Whiskey fans visiting Nashville are in for a treat, with the city home to a wide number of acclaimed distilleries, many of which offer their own whiskey-tasting experiences.
(Photo: GetYourGuide)
Best known as the home of Jack Daniel’s, Tennessee’s bourbon and whiskey scene is renowned across the world. At its heart is the city of Nashville, where many of the state’s finest distilleries can be found. Liquor enthusiasts visiting Nashville can sample many of the area’s concoctions for themselves at the city’s myriad of watering holes, but for a more immersive experience, you also have the option of booking an organised tour complete with tasting. We’ve picked out 5 such tours below, each covering a specific theme, such as the Prohibition Era, the history of bourbon, beer and BBQ, or Nashville’s rich music heritage. Some of the tours are short and sweet, while others are more extended experiences and include all-day transport and are therefore more expensive. However, rest assured that every tour on our list includes a bourbon or whisky tasting as part of the price.
Bootleggers and Bloodshed: Tennessee Whiskey-Tasting Tour
This 2-hour walking tour invites visitors to step back into the Prohibition era, a time when drinking whiskey – and indeed any alcohol – came with the risk of punishment and social opprobrium. In the company of an expert guide, you’ll visit some of downtown Nashville’s finest whiskey-tasting rooms as your guide transports you back to a period of vice, when murky characters presided over illicit speakeasies. At each stop-off, you’ll get to sample several whiskeys with a local origin, while your guide regales you with tales of notorious events and activities that have gone down in Nashville folklore. From $49 per person.
Jack Daniels Distillery Tour
(Photo: Tennessee Whiskey Tours)
If you’ve got the time to spare, you may be enticed by this full-day tour that takes you to the hallowed environs of the official Jack Daniel’s Distillery. After a morning bus departure from downtown Nashville, you’ll make the 90-minute journey south to Lynchburg, home to
the distillery, where you’ll discover how the world-famous whiskey is made. While there, you’ll get to smell the aging whiskey as it remains in one of the huge barrel warehouses, before tasting the legendary liquor on the very same grounds that it was made. You will also have the chance to explore downtown Lynchburg independently and grab some lunch
at your own expense before your return drive to Nashville. From $129.90 per person.
Book at Tennesseewhiskeytours.com
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Guided Tour with Tastings
(Photo: Courtesy of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery)
Visitors can discover the tales of whiskey-production in pre-prohibition America during a guided tour of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, an acclaimed late 19th-century distillery located in the Nashville neighbourhood of Marathon Village. As you explore the historic facility and its still-operational production floor, you’ll be regaled with intriguing tales about sunken ships and lost gold, as well as how the distillery itself was reborn after a century in the doldrums. There’ll also be a rare opportunity to sample one of Tennessee’s oldest whiskeys during a guided tasting session. Afterwards, you can browse for souvenirs in the on-site gift shop. All alcoholic drinks are included in the tour price. From $25 per person.
The Belle Meade Bourbon Experience
Set in a Greek Revival-style plantation house & grounds dating to the 1840s, complete with a winery and event spaces, Belle Meade remains at the heart of the region’s liquor scene all these years later. This 60-minute experience invites visitors into the distinguished venue’s historic Ice House, where they’ll get hear about the history of bourbon in Nashville before settling down for a fully tutored tasting session. There’ll even be a chance to craft your own signature drink, guided by expert staff. From $60 per person.
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Experience
(Photo: GetYourGuide)
This half-day guided tour combines whiskey and bourbon tasting with an introduction to another Tennessee speciality: BBQ. Over the course of 4 hours, you’ll visit three local Nashville foodie hotspots where you’ll sample smoked meaty treats, all washed down with some classic Southern spirits. There’ll also be time to look around a distillery, sample the produce and see how whiskey-making works first-hand, as well as a beer brewery where you’ll get to enjoy a beer flight in the on-site tap room. From $189 per person.