Nashville Distillery Tours: The Short Version (2026)
- Best in town: Nelson’s Green Brier in Marathon Village (1414 Clinton Street), daily tours with a four-whiskey flight for $25 (ages 21+) or $20 for non-drinkers aged 10–20 (checked November 2026).
- Two in one stop: Corsair’s Marathon distillery, a short walk away at 1200 Clinton Street, lists a tour with five tastings for $18; it is closed Tuesdays.
- Walkable from SoBro: Ole Smoky’s 6th & Peabody (423 6th Avenue South), open daily 10 AM–11 PM, with tastings at $10 or $13 and no reservation needed.
- Best day trips: Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg, about 72 miles away ($35 tour for ages 21+), and George Dickel near Tullahoma, about 68 miles away (one-hour tours, closed Wednesdays).
- Closed: Nashville Craft Distillery in Wedgewood-Houston shut on March 30, 2025. All tastings are 21+ with ID, so plan a ride.
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Nashville distillery tours come in two kinds: short urban tours you can reach by rideshare in 5–15 minutes from Broadway, and the big-name Tennessee whiskey distilleries, which are a 1- to 1.5-hour drive away. In town, Marathon Village is the hub, with Nelson’s Green Brier and Corsair a few minutes apart; out of town, Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg and George Dickel at Cascade Hollow are the classic pair.
This guide compares every distillery tour we could confirm as open in November 2026, with prices, age rules, booking and time needed, explains the difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon, and shows how to get there without driving. Tastings at every stop are for adults 21 and over with valid ID.
How we researched this: in November 2026 our editors checked tour formats, prices, hours and age rules on each distillery’s own site (Nelson’s Green Brier, Corsair, Pennington Distilling Co., Ole Smoky, Leiper’s Fork Distillery, George Dickel and Uncle Nearest), confirmed the Nashville Craft closure on its website, read the Tennessee whiskey statute (Tennessee Code 57-2-106), and measured walk and drive times from our featured hotels with OpenStreetMap routing. Prices that a distillery shows only inside its booking system are described as such rather than guessed.
Nashville distillery tours compared: prices, ages and booking (2026)
Within Nashville, tours cost $10–$25 and take about an hour; Nelson’s Green Brier is the most complete, Corsair the cheapest, and Ole Smoky the easiest to walk into. Out-of-town tours run $35 or more, plus the drive.
| Distillery | Where | Tour price (2026) | Ages | Booking | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson’s Green Brier | Marathon Village, 1414 Clinton St | $25 (21+, four whiskeys); $20 ages 10–20 and non-drinkers | Tastings 21+ with ID | Online; Fri–Sun often sell out | 45–60 min |
| Corsair | Marathon Village, 1200 Clinton St | $18 with five tastings; $10 without; under 12 free | Tastings 21+ | Online; tours on the hour from 1 PM | About 1 hour |
| Pennington Distilling Co. (Davidson Reserve) | The Nations, 900 44th Ave N | $20 tour and tasting; $10 tour or tasting only | Tasting 21+ | Book online in advance | About 1 hour |
| Ole Smoky 6th & Peabody | SoBro, 423 6th Ave S | Tastings $10 or $13; guided tours bookable | Tastings 21+; tours 13+ | Tastings walk-in; tours by reservation | 30–60 min |
| Leiper’s Fork Distillery | 3381 Southall Rd, Franklin (about 28 mi) | Shown in its online booking system | Tastings 21+ | Online; closed Mon–Tue | Half day with the drive |
| Jack Daniel’s | Lynchburg (about 72 mi) | $35 (21+); $15 ages 3–20 | Tastings 21+ | Online recommended | Full day |
| George Dickel (Cascade Hollow) | Near Tullahoma (about 68 mi) | Shown in its online booking system | Tastings 21+; minors need a “Minor” ticket | Strongly encouraged; closed Wed | Full day |
Marathon Village distilleries: Nelson’s Green Brier and Corsair
Marathon Village, a former car factory about 1.6 miles west of Broadway, is the best single stop for distillery tours in Nashville: Nelson’s Green Brier and Corsair are a short walk apart, and you can do both in one afternoon.
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery (1414 Clinton Street). The Nelson family revived a 19th-century Tennessee whiskey name here, and the distillery also makes Belle Meade Bourbon. The Distillery Experience + Whiskey Tasting runs daily and lasts 45 minutes to an hour, ending with a flight of four whiskeys: $25 for ages 21+, $20 for non-drinkers and ages 10–20, and $20 for military and first responders with ID. Rickhouse flights cost $15, and a Premium Experience runs Thursdays and Saturdays at 2 PM. Tours and the bar run Sunday to Thursday 11 AM to 5 PM and Friday and Saturday to 6 PM; the on-site restaurant opens Wednesday to Saturday 11:30 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 3 PM. Book online, because Friday-to-Sunday tours often sell out, and note that the distillery is closed on November 9 and November 11, 2026.
Corsair Distillery (1200 Clinton Street, Suite 110). Corsair is known for experimental whiskeys made with unusual grains and smoked malts. Its Marathon page lists a walking tour with five spirit tastings chosen by the guide for $18, a non-tasting tour for $10, and free entry for children under 12, with tours on the hour from 1 PM (to 6 PM on Saturdays) and a maximum of 14 people. The taproom is open noon to 7 PM and closed on Tuesdays (checked November 2026). Corsair’s former production site in Wedgewood-Houston has been sold, so Marathon is now the place to visit.
Between the two, Marathon Village has shops, including Antique Archaeology, and places to eat; our Marathon Village and Antique Archaeology guide maps the complex.
More distilleries in Nashville: Pennington, Ole Smoky and what closed in WeHo
Beyond Marathon Village, Pennington Distilling Co. in The Nations offers the best small-distillery tour, and Ole Smoky in SoBro is the most convenient for downtown hotels. Wedgewood-Houston, once a second distillery cluster, no longer has a working tasting room we could confirm.
Pennington Distilling Co. (900 44th Avenue North, about 10–15 minutes by car). Home of Davidson Reserve whiskey. Tour and tasting costs $20, and a tour or a tasting alone costs $10; it is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM, with the last tour at 4 PM, and tours must be booked online in advance. Its Davidson Reserve Blend Your Own Bottle experience costs $200 per person on the second Thursday of each month, limited to 35 guests.
Ole Smoky Distillery, 6th & Peabody (423 6th Avenue South). A 30,000-square-foot complex shared with Yee-Haw Brewing, with live music and a large beer garden. Tastings cost $10 (regular) or $13 (premium) with no reservation, and it is open daily 10 AM to 11 PM. The behind-the-scenes tours need a reservation and are for ages 13 and up; nobody under 21 tastes. It is better known for flavored moonshine than for aged whiskey, so whiskey purists should make it a casual stop rather than the main event.
Wedgewood-Houston. Nashville Craft Distillery at 514 Hagan Street closed permanently on March 30, 2025, and Corsair’s former Merritt Avenue building was sold. The neighborhood is still worth an afternoon for galleries and breweries; see our Wedgewood-Houston (WeHo) guide, but do not plan a distillery crawl there.
Tennessee whiskey vs bourbon: the Lincoln County Process explained
Tennessee whiskey follows almost the same rules as bourbon, with two additions written into state law in 2013: it must be made and aged in Tennessee, and it must be filtered through maple charcoal before it goes into the barrel. That filtering step is the Lincoln County Process.
Tennessee Code 57-2-106 says a spirit can be sold as “Tennessee Whiskey” only if it is manufactured in Tennessee; made from a grain mix of at least 51% corn; distilled to no more than 160 proof; aged in new, charred oak barrels in Tennessee; filtered through maple charcoal before aging; put into the barrel at no more than 125 proof; and bottled at 80 proof or more. The federal standard for bourbon contains the same grain, proof and new-charred-oak rules, but allows bourbon to be made anywhere in the United States and does not require charcoal filtering. The process takes its name from Lincoln County, which included Lynchburg until Moore County was created in 1871.
There is one legal exception. The statute exempts from the charcoal-filtering rule a distillery first licensed in 2000 in a county that held a qualifying referendum in 1979, which in practice means Prichard’s Distillery in Kelso, so Prichard’s can call its whiskey Tennessee whiskey without the Lincoln County Process. On a tour, ask to see the charcoal mellowing vats: at Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel they are a highlight.
Distillery day trips from Nashville: Jack Daniel’s, George Dickel, Nearest Green and Leiper’s Fork
The two essential distillery day trips are Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg (about 72 miles) and George Dickel at Cascade Hollow (about 68 miles); they are about 18 miles and 35 minutes apart, close enough to combine in one long day with a designated driver. Leiper’s Fork, 28 miles away, is the easy half-day option.
Jack Daniel’s (Lynchburg). The standard Jack Daniel Distillery Tour costs $35 for ages 21+ and $15 for ages 3–20 and lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes including the tasting, per the distillery’s tour page. Our Nashville to Jack Daniel’s day trip guide covers the tours, the town square and how long to plan.
George Dickel / Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. (near Tullahoma). Tours last about an hour, and reservations are strongly encouraged. The visitor center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9:30 AM to 4 PM and Sunday 11:30 AM to 4 PM, and closed Wednesdays. The distillery runs Monday to Friday, so weekend tours will probably not see active distilling. Children may join with a “Minor” ticket; tastings are 21+.
Nearest Green Distillery (3125 US Highway 231 North, Shelbyville, about 50 miles). The home of Uncle Nearest lists a Tour & Tasting at $35 plus a 14% booking fee ($28.50 without tasting, $10 for ages 10–17), and the Humble Baron bar on site. The company has been under a court-appointed receiver since August 2025, with a sale in progress, so confirm that tours are running before you drive down.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery (3381 Southall Road, Franklin). A small distillery in the countryside near the village of Leiper’s Fork, open Wednesday and Thursday 10:30 AM to 5 PM and Friday to Sunday 10:30 AM to 6 PM. Its House of Spirits bar is at 334 Main Street in downtown Franklin, and a Nashville Yards location is listed as coming soon. For the full route and other stops, see our best day trips from Nashville.
Tennessee Whiskey Trail. The Tennessee Distillers Guild’s trail links member distilleries across the state. Its passport is free, in print at participating distilleries or as a digital version, and visitors 21 and over who collect every stamp receive a commemorative gift.
How to visit Nashville distilleries without driving, and drinking responsibly
Do not drive yourself to a tasting. In Nashville, Marathon Village is a 5–10 minute rideshare or about a 35-minute walk from Broadway, and Ole Smoky is walkable from SoBro; for Lynchburg or Tullahoma, book a tour with transportation or bring a designated driver.
Tasting pours are small, but they add up: a Nelson’s flight is four whiskeys and a Corsair tour is five spirits, so two Marathon Village tours in an afternoon means nine pours. Tennessee’s legal limit for drivers is 0.08% blood alcohol (0.02% for drivers under 21), and impairment starts well below it. Eat first (Nelson’s has a restaurant on site), drink water between pours, and skip or share a pour whenever you like. Designated drivers pay less at Nelson’s ($20 non-drinker ticket) and Corsair ($10 tour without tasting). Packaged bus tours to Jack Daniel’s and other distilleries leave from downtown; check whether the distillery ticket is included before you compare prices. For other guided options, see our best Nashville tours guide.
21+ for every tasting, and no driving after
Every distillery in this guide requires valid photo ID for tastings, and staff can refuse service to anyone who appears intoxicated. If you are tasting, leave the car at the hotel: rideshare to Marathon Village costs less than a night of downtown valet, and a tour bus is the only sensible way to do Lynchburg if everyone in the group wants to taste.
Where to stay: hotels near the distilleries and Nashville’s whiskey bars
Stay downtown or in SoBro so that Ole Smoky is a short walk and Marathon Village a 5-minute ride. AC Hotel is the no-fee pick; JW Marriott and Holston House suit whiskey drinkers who want a serious bar on site; W Nashville puts you in The Gulch.
AC Hotel Nashville Downtown and JW Marriott Nashville are each about 7 minutes on foot from Ole Smoky; the JW adds Bourbon Steak on its 34th floor, a $30 + tax destination fee and valet-only parking at $58. Holston House, a 1929 Art Deco tower 1.5 blocks off Broadway, lists its TENN restaurant and whiskey bar among its highlights and charges $25 + tax per night, waived on Hyatt points stays. W Nashville is about a 30-minute walk or a short rideshare from Marathon Village and adds a $30 + tax fee. Room bills carry 16.75% tax plus $2.50 per night. For bars after the tours, see our best whiskey and bourbon bars in Nashville.
| Hotel | Area | Price level | Walk to Broadway | Pool | Resort fee | Parking | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC Hotel Nashville Downtown | SoBro / Downtown Nashville | Mid-range | About 0.3 mile south of Lower Broadway (6–7 minute walk to 5th & Broadway) | 6th-floor indoor-outdoor pool deck with the Aqua Lyrics bar (ask whether the pool is heated) | None ($0 mandatory resort fee!) | Valet only: $60/night; oversize vehicles $70 (Music City Center garage nearby: $45 overnight, no in-and-out) | Check prices |
| JW Marriott Nashville | SoBro / Downtown Nashville | Luxury | 3 blocks to Lower Broadway (5-minute walk) | Heated rooftop pool deck with private cabanas & skyline views | $30 + tax per night (Destination Amenity Fee) | Valet-only $58/night | Check prices |
| Holston House Nashville, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt | Core Downtown (1.5 Blocks off Broadway) | Upscale | 1.5 blocks north of Broadway & Ryman Auditorium (3-minute walk) | Seasonal 12th-floor rooftop pool (listed closed Oct 19, 2026–Mar 31, 2027) & Heirloom bar | $25 + tax per night (waived on Hyatt points stays) | Valet: booking sites list $68/night (Library Garage 1 block away closed since the June 2025 fire) | Check prices |
| W Nashville | The Gulch | Luxury | 14-minute walk (or 4-minute Uber) to Lower Broadway | 9,700-sq-ft WET Deck heated resort pool with private cabanas & pool bar | $30 + tax per night (Destination Amenity Fee) | Valet $58/night | Check prices |
AC Hotel Nashville Downtown
- NO Resort Fee ($0/night)
- 6th-floor indoor-outdoor pool deck & Aqua Lyrics bar
- rtb! bar on the 21st floor (guests; live music Tue–Sat)
- Part of the tri-brand Marriott complex in SoBro
Sleek European-inspired Marriott in SoBro, about a 6–7 minute walk from Lower Broadway, with a 6th-floor indoor-outdoor pool deck, the rtb! bar on the 21st floor and no resort fee.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
JW Marriott Nashville
- 34th-floor Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina
- 33-story curved glass luxury tower
- Heated rooftop pool deck & Spa by JW
- 3 blocks from Lower Broadway & Bridgestone Arena
Soaring 33-story curved glass luxury tower in SoBro crowned by Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak on the 34th floor and a heated rooftop pool deck.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
Holston House Nashville, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
- Restored 1929 Art Deco tower (National Register)
- 12th-floor seasonal rooftop pool & Heirloom bar
- About 1.5 blocks from Broadway
- TENN restaurant & Bar TENN
A 1929 Art Deco landmark in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, a short walk off Broadway, with a 12th-floor rooftop pool and bar.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
W Nashville
- Massive 9,700-sq-ft WET Deck heated pool
- Butterfly rooftop bar (José Andrés Group, 2026)
- Zaytinya & Bar Mar by José Andrés Group
- Prime Gulch walkability
High-voltage luxury in The Gulch boasting a 9,700-square-foot WET Deck pool oasis and, since 2026, José Andrés Group dining: Zaytinya, Bar Mar and the Butterfly rooftop bar.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
Sources and How We Verified This
- Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, visit: tour prices, ages, hours, booking and November 2026 closures.
- Corsair Distillery, Marathon: address, hours, tour prices and times.
- Pennington Distilling Co., tours: prices, days, last tour and the Blend Your Own Bottle experience.
- Ole Smoky 6th & Peabody: hours, tasting prices and age rules.
- Nashville Craft Distillery: closure notice dated March 30, 2025.
- George Dickel, visit us: tour length, opening days and minor tickets.
- Nearest Green Distillery FAQ: address, hours and tour prices.
- Tennessee Code 57-2-106: the legal definition of Tennessee whiskey and its exemption.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best distillery tour in Nashville?
Nelson’s Green Brier in Marathon Village is the most complete tour inside the city: 45 minutes to an hour, daily, ending with a four-whiskey flight, for $25 for ages 21+ (checked November 2026). Corsair, a short walk away, lists a five-tasting tour for $18, so the two make an easy afternoon double.
Can under-21s go on distillery tours in Nashville?
Often yes, but they cannot taste. Nelson’s Green Brier sells a $20 non-drinker ticket for ages 10–20, Corsair lets children under 12 in free, Ole Smoky’s tours are for ages 13 and up, and Jack Daniel’s charges $15 for ages 3–20. Every tasting requires valid ID showing you are 21 or older.
What is the difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon?
Under Tennessee Code 57-2-106, Tennessee whiskey follows the bourbon rules on grain, proof and new charred oak barrels, but must also be made and aged in Tennessee and filtered through maple charcoal before aging, a step called the Lincoln County Process. One distillery, Prichard’s in Kelso, is exempt from the filtering rule.
How far is Jack Daniel’s from Nashville?
The Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg is about 72 miles from downtown Nashville, roughly 1.5 hours each way, and on the same Central time. The standard tour costs $35 for ages 21+ and lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes. If everyone wants to taste, book a bus tour rather than driving.
Do you need reservations for Nashville distillery tours?
For most, yes. Nelson’s Green Brier asks guests to book online and warns that Friday-to-Sunday tours often sell out; Pennington requires advance online booking; George Dickel strongly encourages reservations. Ole Smoky’s tastings are walk-in, though its guided tours need a reservation, and Corsair takes bookings online for its hourly tours.
