Just finished listening to Love & Whiskey by Fawn Weaver and I really liked it. It is a non-fiction book about the writer discovering that Jack Daniel learned to make wiskey from a slave called Nearest Green. Weaver then goes on a journey to discover more, ending up in Tennesee to meet the descendents of Jack and Nearest. Eventually, she buys a farm and opens up a distillery in honor of Uncle Nearest (as people called him in his day).
I really liked learning this forgotten history. And I am very intersted in making a journey to see the distillery eventually.
The whiskey maker backed away from a promise to acknowledge its debt to a black distiller — until Fawn Weaver swooped into town and took up the cause.
“Nearest Green’s existence had long been an open secret, but in 2016 Brown-Forman, the company that owns the Jack Daniel Distillery here, made international headlines with its decision to finally embrace Green’s legacy and significantly change its tours to emphasize his role.
It was jarring that arguably one of the most well-known brands in the world was created, in part, by a slave,” said Ms. Weaver, 40, an African-American real estate investor and author.
Determined to see the changes herself, she was soon on a plane from her home in Los Angeles to Nashville. But when she got to Lynchburg, she found no trace of Green. “I went on three tours of the distillery, and nothing, not a mention of him,” she said.
Rather than leave, Ms. Weaver dug in, determined to uncover more about Green and persuade Brown-Forman to follow through on its promise to recognize his role in creating America’s most famous whiskey.
The company’s decision to recognize its debt to a slave, first reported last year by The New York Times, is a momentous turn in the history of Southern foodways. Even as black innovators in Southern cooking and agriculture are beginning to get their due, the tale of American whiskey is still told as a whites-only affair, about Scots-Irish settlers who brought Old World distilling knowledge to the frontier states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Green’s story changes all that by showing how enslaved people likely provided the brains as well as the brawn in what was an arduous, dangerous and highly technical operation..."
Uncle Nearest Loan Fight Pulls Jay-Z’s MarcyPen Into Receivership Battle
Topic / Subject
A lender says Uncle Nearest concealed the true source of a $20 million loan tied to Jay-Z’s MarcyPen as the whiskey brand fights through receivership.
TL;DR
This is a real court fight, but it is still allegation stage. The filing exists, the lender says the loan source was concealed, and Uncle Nearest denies fraud, which means the core claim remains contested.
Key Details
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Discover how Uncle Nearest Whiskey, honoring Nearest Green, became a billion-dollar empire led by visionary Fawn Weaver. A story of resilience and innovation.
Discover the incredible journey of Fawn Weaver as she honors Nearest Green and builds Uncle Nearest Whiskey into a billion-dollar legacy. From a historic distillery experience to visionary expansions, see how this Black-owned brand is revolutionizing the spirits industry. Learn more about their commitment to future generations and lasting impact.
How Uncle Nearest Founder Fawn Weaver Built A Billion-Dollar Whiskey Bus...
I've been here twice and it's been one of my favorite historical tours ever. Even if you don't like Whiskey, if you're a fan of history, you'll love the tour!!! The Uncle Nearest distillery is about 45 min - 1 hr from Nashville which also has one of my favorite restaurants which is Prince's Hot Chicken. Tennessee don't get enough love as a place to go so here's me telling y'all to go!
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The Craft Brewers Conference® is the number one environment in North America for concentrated, affordable brewing education and idea sharing to improve brewery quality and performance. Featuring more than 60 educational seminars spanning eight areas critical to running a successful business and more than 650 exhibitors displaying the latest and greatest product…
UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY MAKES POWERFUL INC. 5000 LIST
UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY MAKES POWERFUL INC. 5000 LIST
The Premium Tennessee Whiskey Distillery’s Growth of 693% Lands the Brand in the Top 1000, Making it One of the Only Black-Owned Spirit Companies To Do So in the List’s History
SOURCE: UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 23, 2022 — Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the most-awarded American Whiskey or Bourbon of 2019, 2020, and 2021, has been ranked among the top 1,000 companies…
