342. The Tennessee Whiskey Trail Experience

Welcome to another great episode of The Bourbon Road with your host, Jim and Brian, where they talk bourbon and of course, drink bourbon. Grab yourself a pour, kick back, and enjoy another trip down the Bourbon Road.

You know friends, it's never too early to start planning your trip to the Bourbon Trail for 2023. We hope you'll join the Bourbon Road crew as we pull out all the stops this year at Bourbon on the Banks. So mark your calendars for October 6th and 7th and we'll plan on seeing you in Frankfort, Kentucky. Be sure to listen in during the halftime break for all the details on Bourbon on the Banks. Hello, listeners. Welcome back again to another episode of the Bourbon Road Podcast. I'm your host, Jim Shannon. With me in the studio today is your cohost, Brian Hyatt. Brian, welcome once again. Thank you, Jim. Happy to be here. Yeah, we've got a pretty good show for everybody today. We have a guest in the house. We have Charity Tombs, the executive director of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. She's decided to join us today. She's going to drink a little whiskey with us and we're going to talk a little bit about, we're going to talk a lot about what's going on in Tennessee and some great event they have coming up here real soon. So Charity, welcome to the Bourbon Road.

Thank you guys for having me.

So we're going to drink some whiskey. I know you have something in your glass. What are you drinking today?

I'm very excited and savoring all the cookies bourbon. It's a R&D batch from Old Dominic Distillery in Memphis, Tennessee.

Well, I know that's a good one because Alex Castle does know how to make some great whiskey. Brian, what are you drinking?

I'm excited to have Jack Daniel's the single barrel select. And this is from 2020. Just sitting on the shelf, a good friend of mine gave this to me and what a perfect opportunity to open it up.

Yeah, and we had a chance to try the 12-year the other day, didn't we? That was something else. We did. That was amazing. Well, I'm drinking some Nelson's Greenbrier Tennessee Handmade Sour Mash Whiskey. I think it's 91 proof. It's a nice way to get started. Some good Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey. And I've got a second bottle. I think, Brian, you have a second bottle as well. And Charity, I'm not sure if you do or not, but we'll make sure to talk a little bit about these whiskies as we work through the show. I'll start off by saying that this Green Bar Tennessee Sourmash whiskeys, it's a little bit sweet, kind of got a nice wood sweetness to it, but it's light. You've heard me say this several times over the past few episodes. This would be one of those sessionable kind of whiskeys, something you could sit down and go through a bottle with a good friend sitting on the porch in a fairly short amount of time. It's got a nice, on the finish, it's got a nice peppery note, but it's a little bit drying, got kind of a wood note to it. I like it. I think it's an easy drinker. I think the last time I had this whiskey was on an episode about a hundred episodes ago. And I'm just, I hadn't revisited it since, but I'm glad to have it in my glass. So I'm going to say cheers guys.

Cheers. Cheers. Cheers you guys.

Now, Charity, I think all the whiskeys that we've mentioned so far here, they all are members of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, the Guild, right? What do you call it?

So it's a twofold. So there is the Tennessee Distillers Guild, which is the professional trade organization for the distilling industry in the state. And then we also have a public facing entity, which is the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. And so there are guild members who are also on the trail, but then there's also guild members who are just in production or are just getting started. And there's some that we are excited to welcome in the future to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. So there's different arrays of members, all a part of the Tennessee Distillers Guild.

So when did the guild form itself?

So the Tennessee Distillers Guild was actually formed by 13 founding members in 2014. And to kind of go back, before 2009, there was only three distilleries in production before then due to prohibition era laws. In 2009, a group went forward to try to overturn those laws and were successful. And then what you began to see was more distilleries popping up in the state, and they decided to come together to be able to advocate, promote, and grow the distilling industry. And so what started out as 13 founding members in 2014, now in 2023 is a little over 40 plus members. And again, they range from your legacy brands like Jack Daniels and George Dickel to your craft brands and even to those who are just beginning and so you know with the guilds formation you're very much seeing how Tennessee is growing the distilling industry and seeing it come to play as a major attraction but also economic driver in our state.

And some of these early distilleries, certainly the ones who were around in 2014 to help form this, they kind of broke some ground, right? My understanding is that Tennessee entered into Prohibition almost 10 or 12 years before the rest of the country did.

And they actually stayed in prohibition later than what was federally mandated. And so for us, it's kind of that thing in terms of as women's rights came to be, it also ushered in prohibition. I think if you ever have a chance to visit Uncle Nearest and the Nearest Green Distillery, you do see very much of that marriage with their speakeasy there of telling that story of women's right to vote in the state, but as well, the ban on alcohol and how that's impacted us. We're very honest in telling people that we're making some great spirits, but undeniably, we are at least a generation behind Kentucky in terms of our spirits and what is able to be produced.

And it's from a state that's, I mean, really known for its whiskey. I mean, really known for its whiskey, thanks to one very large distillery. Well, actually a couple of them, but one in particular that everybody knows, no matter what corner of the planet you go to, not only have you heard of Jack Daniel's, but you can probably find a bottle of it.

Absolutely. And as I say, Tennessee is synonymous with iconic music and iconic spirit. We're very honored at that. But as well, it also leaves opportunities for us to continue to grow that that knowledge and understanding of what spirits are being crafted here. And I think one of the resounding things that I get when I talk to people is, well, I'm not a whiskey drinker. I'm not into bourbon, into brown spirits. And I said, great. Realistically, what you're seeing here in Tennessee is distilled spirits overall. It's rums, gin, absinthe, vodka, everything in between. And so there really is something for everybody that's being made and crafted here. And not only is the Whiskey Award winning, but now you're beginning to see these other distilled spirits kind of come and really make their way. And so my thing is come in and savor all of it. There are so many spirits to be a part of.

Absolutely. Now, Brian, speaking of Jack Daniels, what do you think of that, what you have in your glass?

You know, I really like it. I like so much of what Jack Daniels puts out because I feel like so many times it's sweet. I really do love sweet. This is one that it is sweet, and it's kind of a sweet chocolate, maybe a little bit of cola sweet on the nose. But when you get into tasting it, it's going to have some chocolate to it, which I really enjoy. Jack Daniels is just so good. And like I said, I wish I would have had my bottle of the Sinatra that I picked up probably six years ago or so, and I just can't find that bottle. But I love the story behind Jack Daniels, you know, and reading through all the history and talking about Uncle Nearest, you know, just being able to hear that how everything kind of played out. And now that we see Uncle Nearest really starting to come back into the conversation, you know, Jim, we were at an event on Thursday night of last week, and we got to see some of the folks from Uncle Nearest and taste some things there. You know, I love the history behind it, but I've always been a Jack and Coke fan. And then when you get into the other releases, I really enjoy those as well.

Now Charity, when it comes to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, it is quite different than the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. I know the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is more centralized in one area of the state, sort of north central Kentucky more or less. Although there are some distilleries outside of that area, the majority of them do appear in that very small area, but you've got three distinct areas on your trail, right?

We do, yes. East, middle and west, we actually run 500 plus miles. So we are statewide. We run from Memphis to Bristol. And, you know, as we say, the distilleries very much are distinctive of the communities and the neighborhoods that surround them. And so the experience that you get in Memphis is absolutely at Old Dominic is influenced by a very urban city. with great legacy of music and barbecue. You go into middle Tennessee and you have the rolling hills and you have the, again, the urban city of Nashville, but then you've got the beautiful south central area, which again, home of Jack Daniels, George Dickel, Uncle Nearest, Pritchards, and you go east and you really kind of see really the progression of spirits as well as you get more into the moonshine area, but the beauty of the Smoky Mountains and how that has influenced it. And so for us, When you come on to the Tennessee whiskey trail obviously you are partaking of these legendary spirits but more so we're inviting guests to come in and really understand and immerse themselves in the communities that surround the distilleries because so much of the neighborhoods and the destinations around the distilleries are by far what enhance your experience. Then I use the example of, you know, I can't imagine a visit to Lynchburg without stopping in and having lunch at Mary Bobo's. And very much that story and Mary Bobo's influence with Jack Daniels is a very symbiotic relationship. And there's more and more of those across our trail. And so There's 28 stops, which for a visitor can be a lot. But what is fun is that you can take the trail kind of piece by piece. And we try to help craft those adventures through interest. And so on our website, we have special trips and trails based upon those interests. And so if you're into outdoor adventure, we have a trail path of how to stop into the distilleries based upon those outdoor adventures. If you'd like to experience music, some of the most iconic music across the state, you can do that through the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. This spring, we're going to be launching our cocktail and culinary trip that is called Just For Foodies and it's how to experience some of the best food and drink with the Tennessee Whiskey Trail through some of these great partnerships. There's something for everybody and the trail, we tell people take it at your own pace and based upon your own interest. We can come one, come all.

And you have some phenomenal chefs in Tennessee, some restaurants that will just blow your mind. So add that to great whiskey and what a pairing that is. And some of the places you can stay are just out of this world too, right? Absolutely. I mean, certainly up in the Gatlinburg area, you could just get lost in the mountains. And Chattanooga is so beautiful with the river, and Memphis has got all that history and music, and there's more than just a couple great distilleries there.

100%. Yeah. It's a lot of fun.

So you've done the whole Whiskey Trail then. So how many are there? You said 20?

There's 28 stops or 28 distilleries that are on the trail. But obviously there are some distilleries that have multiple locations. And so when I came on to work with the guild on the trail last year, I set out as a task to myself is to actually complete the trail in 12 months. which turned out to be a bigger feat than I anticipated. But it did give me a chance. I'm a Nashville native, and so there was parts of Tennessee that I had not visited or seen at all. And so the trail gave me an opportunity to actually experience that for myself as well as visit the distilleries. And so I'm proud to say that I spent most of 22 actually on the trail experiencing it. really enjoyed visiting with the partners and I think what makes Tennessee so unique is that our distilleries are so approachable but as well our master distillers and you know very much so we want guests to be able to have those opportunities as well and so if you don't get to run into Chris Fletcher at Lynchburg you most likely would be able to shake his hand and talk about his latest spirit at one of our events. And so that's really what I love about it is that these distillers are as passionate about their trail, about their state, about their community as well as their spirits and how that influences overall just the experiences that they're making for people.

And Brian, I've got a question for you. What's the maximum number of distilleries you've been able to visit in one day?

So in Kentucky, it is much lower because I feel like everything's spread out a little bit more and it takes some time to get through. When I go to East Tennessee and Gatlinburg and all those areas, the numbers starts to escalate. And there are times that Leslie says, I think we've visited enough for the day. I would say in East Tennessee, I've probably done around seven, six in a day. That's amazing. When you're in Gatlinburg, you can really double up because you have Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and I do double up sometimes. because it's just a fun experience to go through that area and do all of that. But yeah, I would say the most that I've done is probably seven in a day. In Kentucky, it's really been, I think, three tops.

Yeah, I think three or four in Kentucky is doable. I don't think I've done more than four anywhere. So that gives you an idea. If you want to do the entire Tennessee Whiskey Trail, You're going to need at least, let's just say, seven full days, and then you need time to get from one area to the next, so add two days in between. Give yourself two weeks, and you might be able to finish it in two weeks if that's all you do. What do you think, Charity?

Absolutely. But I would tell you, make sure you eat hearty. I learned the hard way from doing the trail and not being as keen of a tolerance that I started out visiting our trail partners, eating about two hard-boiled eggs as I head into the distillery. And I have learned very quickly that's not going to work. So make sure you load up on good Southern cuisine as you head into these distillery visits.

And hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Got to have the water. So one of the things I noticed on your website, if someone's going to plan a trip and they're going to try to hit as many of these distilleries as possible, you have the passport that people can download and you even have the digital version that they can do directly on their phone.

Yes, absolutely. So they can do the trail two ways. We have a paper passport where you can actually get physical stamps when you go to each distillery visit. And then as you visit the distilleries, each distillery has their own commemorative poker chip. And so you can pick up that poker chip. And then once you complete the trail, we will send you a poker set. So you are able to collect 28 commemorative poker chips and then that poker set. But yes, you can do it through two ways, through the paper passport or through the digital passport. what you can have on your phone and you can check in digitally and get your virtual stamp and your poker chip. But yes, what I found is that there's a lot of people who are doing it both ways. They love the textile and the nice takeaway of the paper, but the digital obviously makes it easy. And so sign up, get your stamps and get it going.

So you also have on here the trail routes and then you have maps and different tools that people can use as they're going to plan and look maybe if they're going to go start east or start west and all that good stuff, which is pretty cool. I'm actually looking at it right now. I would say it's a great way to figure out where you're going to start and where you're going to finish.

Absolutely. Like I said, it's all based upon interest. If you want to really be focused on urban settings, there's an itinerary for that, outdoor adventure, music, history, and we're expanding those. We typically release a new itinerary about two to three a year. So this spring again will be that just for foodies, how to eat and drink your way across the trail, across the state. And then as well, one of the new itineraries that we'll be launching is how to experience Tennessee, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail through Tennessee State Parks and how all of those experiences also complement that visitor experience. So there's something for everybody and that's what we're always working to try to do and engage with. I mean, one of the things that we were very proud of is that we had a great resurgence from onto the Tennessee Whiskey Trail last year coming out of COVID. And I think last year we welcomed 7.3 million visitors into Tennessee distilleries. And so when you think about the amount of people that are visiting Tennessee and capturing that number, we're very proud that the distilleries are for sure a key tourism factor into the communities that they serve. But that's a great number for us to come out of COVID with, and we're excited about where that's going to take us in the coming months.

Yeah, it's funny. I had heard from, I forget who I was talking with. Maybe it was Old Smokey, and they had mentioned that more people cross their threshold at their distilleries than Hate to say it, but it's true. All the bourbon visitors in Kentucky put together. So, pretty big deal. I mean, they're in the millions, right?

Yes. Five million visitors, I think, a year.

To Old Smoky. Yeah. I guess you've got to go to Old Smoky if you go to Tennessee. You can't miss that one. No. I guess there's one in Indiana now that's up to 500,000. The Heart Truth Distilling is up to half a million people a year.

because they're in a very touristy spot that everybody's going and everybody says, let's go see that distillery.

Lots of fun. Okay. Well, we're going to take a short break and when we come back, we've got more whiskey and more stories about the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. As we mentioned earlier in the show, we hope you'll join us this fall on October 6th and 7th for Bourbon on the Banks. The festival itself is from 2 to 6 PM on October the 7th, and you can pick those tickets up at bourbononthebanks.org for $65. They also have an early access ticket for $75. It'll get you in an hour early and definitely get you access to some special pours. But if you always like that VIP access, this year they're bringing in the VIP access tickets. We'll give you access to their VIP tent and all the great things that go along with that for $175. Be sure to check out bourbononthebanks.org. You'll get all the details on this year's event. Welcome listeners, back from the break. We've managed to get through what we were drinking in the first half and took a few minutes to relax and chat amongst ourselves. We're back now. We've each got something new in our glass. Well, Charity's drinking the same. What's it called again?

It's All the Cookies Bourbon.

All the cookies.

Fantastic. I just have to read this to you. It says that it is It's finished in oatmeal raisin cookie beer barrel.

Delicious. From Old Dominic Distillery in Memphis, Tennessee, Alex Castle, our good friend down there. I've got Davison Reserve this time. I've got a Tennessee straight bourbon whiskey. So, this is a bourbon out of Tennessee. Normally, this is available as a small batch. This happens to be a single barrel to 122 proof. But I'm going to taste this one here in a minute. I'll give you my thoughts on it. Brian, what are you sipping in the second half?

So I've got the Old Smokey Salty Watermelon Whiskey. Now this one is not going to pack the punch like everything else that we typically have. You're looking at 60 proof. So this is one of those that you can almost drop a straw in it and have a good time.

All right. Well, cheers everyone. Cheers. Cheers. Wow. So full of flavor. So this Davidson Reserve bourbon is, it's a, it's a whiskey that I've, I haven't visited again for a while, but it is so full of flavor. This is a weeded bourbon. Those, those people at Pennington, they really know what they're doing. They've got such, such a good skillset there. They make some great whiskeys and Davidson Reserve is some of the best around. So Pennington's actually going to be part of the Tennessee OEC experience this year, aren't they?

Yes, we're very excited to have them with a Blend Your Own Bottle experience that's going to actually be happening on Thursday, May 18th.

So that's pretty exciting. Brian, are you going to tell me what this salted watermelon tastes like? I'm kind of interested to hear it.

So have you ever had a watermelon Jolly Rancher?

Yes.

I like watermelon. That that's the nose a hundred percent. That is, I don't really think you get much else other than that.

Not getting the salt.

Not, not a lot of salt. Uh, but I do after I take my first little sip, you know, it's, there's definitely some salt there, but just on the nose and especially coming off something, you know, that's 94 proof. you're going to come down quite a bit and, uh, you know, it's just, it's going to be different. So, um, yeah, Jolly Rancher there, but I mean, you can imagine it is, it's very, very sweet and, uh, goes down extremely smooth.

So do you put salt on your watermelon when you eat it, Charity? I do. Yeah, me too. You Brian, I think a lot of people do actually.

Is there any other way to eat it?

Well, I mean, you could always eat it just straight, right? Just straight watermelon, but the salt just puts it over the top.

Absolutely. I think it brings out all that, the sweet and just elevates it to another level. So I love it.

I don't know that I was a big watermelon fan, but I decided to try it again not that long ago, a few years ago. And they talk about your taste buds actually refresh every seven years. And now it's like a cult classic for me. Like when it's in season, watermelon, it's a go-to refresher for me. And so I tell people, if you're not a normal watermelon fan, try it again. You might be surprised. Your body changes over time.

Speaking of Old Smoky and some of the flavors they have, we were talking during the break about the Pickleback. And what do you have on the website?

So we have a boozy, old smoky, deviled egg recipe. And this is us taking the old smoky moonshine pickles and infusing them into your classic southern deviled egg recipe. It's a little elevated. It's got some bacon, some good spices. But it completely changes your just normal run-of-the-mill deviled egg. And we highly recommend you check it out.

Yeah, I've had a few pickleback shots myself. And I'm not going to say I'm a big fan, but when you're in the heat of the moment and everybody's doing them, you feel kind of obligated to drink them. And Mike, our previous co-host, really loved picklebacks. So every now and then, we would have them. And it was always with the old Smokey, for sure. But it's something to experience. Even if you don't like it, you might as well try it. You've had a pickleback, Brian?

I have, yes. I actually like them. I enjoy them.

Do you think though it really does give you the rejuvenation that they claim that it does?

You know, I don't know that it does, but there's a lot of athletes that really do believe in it. Not the shots, obviously, but they drink pickle juice and they swear that it really helps with cramps and different things like that. So maybe it just doesn't work for me, but it works for others.

So what's in the juice? I mean, obviously there's something to do with cucumbers in there, but they add a lot of spices to it, pickling spices, and there's a, it's a vinegar, right? Or salt? Salt. Salt. I guess mostly salt. Most pickles are cured in salt, salt water, but what's your favorite pickle? Get off the subject here a little bit. What about Claussen's? I'm voting for Claussen's, but what do you think? I'm a bread and butter guy.

Are you? I was waiting because like people are either sweet pickles or they're not. Yeah. I am sweet all the way.

I'm with you a hundred percent. I love, love, love sweet pickles. We, we buy pickles that, uh, I don't even know the name of the, the brand that my wife buys, but all we do is just take a bunch of sugar and we dump it in there and we make sweet pickles.

But I've always liked Claussen's because you find them in the refrigerator section and they're already cold when you buy them so you can eat in the car on the way home from the grocery store.

You know, it's crazy. I just sent Leslie a message the other day to pick me up some pickles and I can't remember.

I can't really remember the name of them, but they were good.

They were actually on a TikTok video that I put up when I was making my deviled eggs the other day. So I really apologize for not remembering the name of that.

All right. We're, we're hazarding turning this into the pickle show. So maybe we ought to move things along here a little bit. Uh, charity. So we mentioned a little bit about this event that's coming up that Pennington is going to be having their, uh, Fill Your Own Bottle or Blend Your Own Bottle event. Tell us about this event. What's it called? When does it start? How long does it run? What are all the things going on? All the questions there.

Absolutely. Well, we are very excited because May 21st is International Tennessee Whiskey Day. So we have set out to build a celebration experience that is called the Tennessee Whiskey Trail Experience. It is a week-long celebration that encompasses culinary pairings, whiskey and cocktail specials, tours, and tastings. It is ultimately a week-long immersion into all things Tennessee and Tennessee spirits. We have an event schedule that essentially begins with a Thursday at Pennington's with your Blend Your Own Bottle experience. We have a Friday experience of barbecue on the hill at Jack Daniel's, which is a tour and a tasting. I do believe that Lexi Phillips is going to be a part of that experience. Friday night, we are having a pre-party at Old Smoky at Sixth and Peabody. saturday is going to be our grand tasting event that is at the green at the ascend amphitheater and the grand tasting event is just as the name explains it is um ultimately the tennessee whiskey trail comes to life we have 28 partners that will be a part of that experience there's live music lawn games chef and pork pairings and a little bit more throughout that event and some potential surprise experiences that will be coming with that. And then we will actually conclude the week-long celebration Sunday with our Women in Whiskey brunch that will be at Bourbon Steak. And so, like I said, it's a chance for people just to come in and really get a taste of Tennessee.

I think we're kind of looking forward to it. We're going to be there with bells on. We'll be there primarily on the grand tasting, but I think we may just extend it a little bit so we can pick up on some of those other events, particularly the one, the brunch with the ladies. Now, what did you call it? The women in whiskey?

Women of Whiskey, so we are very proud that Tennessee is leading with more female master distillers. And also, Tennessee's industry is being ran by women, so we're very proud of that. And so the Women of Whiskey brunch is an opportunity where you can meet these female master distillers. There's a Q&A brunch, and then of course, there is a tasting flight from each of those women who are participating.

All right, Charity, so people are listening to this. They're hearing you got all these things going on. What can they find on your website?

They can find out more about our distillers. They can find trips and trails, maps for how to actually experience the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. You can find out the history of Tennessee whiskey and whiskey making in Tennessee. You can find cocktail recipes. You can find culinary recipes. You can support the Tennessee Whiskey Trail by buying merchandise and a little bit more.

There are how many distilleries?

28. 28 distilleries that are on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. 30 plus stops.

Wow. So I'm going to put you on the spot, Charity. And I'm really sorry for this. Is there any chance you could name all of those distilleries?

I think I got it. You guys ready? You better start counting.

We're ready. We're all ready. We've got our pen and paper. We're going to write them down. Just kidding.

So our one and only in Memphis is Old Dominic Distillery. Going into Middle Tennessee, we start with Old Glory that's in Clarksville. Heading into Middle Tennessee, we have Pennington's, Nashville Barrel, Nelson's Greenbriar, Corsair, Big Machine, Tennessee Legend, Old Smokey, Nashville Craft, Lieber's Fork Company, Pritchard's, Jack Daniel's, Nares Green, Cascade Hollow, the home of George Dickel, Short Mountain, Tennessee Legend, heading into East Tennessee. We have Chattanooga Whiskey, Gate 11, Brushy Mountain, Knox Whiskey, Postmodern Company, Old Tennessee, Junction 35, Old Smoky, again in East Tennessee, we have locations of those. Old Forge, Sugarlands, Bootleggers, and to finish off 28 in the east of the eastest is Lost State Distilling in Bristol.

Oh, Bristol. That's getting Far East.

Yes, friend. You can literally stand between Tennessee and the Virginia state line. So Lost State is right there on one side. So the street divides it, whether you're in Tennessee or Virginia. It's very, very neat.

Wow, that's amazing. Well, listeners, I hope somewhere in that list you heard some distilleries that you're fond of. I don't know how you can go wrong. There's quite a few really good ones in there. In fact, they're all great, but that's one thing about the human palate is it takes all sorts to satisfy us because what I like is not necessarily what Brian likes, but the variety is what is the spice of life. As you're able to work your way through the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, you'll be certain to find things that you really put at the top of your list.

I think that's what surprised me the most is that when guests complete the trail, one of the things I ask them is to tell me about their experience. I think a lot of people find the trail through Jack Daniels and George Dickel, but I think when they talk about some of their favorite distillery visits, it's some of these obscure distilleries. And what comes to mind is Brushy Mountain that is, you know, the state penitentiary that offers tours and tastings. They have a restaurant at the warden's table. And then, you know, again, something as unique as Short Mountain that, you know, is in Cannon County that is a beautiful farm, but it's, you know, just completely different beat from your classic Jack Daniels to your classic, you know, urban that's happening in Nashville. So it is, it's something for everybody, but very different across the trail.

For the Whiskey Trail experiences coming up, and like I said, Brian and I plan on being at the Grand Tasting on the 20th, the day before Tennessee Whiskey Day, but we may stick around an extra day, but what can people, they can find tickets, right? Online.

TNWhiskeyTrailExperience.com.

And then the Tennessee Whiskey Trail itself, what's the website for that?

It is TNWhiskeyTrail.com.

Okay, so you just add experience to it and then you got the event. And those tickets, I'm sure they vary in price depending on the event. Is that true?

Yes, they do. And you can pick and choose based upon your schedule. And then as well, we also offer an all access pass. So if you really want to get in there and enjoy the week-long festivities, you can actually buy that all access pass that will include all of the activities from Thursday to Sunday.

And what's the price on that all access pass? That's actually a bargain. If you've been to some of the Kentucky bourbon events, you know that sometimes even just a short event of just an hour or two in length can run you several hundred dollars. So if you want to spend a week in Tennessee and enjoy this Tennessee Whiskey Trail experience. I think that's a fair price to pay, certainly. We hope to see a lot of our listeners there. We'll be there with bells on. We'll be wandering around and shaking hands and visiting with people and certainly drinking Tennessee Whiskey, no doubt about it. But probably a little bit of moonshine, what do you think, Brian? I think so. I'm always down for some good moonshine.

Yeah. It sounds like you're going to need that pickle juice.

Yeah. All right, so what about social media? How can people find you guys on social media outlets, whether it be Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube? Are you dancing on TikTok yet, or is it just... We are not.

We're sticking to the solids. We are on Facebook and Instagram at TNWhiskeyTrail.

All right. Well, Charity, it's been an absolute pleasure to have you on the show today. We hope all our listeners take a few moments and browse the website, both of them, tnwhiskytrail.com and tnwhiskytrailexperience.com and you'll find out everything you know about both the Tennessee Whiskey Trail and their upcoming experience. They actually have a lot of events each year and I'm sure you can find all that stuff on their website. Charity, it's been a pleasure to drink whiskey with you today. We've had such a great time. Brian and I always love to meet new friends and sit down and actually you and I have met before, but it's always nice to sit down with good friends and have a glass of whiskey and talk about some great whiskey things that are going on. We hope you'll come back again in the future on another episode and bring us up to date on new things that are happening on the Whiskey Trail.

I'd love it.

we look forward to seeing you the weekend of May 20th.

Yes, come out and celebrate International Tennessee Whiskey Day with us in a week-long celebration.

Well, thank you once again for joining us. All right. Well, you can find the Bourbon Road on all the social media outlets. You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube. We're on all of them. You'll find us on our private Facebook, Twitter. I forgot Twitter. I always forget one of them. You'll find us on our private Facebook group called The Bourbon Roadies. It's about 3,000 members strong, more than that. I don't keep track anymore, but about 3,000 plus members who just love bourbon, love to drink bourbon, talk about bourbon, take pictures of the bourbon they're drinking. They share bourbon seeing each other, but they don't sell any bourbon on there. We don't allow that. We also don't allow anyone to be brutal or mean or, well, just terrible person on there. So if your plan is to come in and chop people off at the knees for what they're drinking, you won't last very long. That's why we're only 3,000 members and not 30,000 members. Brian's got his eye on that place. He doesn't let anybody get away with anything. Do you, Brian?

We watch it close. We try to.

We do. All right. We do a show every single week. Every single week you will hear an episode from the Berman Road podcast. Sometimes we'll have a distillery on, sometimes a industry professional like charity will come on. Sometimes we'll have music artists. Actually, we've got one coming up here real soon. We also have chefs on and authors on, anybody who'll sit down and drink whiskey with us and raise a glass. We love to have them on the show and we hope we keep it exciting for you. Make sure you tune in every single week. Brian, what do they do to make sure they don't miss a single episode?

Well, you can find us in a lot of places. You can find us on iTunes. You can find us on Spotify. You can also find us on YouTube. And you just want to click the Subscribe button. And when you do that, each time we release a new episode, you will be notified. And the fun starts.

Absolutely. Well, we hope you enjoyed this show. If you've got an idea for a show or a guest you think you ought to come on or a bottle you think we've missed somewhere along the way that we should be trying, make sure you reach out to us. Go to our website, the bourbonroad.com. You'll find our swag on there, all of our neat stuff. We just released a new t-shirt for the ladies, for the bourbonistas out there. Definitely check that out. Get that contact us page, send us a message. Brian and I will respond to you. I feel like we're pretty darn responsive. We don't let a day go by before responding to a message. So if you've got an idea or a comment, make sure you let us know. We love you listening to every episode. We have such a great time doing this. We just love to share time with you drinking whiskey. So until the next time, we'll see you down the Bourbon road.

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