H0W AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN HELP JÀCK DANlEL DEVEL0P HIS FAM0US WHISKEY

 Nathan “Nearest” Green taught Jàck DanieI to make whìskey. Born into slavery near Lynchburg, TN, Nearest first perfected the charcoal filtering method that became known as the “Lincoln County Process” on the farm of Dan Call. Call was a minister who sold spirits on the side. 

 When the Civil W@r brought freedom to “Uncle Nearest,” he decided to continue making whiskey on the Call Farm. It was there he began to teach a young Jack Daniel the craft. When Daniel started a distillery of his own, Nearest worked as his head stiller – the first African-American master distiller on record in the United Sates. He became the wealthiest black man in Lynchburg and one of the wealthiest men in the area overall.

 A number of Green’s descendants went on to make whiskey for Jack Daniel, as well. His son, George, is pictured with Daniel in the photo.

While Uncle Nearest was well-known to folks around Lynchburg, he first became known to the rest of the world with the publication of a book, Jack Daniel’s Legacy, in 1967. Green’s trademark charcoal mellowing process – an adaptation of a water filtering method brought from Africa – is a requirement for a whiskey to be considered Tennessee Whiskey.

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey debuted in July 2017 to critical acclaim. Inspired by the best whiskey maker the world never knew, Uncle Nearest has garnered more than 150 awards and accolades throughout the world.

 Cc. Carnton/ Batallion Equinoccial