Deep Dive (1,000ish words)
Iâm writing this because the name Uncle Nearest keeps popping upâin books, on podcasts, and in just about every corner of whiskey history research I dive into. I havenât tried the whiskey yet, so I canât vouch for the taste, but the story behind it? That alone is worth raising a glass. This isnât just another bottle. Itâs a tribute. A reckoning. A history lesson with a kick. And like most great whiskey tales, it starts with a man whose name nearly got erased.
đ Meet Nearest Green: The First Known Black Master Distiller in America
His real name was Nathan âNearestâ Green, and if youâve ever had a sip of Jack Danielâs, youâve tasted the legacy he helped buildâwhether you knew it or not. Born into slavery sometime around 1820, Green was eventually leased out to a preacher named Dan Call in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Call ran a farm⊠and a small distillery.
It was there that a young white boy named Jasper Newton Daniel (yep, Jack) started learning how to make whiskey. But he didnât learn it from the preacher. He learned it from Nearest.
Thatâs rightâthe man who taught Jack Daniel how to distill whiskey was an enslaved Black man who mastered the Lincoln County Process: filtering whiskey through charcoal before aging. This slow-drip filtration method smooths out the spirit, giving Tennessee whiskey its signature mellow flavor. And Nearest Green was the go-to expert.
đ§ Whiskey, Charcoal, and a Hidden Legacy
Letâs pause for a second. Imagine being so good at something that your enslavers put you in charge of it. Thatâs exactly what happened. Nearest was so skilled at distilling, Dan Call made him the head still hand. After emancipation, he continued working with Jack Danielânow a teenager with big dreams and a knack for business.
When Jack Daniel officially started his own distillery, guess who his first Master Distiller was? Nearest Green. Not only did he keep working at the distillery, but several of his sons and grandsons did too. The Green family played a huge role in building one of the most iconic whiskey brands in the world.
And yet, for over a century, Nearest Greenâs name was left out of the story.
đ”ïžââïž How His Story Came Back to Life
Fast forward to 2016. A New York Times article casually mentioned that Jack Daniel had learned distilling from a formerly enslaved man. That little detail caught the eye of author and entrepreneur Fawn Weaver, who decided to dig deeper. She didnât just find a footnoteâshe uncovered an entire legacy.
Weaver went to Lynchburg. She met with Greenâs descendants. She dug through dusty records and oral histories. What she found was undeniable: Nearest Green wasnât just a helperâhe was the heart of early Tennessee whiskey.
Instead of just writing a book, Weaver and her husband did something bold. They launched the Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey brand in 2017, not just as a tribute, but as a living legacy.
đ„ The Rise of Uncle Nearest Whiskey
Since launching, Uncle Nearest has exploded. Itâs the fastest-growing independent American whiskey brand in U.S. history and the most-awarded bourbon or American whiskey three years running (2019â2021). Thatâs not just hypeâthatâs hardware.
Their lineup includes:
- Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey (100 proof)
- Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
- Uncle Nearest 1820 Single Barrel Edition (if you can find it, grab it)
Each bottle carries a story. And every drop is filtered through sugar maple charcoalâthe same method Nearest Green used 160 years ago.
đ° More Than a WhiskeyâItâs a Legacy
What sets Uncle Nearest apart isnât just whatâs in the bottle. Itâs what theyâre doing outside of it.
The brand has committed millions toward:
- The Nearest Green Legacy Scholarship Fund, covering college tuition for Greenâs descendants
- The Uncle Nearest Venture Fund, which helps new spirits brands grow
- The Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, TNâcalled âMalt Disney Worldâ for whiskey lovers
Everything they do points back to one thing: honoring Nearest Greenâs contribution to American whiskey, and making sure no one forgets it again.
đ„ A Story That Still Hits Hard
Letâs be honestâthis story shouldnât have been buried. Nearest Green shouldâve been a household name decades ago. But hereâs the thing: we canât change the past, but we can raise a glass to the people who shaped it.
Nearest Green wasnât just a skilled distillerâhe was a pioneer. A teacher. A craftsman whose work helped launch one of the most famous whiskey brands in the world. And now, his name is finally on the label, where it always belonged.
Uncle Nearest isnât just a bottle of whiskey. Itâs a reminder that some of the greatest stories in American history were nearly lostâbut not anymore. With every pour, weâre keeping the legacy alive.
If youâre into whiskey, history, or just giving credit where itâs due, this is a bottle worth knowing. And when I finally crack mine open, Iâll be thinking about Nearest Greenânot just as a distiller, but as a legend whose name now gets the spotlight it always deserved.
⥠Quick Barroom Facts (because you never know when youâll need âem):
- đ„ Nearest Green is the first known African-American master distiller in the U.S.
- đ§ The Lincoln County Processâcharcoal filteringâis what defines Tennessee whiskey, and Nearest was a master of it
- đ„ Jack Daniel publicly credited Nearest Green as his teacher
- đ Uncle Nearest whiskey has won more than 600 awards and accolades since 2017
- đ The Nearest Green Distillery is the most visited distillery in the American South
âïž Final Sip
In a world full of whiskey tales and tall barroom stories, this one actually happened.
Nearest Green helped build Tennessee whiskey. And now, his name is finally on the bottle.
Thatâs a toast worth making. đ„
Quick Read(500ish Words)
đ„ The Whiskey Legend You Didnât Learn in School: Uncle Nearestâs Story
Iâve seen the name Uncle Nearest everywhereâin books, podcasts, and whiskey history research. I havenât tried the whiskey yet, but the story behind it is already enough reason to raise a glass. This isnât just a bottleâitâs a tribute and a history lesson with a kick.
đ Meet Nearest Green
Born circa 1820, Nathan âNearestâ Green was enslaved in Maryland and later worked in Lynchburg, Tennessee. He became a master distiller under preacherâdistiller Dan Callâand taught a young Jack Daniel the ins and outs of whiskey-making. Green perfected the charcoalâfiltering, Lincoln County Process that gives Tennessee whiskey its signature smoothness.
đ§ A Hidden Legacy
After emancipation, Green served as Jack Danielâs first Master Distiller, and his sons and grandsons continued at the distillery. Yet for over 150 years, his name remained largely forgotten history.
đ”ïžââïž Resurrection of a Legend
In 2016, prompted by a New York Times piece, entrepreneur Fawn Weaver began digging into records and oral histories. Her research confirmed Nearestâs pivotal role and led to the launch of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey in 2017.
đ„ Brand with a Backbone
Uncle Nearest skyrocketed as the fastest-growing independent American whiskey brand, earning scores of awardsâincluding Wine Enthusiastâs Spirit Brand of the Year 2020âand more than 715 gold medals to date. Its core lineup includes:
- 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey
- 1884 Small Batch
- 1820 Single Barrel
Each bottle showcases maple-charcoal filtrationâjust like Nearest used over 160 years ago.
đïž Bringing History to Life
The Nearest Green Distillery opened in Shelbyville in 2019. Visitors get a âMalt Disneyâ experience: long bars, tours, and the full Nearest story
đ„ Final Sip
Nearest Green wasnât just a talented distillerâhe was a pioneer whose hands shaped American whiskey. His story mightâve been almost lostâbut thanks to modern efforts, his name finally rests proudly on the bottle he helped inspire. When I finally try it, Iâll knowâthis taste is history in a glass.
⥠Quick Barroom Facts
- đ„ First documented African-American Master Distiller in the U.S.
- đ§ Key figure in creating the Lincoln County Process
- đ„ Uncle Nearest brand has 700+ gold medals
- đïž Nearest Green Distillery launched in 2019
TalkingâPoints
- Nathan âNearestâ Green (b. c.1820) taught Jack Daniel how to distill using the charcoalâfiltering method.
- He became Jack Danielâs first Master Distiller; his family stayed involved for generations.
- Greenâs contributions went unrecognized for over 150 years until Fawn Weaver rediscovered the story around 2016.
- Uncle Nearest Whiskey launched in 2017, and rapidly became a record-setting independent brand with 700+ gold medals.
- The Nearest Green Distillery opened in 2019, offering immersive tours and storytelling.
- Nearest Green is now officially recognized as the first African-American Master Distiller in U.S. history.
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