauce over the shrimp. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the shrimp are pink and the insides are opaque. Pour the shrimp and sauce in a big bowl and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Chicken and Dressing Skillet Cake
Makes 6 servings
How about this for a weeknight version of Sunday chicken and dressing? The creamstyle corn makes the cornbread extra moist, almost like a cake. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can bake the mixture in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Add a drizzle of oil to the skillet or baking dish and heat it up. A hot pan helps develop the wonderful cornbread crust. Complete your skillet supper with a tangy green salad.
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
Vegetable oil
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn
1 ½ cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 teaspoon rubbed sage or poultry seasoning
Black pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
Heat the oven to 400°F. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron or ovenproof skillet. Cook the onion and celery in the butter over medium heat until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Spoon the cooked vegetables into a large mixing bowl. Add a drizzle of oil to the same skillet and heat it in the oven while you add the chicken, corn, cornmeal mix, sage, pepper, egg, and milk to the vegetables in the mixing bowl. Blend well. Remove the hot skillet from the oven and carefully pour in the batter. Bake about 30 minutes, or until set and golden brown around the edges. Cut into wedges.
Slow-Simmered Marinated Chuck Roast
Makes 8 to 10 servings
If you’re a fan of hearty soy marinades such as Dale’s, Moore’s, and Allegro, you must make this extra-easy hometown chuck roast. It’s slow-simmered in our own rich soy marinade flavored with a little Jack Daniel’s. I serve this meltingly tender meat over creamy grits to sop up the delicious juices. This little recipe is handy for all kinds of entertaining and makes a fun appetizer or tailgating treat. Pile the meat in halved hot dog buns or mini hamburger buns and top it with a spoonful of Tennessee Sour Onions (page 248). It’s our Lynchburg version of the Vietnamese Banh Bao (Big Bun)!
1 large onion, cut into thin slivers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 beef chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds)
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper, to taste
Scatter the onion and garlic in the bottom of a large slow cooker (at least 4 quarts). Place the chuck roast over the onions and garlic. Add the soy sauce, Jack Daniel’s, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the roast with black pepper. Cover and cook on high 6 to 8 hours or on low 8 to 12 hours. The meat is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove the roast from the pot. Shred the meat for sandwiches, if desired.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
You can still make a fine wintery kraut and sausage stew even if a big jar of homecured kraut is not waiting in your pantry. Refrigerated bags of kraut work just fine. Onion, apple, and carrots tame the kraut’s tangy flavor a bit. For even more downhome country flavor, simmer the kraut with a couple of smoked ham hocks until they’re fall-apart tender for about an hour. Add the sausage during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
1 pound sauerkraut
1 medium onion, cut in to thin slivers
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup water
¼ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 pound fully-cooked smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
Combine the sauerkraut, onion, apple, carrots, water, Jack Daniel’s, garlic, and pickling spice in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes. Add the sausages and continue to simmer about 30 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes, coarse-grain mustard, and dark crusty bread.
Sausage Cornbread Supper Pudding
Makes 8 to 10 servings
My freezer stash of leftover cornbread ends up not only in dressing but also in this fantastic cornbread supper pudding. This combines the texture of a cornbread dressing with the creaminess of a bread pudding. It’s just right for a potluck supper or to enjoy on a cold night. You might even make it for Sunday brunch. Serve with a simple salad, a fruit salad, or even a tangy slaw.
4 cups crumbled cornbread
2 cups cubed white bread
1 pound bulk pork or Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper (any color), chopped
4 eggs
3 cups milk
1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn
1 cup shredded Swiss or sharp Cheddar cheese
Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Combine the cornbread and white bread in a large mixing bowl. Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until well browned. Crumble the sausage into uniform pieces as it cooks. Add the sausage to the cornbread mixture, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Cook the onion and bell pepper in the drippings in the skillet (add a little oil if necessary) over medium high heat until softened and lightly browned. Add the vegetables to the cornbread mixture and blend well. Pour the cornbread mixture into the baking dish. Whisk the eggs in the emptied mixing bowl. Add the milk, corn, and cheese and blend well. Pour the mixture over the cornbread. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the cornbread to soften in the milk. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
Makes 6 servings
Peppers of nearly every kind are a common sight in vegetable gardens and farm stands all over Moore County. All through the spring and summer, deep conversations are going on about who’s planting what new pepper variety and who prefers what shape, color, and heat level. Peppers are almost as varied tomatoes.
We find a wonderful selection of hot and mild peppers from mid-summer well into the fall at Mr. Farrell’s vegetable stand a few miles from the town square. All kinds of vegetables sit on a big table in his front yard, but you won’t be handing any money to Mr. Farrell. You might not even see him. Mr. Farrell relies on the honor system. Just leave what you owe in the mayonnaise jar.
Farm fresh peppers make such a difference in this recipe. I imagine old-time country cooks made stuffed peppers when their gardens were overflowing.
6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef or ½ pound ground beef and ½ pound bulk pork sausage
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs
Heat the oven to 350°F. Cut the tops off the bell peppers. Remove the stem and finely chop the pepper tops to include in the filling. Parboil the pepper cups in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the peppers, drain, and place upright in a shallow baking dish. Cook the onion, pepper tops, and garlic in a large skillet until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and sauté until cooked through. Remove any excessive fat with a spoon, as necessary. Stir in the rice, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the meat mixture into the pepper cups. Top each with a sprinkling of crumbs. Cover the pan with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 minutes.
Heard around the TABLE
One of our guests who recently moved to Monteagle, Tennessee, called the local grocery there and asked if they had “leeks.” The man who answered said, “We got the roof fixed last week.” She said, “No, I’m talking about a member of the onion family.” He replied, “No ma’am, we don’t have anything like that.”