Architect Marcus Dipietro and Short Mountain Distillery CEO Billy Kaufman on a conference call with David Pickerell

It would take you a few hours to walk the nearly five mile perimeter of Billy Kaufman’s 300 acre farm on Short Mountain near Woodbury in Cannon County. By the time you’re sitting on the porches of Short Mountain Distillery with friends and family, we will probably have walked that a few times over.

This weekend, Marcus Dipietro came out to walk some of the farm with Billy and me to begin looking for the perfect spot to build the distillery. As we walked the land, our conversation turned to our team’s foundational values and how the distillery design can best express those values for generations to come.

The Golden Rule, community, heritage, stewardship, craftsmanship, and our connection to the land. These are some of the core values and archetypes of the dream unfolding here, and we aim to make it a testament to a way of life that makes America strong.

The first week of 2011 has kept us busy up here on Short Mountain, and we are so fortunate to have you come along with us as we build something very special.

We probably won’t say it nearly enough, but y’all are rocking our Facebook! It’s humbling to see our community grow each and every day. Here’s a little update from the past week just for you.

TEAM: Earlier this week, Billy Kaufman and I traveled to the Maker’s Mark Lounge in Louisville, KY to taste the differences between world class bourbons with former Maker’s Mark Master Distiller David Pickerell (photo).

We are very pleased to announce David has joined our team to help us get up and running. David brings years of experience and wisdom to the growing craft spirits industry and recently helped re-establish George Washington’s historic distillery at Mt. Vernon.

LOGO: We selected our logo from several very good candidates. You’ll see this more and more in different formats, but keep an eye out for it on a “Future Home Of” sign just off of Short Mountain Rd. very soon.

ARCHITECT: Speaking of future homes, we’re very excited to announce the selection of Marcus Dipietro as the distillery’s architect. Marcus was one of three extremely qualified candidates who visited the farm over the past couple of months. We can’t wait to share some of the first renderings of what the facility will look like.

The Short Mountain Boys ride again on New Years Day 2011 with an updated version of the classic Uncle Dave Macon song. Thanks to Good Luck Ola for the lyrics.