Gone are the times when consumers didn’t concern themselves with the origins of their most-bought alcoholic beverages. These days, a consumer wants to attain information regarding the beverage’s production process, the work grounds – distillery, brewery or winery, and the ingredients used in the process. Not only this but enthusiastic consumers want to experience the whole production process for themselves to better understand their choice of alcohol.
It is no news that distilleries, just like wineries, offer tours of their properties to interested tourists and alcohol enthusiasts. Some offer tours are informational and entertaining while some add a pleasant surprising element to the experience as well. Two well-known distilleries that welcome visitors are the popular Jack Daniel Distillery and Jim Beam Distillery. While you know these whisky brands, you will be surprised to know that the US-based Ole Smoky Distillery enjoys more visitors than these two combined!
Based in the distillery-crowded state of Tennessee in the US, the home-grown Ole Smoky Distillery has always enjoyed a massive number of visitors since its establishment in 2010. Known for its popular Tennessee Moonshine, the distillery hosted around 4.5 million visitors last year!
The huge number is split between Ole Smoky’s four distilleries that are located in Pigeon Forge, Nashville and Gatlinburg. The distillery concluded the number from the on-premise traffic, which is more than the number of its visitors in 2018. The moonshine and whiskey distillery offers tasting tours every day of the week, and because the establishments are located at prime tourist locations, they enjoy a great number of walk-ins.
The tour experience packs guided and self-guided tours, private spirit tastings, live music and a grand shopping experience that offers alcohol, brand merchandise and food to the visitors. Visitors are also able to see working stills and fermentation tanks to experience the production process in person!
Hands down, Ole Smoky Distillery welcomes twice the number of visitors compared to all of Scotland’s distilleries. Known to be the largest craft distiller in the US and being the most-sold moonshine brand in the world, Ole Smoky enjoys a great consumer-base and fan following.
The number of visitors is great! If given an opportunity to visit the distillery, would you take it? Tell us in the comments below!
