Connie and I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Jacks Daniels distillery in Lynchburg Tennessee along with our President and First Man. It was always on my wish list and a must do if we were ever in the area. Our tour was full of history and amazing facts most of us would never think of go in to crafting some of our favorite spirits! We all heard stories from our Oma’s and Opa’s when they made their own. Our tour guide made it even a better experience with her witty humor and expert knowledge. Lynchburg is a dry town so how JD ever got as big as it did is absolutely amazing story.
I was in awe how everything used to make and distill the whiskey is hand crafted on site, from the charcoal its filtered with to the oak on the barrel. The time and labor of love that goes into each drop, the angels share that drips from a barrel (should you be so lucky to catch some) and just the overall feeling of being there made this an amazing outing that I will always remember. I think I made a whiskey drinker out of someone besides myself!
I leave this short tale not with a recipe of one of my favorite cocktails but maybe with a challenge to everyone? Take a little time and research you favorite spirits, find out where they come from and how they are made, visit a distillery. Trust me the next time you are enjoying that spirit it really tastes that much better and your appreciation for it is that much more!!
Cheers!!! Next trip, the Kentucky Bourbon trails!! Can’t wait for that one!
Submitted by, John Reiter
Inspired by Joe Reiter’s ever present Manhattan, we have invited our members to share their favorite recipe for the whiskey cocktail or whatever beverage wets their whistle.
