Tennessee whiskey

Lore & Background

Whiskey production in Tennessee started with the emigration of Scotch-Irish from Pennsylvania and Virginia. President Andrew Jackson served Tennessee whiskey in the White House, a custom continued by James Polk. Filtering of whiskey through maple charcoal was practiced as early as 1825 by Alfred Eaton in Tullahoma, though the process was likely used earlier outside of Tennessee. Jack Daniel's was established as a brand in 1875.

By the end of the 19th century, there were over 700 licensed distilleries in the state. Statewide prohibition on the sale and manufacture of alcohol took effect in 1910, wiping out the industry. Following repeal in 1933, Jack Daniel's moved operations back to Lynchburg as the first distillery to open post-Prohibition. The next distillery to be licensed in the state, George Dickel, followed in 1958 as a revived brand.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

• A common misconception is that Tennessee whiskey and bourbon are entirely separate categories, but under NAFTA and other international trade agreements, Tennessee whiskey is legally defined as a straight bourbon whiskey.
• Another misconception is that all Tennessee whiskeys use the Lincoln County Process; in fact, Benjamin Prichard's is legally exempt from this requirement.
• Some believe the Lincoln County Process is still performed in Lincoln County, but the only whiskey currently produced in Lincoln County is Prichard's, which does not use the process.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

Tennessee whiskey matters not only as a major export worth over $1 billion annually, but as a cultural touchstone rooted in the state's Scotch-Irish heritage and presidential history. Its legal codification in 2013 highlights ongoing tensions between tradition—exemplified by the Lincoln County Process—and modern commercial interests, making it a case study in how local identity shapes global markets.

Reader's Guide

Nearly all Tennessee whiskeys undergo a filtering stage called the Lincoln County Process, in which the whiskey is filtered through (or steeped in) a thick layer of maple charcoal before it is put into new charred oak barrels for aging. The filtering process is named for Lincoln County, Tennessee, the home of the Jack Daniel's distillery when it originally began operations. However, in 1871, the boundaries of the county changed, placing the Jack Daniel's distillery and the surrounding area in the newly created Moore County. The only whiskey currently produced within the current boundaries of Lincoln County is Prichard's, which is the only Tennessee whiskey that does not use the Lincoln County Process.

On a state level, the State of Tennessee has imposed stringent requirements for Tennessee whiskey. On May 13, 2013, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam signed House Bill 1084, requiring the Lincoln County process to be used for products produced in the state labeled as 'Tennessee Whiskey', along with the existing requirements for bourbon. The law contains a specific exception for Benjamin Prichard's.