It’s official! You can now buy a bottle of our 105 Proof Authentic Tennessee moonshine in stores throughout East Tennessee! This follows our July release into Middle Tennessee stores. Chattanooga and Memphis aren’t too far behind. Check this post as more stores and bars are added.

A three part mini series called How Booze Built America will air in a couple weeks on the Discovery Channel and features several folks and locations from the Middle Tennessee area. It’s hosted by Mike Rowe of the popular show Dirty Jobs.

Short Mountain Distillery was the site of a full day of filming back in June. Our upcoming release of Short Mountain Apple Pie Moonshine may or may not make an appearance, but I’m sure the effects will. Mike sat with our three living legends of moonshine at the end of a long day of filming and made sure close to a gallon of it got gone.

Several local Civil War reenactors from the Armies of Tennessee and Dr. Kristofer Ray of APSU will also help add some historic context to the story.

The role booze had in building our country is as evident in today’s recovery from the worst economic recession in American history as it was in our rebellious beginning. As I write some big checks to the federal government on the production and sale of our moonshine, I’m reminded of the role the Whiskey Tax played in paying for America’s Revolutionary War. I’m also reminded how down right pleasant the IRS is these days compared to our founding father George Washington who sent soldiers to make sure the taxes were paid… and how that very decision by our government helped create the illicit heritage of backwoods moonshine production we are only now beginning to revive.

In a couple of weeks, this is the story America will learn again thanks to the awesomeness that is Mike Rowe. Once the promos are posted, I’ll share them here. Several TV guide listings across the country have the first episode appearing at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, but local media reports Sept. 18. There is no information on the Discovery Channel website yet. I’ll post correct times once they are available.

UPDATE 9-12-11: A few more details appear in a newly posted “exclusive” from TV Guide. Discovery’s new three-part series How Booze Built America premiers on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 10/9c.

Discovery Channel issued the following release later this afternoon: Mike Rowe Puts On His Thinking Cap (and Drinking Shoes) in Discovery’s New Three Part Series HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA

In HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA, Mike Rowe will crisscross the country, stiff drink in hand and beer goggles firmly strapped on, to take an in depth and slightly unusual look at the story of our nation.  Between reenactments of actual historical events, and current day interviews with historians and experts, Rowe will make the case that alcohol is clearly one of the key ingredients that formed our culture and our country.

UPDATE 9-13-12: We posted the promo (above)

This Saturday September 8, hundreds of bikers will stream through the hills and back roads of Cannon and surrounding counties for a good cause. It’s the 6th Annual Poker Run benefiting the Cannon County Rescue Squad, and Short Mountain Distillery is proud to be a stop on this year’s fundraising ride.

Bikers will start at the Courthouse on the square in Woodbury, TN at 10:00am with the last bike in at 4:30pm. Each stop will present riders with a playing card for each $10 hand you purchase. Cannon County Rescue Squad is a 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit dedicated to saving lives in Cannon County and Middle Tennessee.

After the ride there will be a bike show, awards and a corn hole tournament. If you would like more information on how to participate, click here for a flyer, or call 615-684-3314.

They’re here! Short Mountain Mini Barrels available at the Still House Store Saturday Sept. 1

Make your own Barrel Charred Shine
Give your authentic Tennessee Moonshine the age of a fine Bourbon with our 2 liter Short Mountain Mini Barrels. Each new charred White Oak barrel fits two 750ml bottles of spirit and can be used several times with proper care. Making “charred Shine” takes days as opposed to months or years in larger barrels.

Short Mountain Mini Barrels retail for $55 and will be available at Short Mountain Distillery starting Saturday September 1. They will be available online in October. Each mini barrel includes the barrel, bung, spout, stand, instructions and sanitizer.

Charred Shine can be enjoyed like a fine Bourbon as a drink or in food products such as: Charred Shine BBQ sauces, donut glazes, or flavoring in chilies, soups or baked sweet treats.

How To Use Short Mountain Mini Barrels

• Be sure spout is secure in the barrel. Remove bung, fill with warm water, close, wrap with a moist towel for a few hours. This will swell and seal the oak wood.
• Remove water. Select a fine unaged whiskey, like Short Mountain Shine! Pour into barrel and leave to age to preferred taste. Enjoy your charred Shine responsibly!

Proper care and tips:

• Keep barrel in alternating warm and cool environments to expand and contract spirits in and out of the oak.
• If storing barrel between uses, use enclosed sulfite tablet for at least a day before rinsing and reusing, especially if using well water. Dissolve pill in water, pour water into barrel and allow to sit for a day to sanitize if using well water. Do not allow barrel to dry out and crack. Wrap with moist towel to seal any external cracks.
• Remove bung when using spout to allow spirit to flow.

Billy Kaufman knew he had something more than just another moonshine to share with the world. The three moonshiners he knew before seeking the public’s support to build the distillery in 2010 had a story to share that was unique to the South and Tennessee in particular. And more than that, it’s the story of survival in hard times. It’s Cannon County’s story.

Open for just a few months, Short Mountain Distillery has logged more than 5,000 visitors who come to experience our unique whiskey making history and heritage. They come from Woodbury and surrounding counties as well as visitors from several states, all taking home a craving for the moonshine that reconnects them with the artisan and craft spirit of America.

Here is an excerpt from an article by Dan Whittle after his recent visit to get a “snort on Short.”

Woodbury Mayor Harold Patrick echoes the optimism of “new revenue” being triggered by Short Mountain Distillery’s presence: “Woodbury and Cannon County have long been known for our crafts’ men and women, particularly for our unique basket weaving traditions. Now, the Short Mountain Distillery brings another longtime Cannon tradition to light, the making of moonshine, but now, it’s legal.”

“A spinoff benefit of the Mountain’s increased tourism, which brings clean dollars that require no increase in school rooms, roads or taxes,” the mayor added. “We’re beginning to see more bus tours and family tours coming specifically to historic Cannon County and Woodbury… ranging from our picturesque Public Square to the majesty of Short Mountain.”

Jimmy Simpson told us early this Spring to wait on planting. “Knee high by July,” he said. “As long as we got it in by June 15, we’ll be fine.”

We were getting worried we were planting our organic corn late this year after seeing our neighbor’s corn knee high by June.

We’re trying not to count our ears before they’re harvested, but we’re pretty darn proud of our 14 feet tall organic open pollinated Trucker’s Pride corn. Not everyone is so lucky this year, so we’re counting our blessings instead. We have to admit it’s a combination of a little luck and old-timer’s wisdom.

To be perfectly honest with you, it’s actually our second planting this year in the same field after we discovered the first attempt in late May never put a single seed in the ground.

We found that out the hard way, but it made us miss the drought conditions that destroyed most of Tennessee’s corn crops. Better late than never, especially when you’re making moonshine. It also allowed us to use seed corn Jimmy had personally hand-selected and shelled for next year. His mules didn’t seem to mind the extra work either.

Sometimes it’s good to leave the driving to someone that knows all the back roads when searching for Tennessee’s hidden treasures. That’s the idea behind a new bus tour that will soon bring visitors on a day trip through Cannon County!

The bus tour is a joint project between folks at the Rutherford and Cannon County Chambers of Commerce eager to share a slice of our history and heritage with the world.

The day long bus tour takes visitors to Short Mountain Distillery to see how authentic Tennessee Moonshine is made on a 300 acre working farm. The distillery uses traditional processes, organically grown corn that’s stone-milled on site and water from a natural cave spring. Visitors will then see how the community once relied on the power of the Stones River to mill grains at the historic Readyville Mill. Lunch will be provided by the Blue Porch @ the Arts Center where visitors can learn how local folk crafts of basket and chair making kept families fed during the Great Depression. The day will wrap up with antique shopping on the square in Woodbury, TN.

At each stop our guests will receive complimentary gifts to go along with the warm smiles and hospitality you could only find on a day’s adventures through rural America.

This tour is not for individuals, but if you are interested in taking this tour with a pre-formed group of friends, co-workers or civic groups who already have motor coach service, contact the Rutherford County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Barbara Wolke at (615) 278-2327 or visit ReadySetRutherford.com. Tickets are $39 per person and includes lunch and gifts. We look forward to seeing you in Cannon County!

SHINE ON: A special toast to newlyweds Andrew Travis and Shrena Henderson who held their reception at this distillery this past weekend (our first!). You can’t beat sharing good food and drink with friends and family. Here’s to many years filled with life and love from all of us at Short Mountain Distillery!

It’s official! You can now buy a bottle of our 105 Proof Authentic Tennessee moonshine in stores across Middle Tennessee.

It’s quite a site to see our county’s history and heritage in a bottle on a store shelf, and we are mighty grateful to all the support we’ve gotten from thousands of you who have visited our distillery since we opened in March.

We also want to thank all the retail store owners and their family and friends who came out to our official Middle Tennessee launch party last night at City House. The crowd was about twice what we expected, but Peg Leg Porker Pitmaster Carey Bringle kept everyone delightfully stuffed with a whole pig. The Jake Leg Stompers brought the Bluegrass while the DrinkMusicCity crew kept drinks flowing with four new Moonshine cocktail recipes we’ll share with you in a couple of days.

Here are a few stores that carry Short Mountain Shine in the Middle Tennessee region. Follow us on Facebook for future launch parties in Knoxville, Memphis and Chattanooga!

Here’s an easier way to share a little bit of your Short Mountain Distillery experience this Summer with friends and family. Ship them one of our awesome hats or t-shirt from our newly launched online store!

Nothing beats visiting the distillery and experiencing the making of our authentic Tennessee Moonshine quite like the mementos that remind you of when you were there. It comes a close second to the kinship of seeing someone else wearing a Short Mountain t-shirt!

The state of Tennessee won’t allow us to export our fine authentic Tennessee moonshine to foreign states like New York or California using such space-aged technology, but over time we hope to grow our selection of items that capture the Short Mountain experience. If there’s something you’d like to see added, don’t hesitate to give us a shout.