Tennessee whiskey is its own legal category. Charcoal-mellowed (the Lincoln County Process), aged in new charred oak, made from at least 51 percent corn. Jack Daniel's, George Dickel, and Uncle Nearest define the category. Nashville also has a younger craft scene with rye, gin, vodka, and absinthe coming out of warehouse distilleries in Marathon Village.
This guide ranks the 7 distilleries within driving distance of downtown, what each tour costs, what to expect, the bottle to buy on the way out, and a full one-day distillery itinerary. Pair it with the bachelor party guide for groups that want a distillery as the main event.
In-Town Distilleries (Walkable or Short Drive)
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
1414 Clinton Street, Marathon Village. The historic Nelson's brand goes back to 1860 when Charles Nelson outsold Jack Daniel by 1885. Prohibition shut the family business down. Two great-great-grandsons revived it in 2014. The tour walks through the rye and Tennessee whiskey production, plus the Belle Meade Bourbon side of the operation.
Tour cost: $25 for the standard tour with tasting. $50 for the Belle Meade single barrel experience.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm.
What to expect: 60-minute tour, 4-spirit tasting, gift shop with single-barrel picks.
Must-try bottle: Belle Meade Sherry Cask Finish Bourbon.
Best for: First-timers, history buffs, bourbon-curious groups.
Corsair Distillery
1200 Clinton Street, Marathon Village. The craft distillery 200 feet from Nelson's. Corsair leans experimental with smoked whiskeys, hop-aged spirits, and absinthe. The Quinoa whiskey and Triple Smoke are the bottles that put Corsair on the national craft map.
Tour cost: $20 for the standard tour with tasting.
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12pm to 8pm.
What to expect: 45-minute tour, 5-spirit flight, plus a working taproom.
Must-try bottle: Triple Smoke whiskey or Quinoa whiskey.
Best for: Craft-spirit drinkers, people who like weird mash bills.
Big Machine Distillery
100 Taylor Street, Germantown. Owned by Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift's old label). The brand sells the Redneck Riviera American Whiskey created with John Rich. The tasting room sits in a renovated downtown warehouse.
Tour cost: $15 for tasting flight. $35 for tour plus tasting.
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12pm to 10pm.
What to expect: 30-minute tour, smaller setup than Nelson's. Country-star branding throughout.
Must-try bottle: Redneck Riviera Granddaddy Rich.
Best for: Country-music fans, casual stops paired with a meal in Germantown.
Pennington Distilling
900 44th Avenue North, Nations. Family-owned distillery known for the Pickers brand of vodka, gin, and whiskey. The Walton's Finest American Whiskey blend is the headline. 15 minutes west of downtown.
Tour cost: $15 for tasting. $25 for tour plus tasting.
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 11am to 6pm.
What to expect: 45-minute family-run tour, less corporate.
Must-try bottle: Walton's Finest American Whiskey.
Best for: Groups that want a smaller operation and a non-Marathon-Village vibe.
Marathon Village two-fer: Nelson's Green Brier and Corsair sit 200 feet apart in Marathon Village. Walk one to the other in under 5 minutes. Most groups do both back-to-back. Add an hour at Antique Archaeology (the American Pickers shop) and a coffee at Bang Candy Company to round out 3 hours.
Day-Trip Distilleries
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Distillery
418 Whiskey Lane, Shelbyville. 60 minutes southeast of Nashville. Nathan "Nearest" Green taught Jack Daniel how to distill in the 1860s. He was the first Black master distiller in the United States. Uncle Nearest is now the fastest-growing American whiskey brand. The distillery sits on a 323-acre property with a tasting house, an outdoor sculpture trail, and a barrel-aging warehouse.
Tour cost: $25 for the Walk Through History tour. $80 for the Master Tasting experience.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10am to 5pm.
What to expect: 90-minute tour, history-heavy storytelling, outdoor sculpture walk, tasting of 4 to 6 expressions.
Must-try bottle: Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch or Uncle Nearest Master Blend 1856.
Best for: History-focused groups, whiskey collectors, anyone who wants the Tennessee whiskey origin story.
Leiper's Fork Distillery
3381 Southall Road, Franklin. 45 minutes south of Nashville in the Leiper's Fork village. A small-production distillery in a restored farm setting. The flagship is a Tennessee whiskey with a 4-grain mash bill. The grounds are postcard-pretty and worth the drive on their own.
Tour cost: $20 for tasting. $40 for tour plus tasting.
Hours: Thursday-Sunday 11am to 5pm.
What to expect: 60-minute farm-distillery tour, picnic tables outside, a small store.
Must-try bottle: Old Natchez Trace Tennessee Whiskey.
Best for: Couples on a day trip, groups pairing the distillery with lunch in Leiper's Fork village.
Jack Daniel's Distillery
133 Lynchburg Highway, Lynchburg. 90 minutes south of Nashville. The Jack Daniel's brand sells more whiskey than any other American label. The Lynchburg property has been in operation since 1866. The tour walks through the cave-spring water source, the charcoal-mellowing room, and the barrel-aging warehouses.
Tour cost: $25 for the Dry County tour (no tasting because Moore County is dry). $35 for the Angel's Share tasting tour. $100 for the Taste of Lynchburg experience.
Hours: Daily 9am to 4:30pm. Tours run every 15 minutes.
What to expect: 90-minute tour, walking through actual production buildings. Lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House in town adds 90 minutes.
Must-try bottle: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel or Sinatra Select if your group wants to splurge.
Best for: First-time bourbon-tour groups, anyone making a single day trip from Nashville.
Lynchburg is in a dry county: Moore County prohibits selling alcohol by the drink, so the Jack Daniel's tour offers tastings only as part of the paid experience. You can buy a commemorative bottle on-site under a state exception. Plan accordingly.
One-Day Distillery Tour Itinerary
This itinerary covers two in-town distilleries and lunch, leaving the afternoon free for downtown plans.
The In-Town Day
10:30am: Drive to Marathon Village. Park in the Marathon Motor Works lot.
11:00am: Nelson's Green Brier tour and tasting. 60 minutes.
12:15pm: Walk 200 feet to Corsair Distillery. 45-minute tour and tasting.
1:15pm: Lunch at Five Daughters Bakery for a 100-layer donut or Frothy Monkey for a sit-down.
2:30pm: Shop Antique Archaeology in Marathon Village.
4:00pm: Done. Back downtown for cocktails or rooftops.
The Lynchburg Day Trip
9:00am: Leave Nashville. 90 minutes south on I-65 and Highway 55.
10:30am: Arrive Lynchburg. Walk the square. Visit the courthouse and the Lynchburg Hardware store.
11:30am: Lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House (book 4 weeks ahead) or the BBQ Caboose Cafe (walk-in).
1:30pm: Jack Daniel's Angel's Share tour and tasting.
3:30pm: Shop the Jack Daniel's Distillery store for limited bottles.
4:30pm: Drive back to Nashville.
6:00pm: Back downtown for dinner.
The Three-Stop Day (Ambitious)
10:00am: Leiper's Fork Distillery (Franklin, 45 min south).
12:00pm: Lunch at Country Boy Restaurant in Leiper's Fork village.
1:30pm: Drive to Uncle Nearest in Shelbyville (45 min east).
2:30pm: Walk Through History tour at Uncle Nearest.
4:30pm: Drive back to Nashville (60 min).
6:30pm: Dinner in town.
Plan the distillery day
Howdy Nash is the free Nashville travel app. Save your tour spots, share live location across the group, and ask the AI concierge for the best bottle to bring home.
Mint Julep Tours: Bus-based group tour. Picks up downtown, hits 3 distilleries, returns at 5pm. $99 to $129 per person. Includes tastings.
Tennessee Whiskey Trail Pass: Self-guided passport. Visit 10 stops, get a free bottle at the end. Sold by the Tennessee Distillers Guild.
Belle Meade Plantation plus Nelson's combo: Half-day tour pairing the historic Belle Meade plantation tasting room with Nelson's. $89.
Jack Daniel's plus Lynchburg lunch: $135 with Mint Julep or other tour operators. Bus, tour, and Miss Mary Bobo's lunch included.
What to Bring Home
Most distilleries sell exclusive bottles you cannot find at a retail store. The single-barrel and distillery-only releases are the souvenirs that matter.
Nelson's Green Brier: Single-barrel bourbon picks rotate every 6 to 8 weeks. Buy whatever is fresh.
Corsair: The seasonal experimental whiskeys (smoked, hopped, oat-finished).
Jack Daniel's: Single Barrel Personal Selection bottles. The bottle is etched with the date and barrel info.
Big Machine: Signed bottles by John Rich or country artists who pass through.
Leiper's Fork: Old Natchez Trace single barrel.
Transportation: How to Do This Safely
Designated driver: One person stays sober. Some distilleries offer non-alcoholic tasting menus.
Mint Julep Tours and Grayline: Both run group bus tours to Lynchburg, Uncle Nearest, and Leiper's Fork. $99 to $135 per person.
Party bus charter: For groups of 12+, a private bus to Lynchburg runs $800 to $1,400 for the day.
Uber XL: Works for Marathon Village (3 miles from downtown). Less practical for Lynchburg ($150 each way).
Rental car: Solid for Leiper's Fork or Marathon Village. Skip if anyone in the group plans to drink.
FAQ
Can you visit Jack Daniel's and Nelson's on the same day?
Yes if you start early. 9am at Marathon Village (Nelson's) and 1:30pm at Jack Daniel's works. Total drive time is 3 hours round trip.
Are distilleries family-friendly?
Yes. Kids are allowed on most tours. They will not get tastings. Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's both have family-friendly areas.
What is the difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon?
Tennessee whiskey is bourbon that goes through the Lincoln County Process (charcoal mellowing) before barrel aging. Bourbon does not. The mash bills are similar. The smoothness profile differs.
Can I ship bottles home?
Some distilleries ship to certain states. Tennessee law restricts direct-to-consumer alcohol shipment. Easiest path is checking a bottle in your luggage. TSA allows up to 5 liters per person in checked bags as long as alcohol is under 70 percent ABV.
Which distillery is best for a bachelor party?
Uncle Nearest for the property and storytelling. Nelson's for the in-town convenience. Jack Daniel's if the group commits to a full day trip. See the bachelor party guide for the rest of the weekend plan.
Jack Daniel's Lynchburg day trips, Nelson's Green Brier, Corsair, Belle Meade Bourbon. Skip the line where available. Free cancellation on most bookings.
Howdy Nash