History and Spirits, Tours of Short Mountain Distillery

Gather up your friends and family for a fun day at the Short Mountain Distillery. This family owned and operated distillery offers tours and tastings Thursday through Sunday at scheduled intervals. On the tours, you will learn about the long, rich history of Tennessee moonshine.

The Kaufman brothers, Billy, Darian, Ben, and David, opened Short Mountain Distillery in 2010. In 2009, the state legislators passed a law allowing distilleries to operate legally in Tennessee.

The farm in Short Mountain belonged to the brother's great-grandfather, Jesse Shwayder. He was best known as the founder of the American Samsonite products. Shwayder told folks repeatedly that in every success he achieved, he abided by the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The four brothers continue their great-grandfather's tradition of the Golden Rule as they continue to grow and protect the Short Mountain Farm and Distillery.

Image courtesy of Keerati of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Shwayder believed everyone should live by the Golden Rule. To remind people, he had marbles engraved with the rule and passed them out to everyone he met. Today, the brothers continue this tradition by distributing commemorative coins with the Golden Rule etched on one side.

After the Civil War, only 18 legal distilleries remained in Cannon County. They contributed to the local agriculture by generating jobs and much-needed funds to the community. The creation of local moonshine used surplus crops. This is the same practice used today, only Short Mountain Distillery farms for their moonshine and bourbon products.  

Prohibition of 1909 saw the end of the distilleries, although farming continued. A tale passed down about famous Moonshiners has Cooper Melton using one of the Short Mountain Farm's springs, located in a cave, to create Nashville moonshine to supply to Al Capone's speakeasies all through the North East.

Today, you and your friends can tour Short Mountain Distillery and learn more about its fascinating past and plans for the future of moonshine and bourbon carefully hand crafted on the Short Mountain.

Distillery tours run between 45 minutes and one hour and are $10 per person, which includes a Short Mountain shot glass. Visiting and tasting is always free. After a tour, you can have dinner at the Stillhouse Restaurant where all the food comes from the farm and local agriculture.

Lodging options are available for overnight or long weekends. Relax at the Lakeside Resort, a 26-unit of private cabins and conference facilities, or stay at The Cannon Inn of Woodbury.

For more information about Short Mountain Distillery, moonshine, bourbon and the Stillhouse Restaurant, call Ben Kauffman at 615-216-0830, email Ben at ben@shortmountaindistillery.com or make arrangements for a tour of the Short Mountain Distillery located at 119 Mountain Spirits Lane, Woodbury, Tennessee, 37190.