A Brief History Of Jack Daniel's

When people in Tennessee hear the word “whiskey,” the name of Jack Daniel automatically comes to mind. That’s because Jack Daniel’s signature tasting whiskey is synonymous with southern living. Here’s a little background on how Jack Daniel’s came to be the go-to liquor in Tennessee.
Jack Daniel’s Distillery was established in 1866, and was the first registered distillery in the U.S. born Jasper Newton Daniel, its namesake is the mastermind behind the Old No. 7 taste that is so popular. By 1904, Jack’s infamous whiskey had earned a gold medal at the World’s Fair. The secret to Jack’s award-winning flavor is limestone spring water, which is the resource used today at the Lynchburg, TN location. His original recipe, which remains unchanged, also includes just the right amount of corn, rye, and barley.

It all started when Jack ran away from home after his mother and father had both died. Prior to his death, Jack’s father remarried, but Jack despised his stepmother and was taken in by a local preacher named Dan Call. Call began teaching Jack about distilling, and in 1875 Jack founded a registered distilling business with Call using money from his late father’s estate. Shortly thereafter, Call quit the business due to religious reasons, and Jack took over the ownership.

In 1884, Jack Daniel purchased the land where the distillery is located today. He ran it until 1907, when he gave the distillery to his nephew, Lemuel “Lew” Motlow, since he never married or had children. Motlow operated the distillery for 40 years. In 1910, he challenged the law in a case that went to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Since a statewide prohibition was passed in 1910, the legal distillation of Jack Daniel’s in Tennessee was not allowed.

The company then moved production to St. Louis, Missouri, and Birmingham, Alabama, but was not able to achieve the quality of whiskey that was produced in Tennessee. Both Missouri and Alabama were affected by similar prohibitions, and after several years of repeals and changes to the law, the distillery was finally up and running for business in 1947.

While it is now legal to distill whiskey in Tennessee, the distillery is actually located in a dry county. This means that while the product can legally be produced, it cannot legally be sold. However, there is one exception, which is that Jack Daniel’s can sell one commemorative product. You can purchase Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, or Old No. 7 at the distillery’s bottle shop. Free tours are offered daily at the distillery from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. After each tour, guests are served a small cup of lemonade, since the dry country prohibits any alcohol sales.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.