About a fifth of the whiskey sold in the U.S.comes from a recognizable name: Jack Daniel’s.But Jack Daniel didn’t create that distinct method for distilling Tennessee Whiskey.
A formerly enslaved man named Nearest Green taught him what’s now known as the Lincoln County Process.In 2013, a state law defined Tennessee Whiskey as whiskey created using that method.
Nearest Green’s important – and largely forgotten story – caught the attention of today’s guest.She traveled to Tennessee to learn more – and eventually launched a business, Uncle Nearest Whiskey Distillery, with the support of Green’s descendants.
Seven years after launching, the company is worth $1 billion. It’s the top-selling Black-owned spirit brand of all time, led by an all-women executive team. We speak with her and a descendant of Green’s to get the story.
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