Bobby Self brought his combine and a couple of friends to the farm today and helped us shell about 300 bushels of our first organic corn. He had already finished his harvest, and like most neighbors he wanted to do what he could to help us get our first batches of whiskey and moonshine going at Short Mountain Distillery.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not humbled by how much people are connecting with what we’re doing on Short Mountain. They want to help because they want to see our country get back to work. They know we’ve gone out of our way to make sure our equipment was made by our friends and neighbors right here at home. They see our shared values and our determination in action. Most importantly, they see America’s story.

I want to invite you to connect with a growing community of neighbors and friends who are ready to help export to the world a genuine taste of Tennessee’s rich agricultural heritage. Join us on Facebook and be a part of our shared dreams and aspirations at Short Mountain Distillery.

One of the Southern most mountains in the Appalachians (Middle TN’s highest point) is now properly represented on the Appalachian Quilt Trail. And by “proper,” we mean with moonshine, but it probably doesn’t count as much as having this big beautiful quilt tile painted locally by Diane Mooneyham on one of our barns. That’s Diane’s husband Kevin way up there on the ladder.

Kevin had some special help from Short Mountain Fire Dept.’s Brad, Michael, Skylar, and Chris. We love our neighbors!

If you’re traveling the trail through Tennessee next Spring, don’t forget to stop by the still house behind the barn and learn how they’ve been making moonshine on Short Mountain for over 150 years.

Short Mountain Distillery’s Ricky Estes and John Whittemore set up Ricky’s old moonshine still visitors will see on display at Stillhouse #1. It’s one of very few in Tennessee to survive decades of persistent moonshine busts.

This particular still was built by Emory Bragg and purchased by Mr. Estes back in the 60s or 70s. Some people might know Emory for a bank robbery that sent him to prison back in the day, and still fewer might have known him for his moonshine.

The still has gone through a couple small changes over the years, especially after it blew up and nearly took Ricky with it. For the most part the still made some of the best moonshine to come off Short Mountain. We can’t really say how recent that might have been, but you can rest assured this federally registered still now has a permanent and proud home at Short Mountain Distillery.

We didn’t have to look far for spare barn wood for Stillhouse #1. Billy remembered there was a damaged barn just around the corner on Pea Ridge.

The owner, Robert Bogle, was home and said we could help ourselves to whatever we needed. He had been following our progress in the newspaper and was happy to hear we got our federal permit. He said the state should be easier.

Robert knew a thing or two about moonshine and the revenuers and took us inside his home where his wife Louise directed him to a small stack of scrap books she had kept throughout his time as Cannon County Sheriff. She reminded us they were lucky the books survived a fire that took their home a couple of years ago.

Scattered throughout the pages were stories from the local newspaper of moonshine and whiskey busts across the county in the late 70s and early 80s. It was clear by the headlines many locals had moved on to growing marijuana and did a lousy job hiding it from Sheriff Robert Bogle. The few old-timers, who weren’t the least bit tempted by the new cash crop, quietly stuck to a 100+ year old folk tradition of whiskey making on Short Mountain.

STILL CAPTURED (1982) – Sheriff Robert Bogle displays a 50 gallon moonshine still that was captured by state Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents and deputies from his department late Friday, Sept 4 in the Pea Ridge section of the county on a farm known as the Keith place. Confiscated in the raid was the still, four barrels of mash and a 1967 Ford pickup truck.

John Whittemore shares how organic and permaculture farm practices used by Short Mountain Distillery honor our agricultural heritage. You can hear the guys from the CO-OP putting together our grain bin in the back ground.

Short Mountain Distillery planted 7 acres of organic corn you see featured in this video. The test went very well, and John is busy planning 20 rotational acres of organic corn on Billy’s 300 acre farm for next year.

Sheriff Robert Goodwin (left) of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department makes a moonshine bust September 30, 1950 in Murfreesboro, TN

We know our history, and we know you are a part of it. Short Mountain Distillery is looking for family stories and moonshine recipes to share with the world in a book to be published in conjunction with our grand opening.

One thing we learned from talking with our neighbors over the past year is that nearly everyone we know has an amazing story about a relative or friend who made moonshine. The secrets families once kept for generations by Tennesseans are treasured stories of a hidden craft that defines the ingenious American spirit in the face of trying times.

Maybe your grandmother made a special cough medicine or your uncle had the perfect mixed drink recipe. Maybe your family had a special plan that kept the revenuers at bay. No matter how long or short, we’re looking for everything from stories of survival and close calls to cherished memories of times gone by.

Josh had a great idea. Why not show our pride in American manufacturing by placing a small American flag on everything in the stillhouse that was made right here?

Then it dawned on me. There would be flags all over this building, and that problem put a huge smile on our faces.

As Stillhouse #1 gets closer and closer to completion, we’re placing orders for the equipment we need. Earlier this week, a factory floor in Greensboro, NC received an order to start building a new forklift for us. The same thing happened in Michigan where a factory began constructing the high quality steel shelving we need.

In the next week or two, the Tennessee Farmer’s Co-op will bring our corn silo that was manufactured in Indiana, and family-owned Kentucky company Vendome Copper & Brass will soon begin fabricating our next cooker and still.

When you hear news of manufacturing orders rising, that’s the story of America getting back to work. It’s orders from companies like ours who reach out to our neighbors that help keep American jobs at home, and it starts right here.

We can’t always find what we need at home, but we’re proud when we do. From white oak barrels to the steel tanks used in our manufacturing processes, our orders are a part of America’s recovery.

We’re still figuring out the best way to show off that pride, but if you happen to see small American flags in the stillhouse, ask us about it. It’s a story we like to share.

Photo: Short Mountain Distillery President and CEO Billy Kaufman tours Knoxville Beverage wine & spirits distribution center with his brothers David, Darian and Ben.

Check out this nice article by Jennifer Folsom in the latest Watertown Gazette on our effort to resurrect an age-old Tennessee tradition of moonshine and whiskey making on Short Mountain. Awesome photos by Jessica Atnip. Here is an excerpt.

“While we were collecting signatures for the referendum, the people we talked with were very supportive,” says Kaufman, noting that once people in his community realize what his goals are, they are ready to support him and the distillery.

“People want their way of life honored. We did some digging and discovered that in Cannon County before prohibition there were 18 legal distilleries. The people of this area were flourishing at that time and grew orchards, corn and sorghum to support the industry. It was a time when farming made sense.”

Kaufman, great-grandson of Jesse Shwayder, founder of Samsonite Luggage, doesn’t just ask for support from his community – he first gives it. The distillery was founded with his great-grandfather’s tradition of letting the Golden Rule guide him, on hand and in heart.

“I knew I needed to create an industry which would include agriculture, this area’s rural heritage and would encourage people getting together and working together,” says Kaufman of the distillery’s principle of mutual respect. Kaufman wants to “turn the clock back 100 years” and return to a farming model which creates value-added products and not only supports itself but the community as well. He plans to source agricultural products from within 30 miles of the distillery and bring jobs and needed revenue to his community.

This spring Little Short Mountain Farm and a team of neighbors and volunteers planted seven acres of corn. They used five teams of mules from the Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners Association. (See shortmountaindistillery.com for a video of the planting.)

“Everyone who has been employed here since the start has lived within 15 miles,” says Grantham. “We are trusting our neighbors and involving our community, and so they want to be a part this. We want every part of this distillery to reflect this community.”

We received a very nice reply from AT&T’s State President Gregg F. Morton to our letter to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce this morning and got permission to share a portion of it with you.

We have yet to hear from the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce member services regarding our concerns as a prospective member.

Below is the kind of commitment we look forward to seeing in action as Sen. Jim Kyle demonstrates an equal commitment to Tennessee’s strongest business values by filing a repeal of HB600.

While the timing of the announced change by the Chamber was not ideal, I believe their public statement sent a positive message to show that the business community stands against discrimination. AT&T does not support any laws, or legislative efforts, that discriminate against populations based on race, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and I know businesses across our state similarly oppose any form of discrimination.

That opposition should be clearly reflected by those who represent us in Nashville, and I am confident that this will be the case going forward. I know AT&T will work with NGLCC and other advocacy groups to oppose measures that we believe to be discriminatory against these populations, not only in the state of Tennessee, but also across the nation, and we will encourage the Chamber to adopt similar positions in the future.

The Tennessee Chamber’s most prominent job creators FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG, Whirlpool, Embraer and United HealthCare all have since expressed far better values than those misrepresented by the Tennessee GOP in HB0600.

Also Read:

• Why Gov. Bill Haslam should veto HB0600
• An open letter to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce
• A commitment to our better values
• Tennessee Chamber President Deb Woolley’s contract not renewed

The following open letter was sent this morning to membership development and Board of Director members of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce from prospective member Short Mountain Distillery. Our letter repeats concerns posted publicly by Alcoa, Nissan, FedEx, Comcast, AT&T, Embraer, KPMG, UnitedHealth and other prominent business leaders.

As a small business owner in Tennessee, I’m very interested in what the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce can offer us as members. However, recent events involving your president, Deb Woolley, are a cause of great concern.

I’m referring to the Chamber actively lobbying Tennessee lawmakers for legislation (HB600) that does not represent the values and business practices of the Chamber’s very best known brands and job creators.

Since Friday, several of these members, including Alcoa, Nissan, FedEx, Comcast, AT&T, Embraer, KPMG, and UnitedHealth, learned of the Chamber’s support of HB600. Within weekend hours, these business leaders issued statements distancing their successful brands from the Chamber’s misrepresentation of their values to lawmakers, our governor and the voters of Tennessee. It should have been as immediately clear to Chamber President Deb Woolley that this legislation was bad for business.

Once these brands reiterated their strong and successful values in public opposition to the Chamber’s actions, Mrs. Woolley blamed activists for the united actions of the Chamber’s best members and then issued a statement of opposition to the legislation after Gov. Bill Haslam had already signed the bill.

My concern is how the very best brands and job creating members were represented by the Chamber. What assurances do other businesses have that Chamber leadership will adequately represent the values of its best members? What can the Chamber do to ensure the values of the Chamber’s most valued brands wont be co-opted by personal political agendas causing members to issue embarrassing press releases to create distance from Chamber mistakes?

The Chamber benefits from diverse membership and leadership that stands for the values that make its best members as successful as they are. I appreciate your understanding and any effort you make to address these concerns.

Sincerely,

Billy Kaufman, CEO
Short Mountain Distillery

http://shortmountaindistillery.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Short_Mountain
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YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/shortmountainshine

Also Read:

• Why Gov. Bill Haslam should veto HB0600
• An open letter to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce
• A commitment to our better values
• Tennessee Chamber President Deb Woolley’s contract not renewed
• Learn more about Short Mountain Distillery’s core value in The Golden Rule: the foundational strength of an American brand.