The guys at Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, KY are busy manufacturing our first still. Vendome is a 100 year old, family business going on four generations. They’ve proudly made many of the stills you see at other distilleries here in Tennessee and around the world.

Our first still is a small 30 gallon still we’ll use to perfect recipes and processes, train folks and use in workshops and demonstrations in Stillhouse #1. Its official federal government serial number is TTB #1220!

About every weekend in April, a few local mule teams from the Middle Tennessee Muleskinners Association will give us a hand discing and planting 7 acres of organic corn on the farm.

The Farmer’s Almanac said moon phases favor May 3 – May 10 for planting corn in Woodbury, TN. Some tell us to wait until the the oak leaf buds are as big as a squirrel’s ears, but after this weekend we can’t stand to wait any longer.

Nature has its way of telling you when it’s right. It’s an old fashioned way of doing things up on the mountain, but it gets the job done.

Our t-shirts are here! Celebrate Spring Planting 2011 with a t-shirt from our online General Store, or email John Whittemore (if you can’t catch him in town) or call him 615-971-4925.

These shirts are made in the USA and screen printed in Murfreesboro, TN. They commemorate this year’s Spring planting of our first organic corn with some very special help from our friends and neighbors at the Middle Tennessee Muleskinners Association.

America has always made whiskey and moonshine. One of the first taxes levied against American businesses to help pay for a nation at war and in debt was the Whiskey Tax.

We love our freedom, and we’ll fight tooth and nail to defend it. We also love to drink more than any other nation in the world, a fact our founding fathers did not ignore as they looked for ways to put our nation on solid footing.

In a recent interview with the Cumberland Business Journal, Short Mountain Distillery CEO Billy Kaufman said it’s time we start “drinking American.”

“Americans should be drinking moonshine, not vodka,” says Kaufman.

Kaufman said if distilled correctly (resulting in 80 to 100 proof), moonshine is fairly neutral tasting, meaning it can be mixed in a variety of combinations. That, he said, is the same premise of vodka, which is the top selling liquor in America.

“People aren’t drinking vodka because it tastes good,” he said.

Kaufman firmly believes that having a toast or celebrating an occasion with spirits is the American way and part of the American culture. To that end, he thinks Americans should be “drinking American.”

We’ve got an awesome local crew working on this 1,900 square feet building that will soon become the distillery’s stillhouse #1.

This stillhouse will allow us to test formulas and processes, train people, host meetings and workshops and serve as transition space for the main facility. Stillhouse #1 should be complete in April. Right about when it’s as uncomfortable as it can get to cook a batch of moonshine should be about when we’re ready.

Sometime before the stillhouse is built it’s planting time on Short Mountain. It takes a farmer’s instinct to know just the right time to plant and good old American muscle to get it done. We’re 19 days away from Spring, and there’s about 7 acres of organic corn we’ve got to get planted if we’re going to cook it this year.  Wait until you see the mule team we’re fueling up to plant our corn.

You can probably guess that Short Mountain Distillery is located on Short Mountain, but try telling that to your GPS.

And try telling visitors to meet you at the barns a few times. That’s when we thought about getting an address.

After calling around we found out the drive on the farm is so long it qualifies as a lane they’d like for us to name.

It sounds like an awesome opportunity, but we sure could use your help. What do you suggest we name our lane? Your idea could become a part of our history.

Here’s what our address would look like:

Short Mountain Distillery
__________ Ln.
Woodbury, TN 37190

UPDATE 02/23/11 10:04 a.m.: It’s Official! Short Mountain Distillery will be located at 119 Mountain Spirits Lane, Woodburry, TN 37190!

We want to thank everyone for your amazing suggestions as we considered names for our road. You are helping us build an American brand we can all be proud of.

A lot of you used “Spirits” and “Mountain” in various way, but two of you actually suggested our name: John and Jelly below and Zendel Murphy on Facebook. Thank you for your role in our history, and we’ll be in touch to figure out the best way to thank you.

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.

Be sure to pick up the January / February edition of Wilson Living Magazine, and check out this wonderful story written by Chris Tramel who recently paid us a visit on the farm.

Here’s an excerpt from the article online:

Kaufman says Short Mountain Distillery is a chance to bring history full circle. “This is part of the culture of the area. We can take what my great-grandfather did in getting started in this area, and now use it to keep people in this area.”

According to Kaufman it will be at least a year before even a drop of whiskey is produced, but with a building only in the planning stages, the first fields have been plowed for next year’s corn crop. “We’re going to make aged whiskey, and that will take a while. To start out we’ll probably employ less than a dozen people directly, but we hope to see it grow into something bigger.”

However, Kaufman says his company will also have a commitment to the community by growing organically and using local resources as part of their operation. That commitment will mean more jobs not directly related to the distillery.

“We’ll only be buying local corn. It’s all going to be coming out of this area. We don’t want to put a single thing in our whiskey that’s not local. I feel more strongly about buying local than growing organically.

Here’s a Tennessee twist to an old Champagne cocktail that puts a little kick in your New Year’s celebration.  We call it the Cannon Shiner. It’s based on a nearly 100 year old recipe for the French 75, named for the powerful kick of the French 75mm howitzer gun.

We’ve replaced the gin in this old recipe with a splash of moonshine that adds a Southern kick to any New Year’s toast.

Your choices of retail moonshine might be very limited, but that will change soon enough. If your local retailer doesn’t have moonshine, be sure to ask when they will, and keep searching. Once you have your ingredients, it’s time to pop the cork and get your shine on with good friends!

2 oz. moonshine
1 oz. squeezed lemon juice
1 oz. of simple syrup (or a tbsp. of sugar)
Champagne

Pour the syrup, moonshine and lemon juice in a shaker with enough ice for a drink. Shake for a few seconds and strain into a highball glass. Fill the rest with Champagne, and garnish with a lemon, cherry or orange peel.

From all of us on Short Mountain in Cannon County, Tennessee, have a safe and happy New Year!