Ole Smoky

Time for a quick pint? Tennessee has always been connected to whisky, distilleries, and the illicit moonshine industry that thrived during prohibition.

And that moonshine legacy lives on in Tennessee’s most popular distillery, Ole Smoky. In fact, despite the omnipresence of distilleries like Jack Daniels, Ole Smoky claims the title of not just Tennessee’s favorite distillery, but the favorite of the whole world, as well. Ole Smoky welcomed a combined total of 4.5 million visitors to all four of its Tennessee locations in 2019.

That’s an astounding number of moonshine connoisseurs!

Ole Smoky is actually a family of distilleries spread throughout Tennessee. There’s a location in Pigeon Forge, one in Nashville, and the most popular two are situated right here in Gatlinburg!

These Gatlinburg locations, The Holler and The Barrelhouse saw over one million visitors each last year, and they don’t seem to show any signs of slowing down. With visitor numbers that currently outmatch the distilleries in Scotland, Gatlinburg can really be called the world’s whisky home.

Lest you think Ole Smoky is just about taking the straight shots, they’ve got an extensive library of whisky cocktail recipes that you can check out anytime. From the Peanut Butter Ole Fashioned to the Chocolate Cherry Martini, if you’re looking to expand your whisky horizons, look no further.

You can book guided tours here, check out the gift shop, and of course stock up on all the delicious whisky flavors you can imagine. Whether your preferred proof is 35 or 100, Ole Smoky has got you covered.

Coming here offers so much more than a quick stop at your local liquor store ever could. The atmosphere of these classic distilleries really brings together that old-timey, southern whisky experience. On their website, the calendar is always bursting with events and special activities planned for each location. There’s never a down day in Gatlinburg’s favorite whisky house.

Ole Smoky hasn’t let all this fame go to their heads. The heart of Tennessee's whisky culture is still strongly intact. So while you can expect a lot of big fun and press, the experience has still been crafted with normal customers in mind. The prices are reasonable and you can expect to make new friends when you stop by. So take a trip down to Ole Smoky to refill your whisky shelf (and maybe pick up some of their delicious Moonshine Pickles while you’re there!).