I don’t know much (anything, really) about Tennessee whiskey. So when my dad told me that we were taking a family day trip to the George Dickel Whisky Distillery near Tullahoma, Tennessee, I was a little surprised. No one else in my family knows much about whiskey, either, so it didn’t seem like the most exciting place to go. Still, dad hadn’t had a Saturday off in longer than I can remember, so we all packed in the car and headed up to Tullahoma.
At first, it seemed like our GPS was taking us out in the backwoods to murder us. It turned out that the distillery was actually located in this Deliverance-esque area, thanks to a beautiful natural spring that provides the water quality Dickel Whisky requires.
When we arrived, a tour including tasting was about to leave, but my little brother is under 21, so we had an hour to kill before the non-alcoholic tour started. We were able to check out the George Dickel gift shop and liquor store before walking alongside a small creek that runs through the property. The creek is fed from the spring that gives Dickel whisky it’s water, and it’s totally clear and full of fish. Alongside the creek, my geologically-minded husband was able to find some rocks with fossils in them and tell us all about them.
When we only had about twenty minutes before the tour, we headed back into the waiting room to kill time with some checkers. None of us are particularly good at checkers, but it was fun anyway. Then, the tour began. Dickel Whisky (the lack of “e” is intentional, by the way) prides itself on being “handmade the hard way” and in the tour, we would learn why. The whisky is still made the same way it was when George Dickel perfected it, all the way back before Prohibition. Although the production was stopped during Prohibition, it was brought back to life in the 1950’s using the original recipe. To this day, no parts of the process are automated or computerized!
No pictures were allowed inside the distillery, and I’m not going to spill the secrets of the process- you’ll have to take the tour for yourself! If you do go, and you’re not part of the tasting tour, don’t worry. For only $11, you can try four types of George Dickel Whisky in the liquor store. Since Justin had never tried whiskey of any type before, he decided to pay for a tasting while the rest of us watched. His expressions when he tried it told us he was not a fan.
All in all, the George Dickel Whiskey Distillery was an exciting way to spend the afternoon, and well within driving range of either Nashville or Chattanooga. A word of caution, though: I’m glad I was having a rare very good health day. There’s walking, stairs, and none of it is very accessible. (No elevators or anything!) Since it’s a distillery, this is to be expected, but it does knock it off the day trip agenda for some people. We picked up a bottle of the George Dickel White Corn Whiskey to use to make vanilla. Look for that recipe soon!
Have you ever toured a distillery?
How fun. This is something I would totally do – even with the kids.
Never been in such a place before but I do would want to experience the tour next time.
Looks like am interesting family outing. I have never been to a Distillery before & this sounds like a great idea to visit sometime around like a short fun trip that could give a different experience altogether.
I’ve never toured a distillery but it looks like it was an interesting experience! Beautiful scenery too!
I think this would be a great experience. I love your photos.
I know a few whiskey drinkers who would have loved to visit this and probably get a drink or two. 🙂
I would love to tour a distellery one day. It is a great learning experience
That sounds like a lot of fun! I’ve not gotten to tour a Disctillery but I have been to a winery!
How cool! I’ve never toured anything like this before. I think it would be really neat to check out a distillery! Interesting indeed!
I have never been to a distillery before but it sounds like a fun activity to do. It is too bad that it is not accessible, that can make it tough for those that need assistance.
Looks like a nice place to visit. The photo’s are lovely.
Going to a distillery sounds fun. Different from a winery for sure!
This sounds like such a fun tour. Too bad we didn’t know about this when we visited Tennessee last year.
I have never toured a distillery before. This looks like a great way to spend a day.
My youngest son loves whiskey and I know he would be really interested in taking a tour. We always think about wine tours but I have never thought about a whiskey distillery tour. It would be fun and different.
I have never toured a distillery, but I am sure it is a fun experience. I think $11 sounds really reasonable to try 4 different whiskeys!
It’s so cool that they still hand make their whiskey. I like whiskeys and it would be a lot of fun to go on the tour and check our their distillery!
I have never been to a distillery. I feel like I never go out and go to place fun like this. Maybe when my kids are older.
I’ve never toured a distillery and imagine it is interesting to learn how the stuff is made.
I would never have thought a distillery looked quite like that – I love the spring.
I have never toured a distillery before, but it’s on my bucket list. It sounds awesome.