Unearth The Voyage
Tennessee is one of the few states where a road trip and a whiskey education can happen at the same time. From Memphis on the Mississippi River to Bristol in the Appalachian Highlands, the state is home to working distilleries that welcome visitors, tell genuine stories, and offer tastings worth planning around.
Some of these stops are famous names you already recognize, while others are smaller operations doing creative things in unexpected places. Whether you are a serious whiskey fan or simply someone who enjoys exploring a region through its food and drink culture, this list gives you ten solid reasons to map out a route across Tennessee and see what each part of the state is pouring right now.
Old Dominick Distillery, Memphis, Tennessee
Starting a Tennessee whiskey road trip in Memphis makes a lot of geographic sense, and Old Dominick Distillery on South Front Street gives that starting point some real substance. The business revives a spirits story connected to Domenico Canale, an Italian immigrant whose name and legacy are woven into the distillery’s identity roughly 150 years later.
The hour-long visitor experience moves through family history, a working grain-to-glass production floor, and a curated tasting from the current portfolio. Beyond the tour, the building holds a cocktail bar, bottle shop, event spaces, and a rooftop lounge that opens when it is not reserved for private gatherings.
Its downtown location is genuinely convenient. Memphis restaurants, live music venues, and the riverfront are all nearby, making it easy to build a full day around this stop.
The distillery, bar, and gift shop are currently listed as open throughout the week on the official website.
Old Glory Distilling Co., Clarksville, Tennessee
Not every distillery visit has to be just about the tasting room, and Old Glory Distilling Co. in Clarksville figured that out early. The company produces Tennessee bourbon and whiskey using a full grain-to-glass process on its campus, meaning grinding, mashing, fermentation, distillation, aging, and bottling all happen right there on the property.
Guided tours take visitors behind the scenes before ending with a tasting. After that, the on-site restaurant serves scratch-made dishes paired with cocktails built from Old Glory spirits.
Outside, Silo Park offers an open-air bar, firepits, live music, markets, and seasonal events throughout the year.
This setup works particularly well for groups where not everyone is a dedicated whiskey fan. One person can focus on the tour while another heads straight to the restaurant or outdoor space.
The official calendar shows an active schedule of tours, dining, and live entertainment continuing into 2026.
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, Nashville, Tennessee
Brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson did something genuinely interesting when they brought the Nelson family name back to Tennessee whiskey after generations away from the industry. Their Nashville operation at Marathon Village is not just a tasting room.
It is a working distillery with a family history hall, a production floor, a rickhouse, a bar, and a restaurant all sharing the same address.
The standard tour begins with the family’s backstory before moving through the distillation process and into the barrel aging space. It wraps up with a tasting of four seasonal offerings.
Visitors who want to linger can explore the bottle shop, settle in at the distillery bar, or have a meal at the restaurant, which operates Wednesday through Sunday.
Tours and tastings run daily according to the official website, and the Marathon Village location keeps the stop accessible without requiring a detour far outside Nashville. It is a compact visit that covers a lot of ground.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery, Franklin, Tennessee
Sitting within reach of both Nashville and Franklin, Leiper’s Fork Distillery manages to feel genuinely rural despite its convenient location. The distillery focuses on small-batch Tennessee whiskey, bourbon, and rye while drawing attention to the distilling traditions that once defined Middle Tennessee’s agricultural identity.
After filling its first barrel in 2016, the operation developed a visitor experience built around traditional methods, locally sourced grains, and a historic rural setting. Tours bring guests inside the working distillery, walk them through the grain-to-barrel process, and end with a guided tasting.
Because production areas are part of the experience, sturdy closed-toed footwear is required.
The Franklin property currently operates Wednesday through Sunday. Travelers who prefer a more social setting can also visit the separate Leiper’s Fork House of Spirits in downtown Franklin, which offers guided tastings, cocktails, food, and longer evening hours.
Having two distinct locations gives this stop a flexibility that most distilleries on this list cannot match.
Nearest Green Distillery, Shelbyville, Tennessee
Nearest Green Distillery is not a small tasting room tucked behind a parking lot. The Shelbyville property is a full destination that combines a working distillery, farm grounds, restaurants, bars, historical interpretation spaces, and outdoor areas into a visit that takes real time to experience properly.
The guided tour covers more than half a mile of walking through different sections of the property while explaining the distillery’s production and the legacy of Nearest Green, whose place in Tennessee whiskey history is central to the brand’s identity. The experience ends with a whiskey flight that includes the Master Blend Edition, a pour sold exclusively at this location.
Supportive footwear is recommended because portions of the tour are outdoors and weather conditions can vary. The property is currently listed as open seven days a week, though tour availability, restaurant hours, and individual attractions vary by day.
Booking a tour reservation before arriving is strongly advisable rather than showing up and hoping for availability.
Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee
Few places on a Tennessee whiskey road trip carry as much name recognition as the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg. The property functions as both a fully operational distillery and an extensive historical attraction built around the company, its founder, and the production methods that have defined the brand for generations.
The standard guided tour runs approximately 1.8 hours and covers the historic distillery grounds while explaining how Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is made. A tasting version of the tour concludes with six whiskey samples for guests of legal drinking age.
Visitors looking for a fuller day can combine the distillery with lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s Restaurant in Lynchburg, a nearby dining institution with its own history.
Tours currently run daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., with closures on select major holidays. Because this is one of Tennessee’s most recognized distillery experiences, booking ahead is a practical step, especially on weekends and during local events when capacity fills quickly.
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., Tullahoma, Tennessee
George Dickel Tennessee Whisky has always done things slightly differently, starting with the spelling. The brand intentionally uses the Scottish-style “whisky” rather than the American “whiskey,” a distinction that reflects a philosophy carried through the entire production process at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. near Tullahoma.
The property sits in a wooded hollow that creates a noticeably quieter atmosphere compared to urban tasting rooms. Tours enter the fully operational distillery, cover the history of Cascade Hollow, and walk through the production methods used to make George Dickel before finishing with a guided tasting inside the visitor center.
Self-guided tastings and retail shopping are also available during operating days. Cascade Hollow is currently listed as open Thursday through Tuesday, with Wednesday closures, though exact tour times should be confirmed when booking.
The location pairs naturally with a Lynchburg visit for travelers moving through southern Middle Tennessee, since the two distilleries sit close enough to combine into a single day’s itinerary.
Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery, Chattanooga, Tennessee
When Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery opened in downtown Chattanooga in March 2015, it became the first distillery to produce whiskey in the city in more than a century. That alone makes it a historically interesting stop, but the approach to production is what keeps it genuinely different from most other distilleries on this list.
The facility experiments with different grains, barrels, mash bills, and production techniques in small batches. More than 100 barrels can be maturing in the aging cellar at one time, and many releases are produced in runs of 20 barrels or fewer.
Because experimental batches are not always repeated, the bottles available during one visit may not exist on a return trip.
Guided tours run about an hour and cover the company’s history, equipment, and Tennessee High Malt whiskey approach before concluding with a tasting. The Experimental Distillery and bottle shop are currently open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The larger Riverfront production facility is not open to visitors.
Company Distilling, Townsend, Tennessee
Townsend calls itself the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, and Company Distilling fits that description well. The property sits on 13.5 acres beside the Little River, with the Townsend Greenway passing nearby and the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park only a short drive away.
The location makes it a natural stop for travelers moving between Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the national park. Company Distilling produces Tennessee whiskey, maple-finished bourbon, straight rye, and other spirits, with wood-driven aging methods playing a meaningful role in how the lineup develops over time.
Weekend experiences at the Townsend location have included opportunities to sample from a single barrel at cask strength and fill a personal bottle on-site, which is the kind of hands-on moment that road trip visitors tend to remember. Public visitor experiences are currently advertised at the Townsend location, and reservations are available and recommended for limited-capacity sessions.
The setting alone gives this stop a character that indoor-only tasting rooms simply cannot replicate.
Tennessee Hills Distillery, Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol sits right on the Tennessee and Virginia state line, and Tennessee Hills Distillery makes it a worthy final destination for a statewide road trip. The Bristol flagship operates as a brewstillery, meaning whiskey and other spirits are produced alongside craft beer under the same roof, which gives the campus a broader appeal than a single-focus operation.
Scheduled tours introduce visitors to the modern production system and the expanding whiskey program. After the tour, travelers can settle in for Appalachian-inspired food from The Smokestillery, including smoked meats, burgers, wings, and flatbreads, or simply pull up a seat at the bar and work through the current offerings at a relaxed pace.
Tennessee Hills describes the Bristol property as a destination for tours, private gatherings, tastings, and events rather than a simple retail counter. Official visitor pages currently promote active experiences at the facility.
Beginning a road trip in Memphis along the Mississippi River and ending it here in the Appalachian Highlands creates a natural arc across the entire state.
