Nashville Whiskey Trail: A Tennessee Distillery Day
Tennessee whiskey is charcoal-mellowed, slow-aged and worth a full day of your trip. From craft distilleries a short ride from Broadway to the famous rickyards of Lynchburg, here is how to build the perfect Nashville whiskey day — with the best-rated distillery tours and tastings to book in advance.
At a glance
- 1In-city distillery tour & tasting
- 2Day trip to Jack Daniel's, Lynchburg
- 3Uncle Nearest & Tennessee whiskey
- 4Barrel-strength tasting flight
Start in the city: craft distilleries
You don't have to leave town to taste good whiskey. Big Machine, Nashville Craft and other in-city distilleries run guided tours that walk you from grain and mash to the barrel, finishing with a flight of tastings. Golf-cart and bus tours string several stops together in a half-day, so you sample rye, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey without driving. Book ahead, since small tasting rooms sell out on weekends.
The main event: Jack Daniel's in Lynchburg
The classic pilgrimage is the 75-minute drive southeast to Lynchburg, home of Jack Daniel's since 1866. Day trips from Nashville handle the transport and pair the distillery tour with the cave spring, the charcoal-mellowing houses and tastings, often adding a barbecue lunch in the dry-county square. Tours run from around $150 and fill up fast in spring and fall, so reserve your seat early.
Go deeper: Uncle Nearest and barrel flights
Whiskey lovers should add Uncle Nearest in Shelbyville, honoring Nathan Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel his craft. Its bus tours from Nashville include a walk of the grounds and a guided tasting. Back in town, a barrel-strength flight or a single-barrel pick session is the ideal nightcap — cask-strength pours you rarely find on a bar shelf, from about $40 a person.
Book the experiences in this itinerary
Top-rated tours for exactly what this plan recommends in Nashville — prices per person.
