Around the Barrel with Jack Daniel's

The importance of the barrel in whiskey making cannot be overstated. It is so important, in fact, that at Jack Daniel's, we don't trust anyone else to make it. On this episode of Around the Barrel, host Lucas Hendrickson visits the Jack Daniel Cooperage alongside plant manager Darrell Davis to learn about the painstaking process that goes into building this magic vessel that creates the color, fla...

The connection between music and Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey has always been strong. The link between the brand and American country music has been particularly vibrant over the years, as the spirit has informed, not only the creation of songs, but also the celebration of them. On this episode, we talk with country music media mainstay Storme Warren about the current state of the genre, how bo...

Enjoying whiskey engages all your senses, but taste is undoubtedly the most difficult to define. Sight, smell and memory all feed into our taste. On this episode of Around the Barrel, host Lucas Hendrickson joins veteran whiskey journalist Fred Minnick to learn more about the time and practice needed to develop a whiskey vocabulary to articulate this concept of taste, how a person's palate can be...

Will Haynes and Matt Giesler had been friends and coworkers for years when their mutual admiration for spirits led them to take the conversation they were having and add some microphones, create some context, and create The Podcask. On this episode of Around the Barrel, host Lucas Hendrickson speaks with these fellow podcast hosts to break down how they turn curiosity about consumption into conver...

Yeast is the unsung hero of the whiskey-making process. It so important, in fact, that at Jack Daniel's, we have our own microbiologist committed to looking after our yeast and ensuring that all the conditions are right to make our world-famous Tennessee Whiskey. On this episode of Around the Barrel, we sit down with microbiologist Kevin Smith to get the inside scoop on the science of whiskey maki...

Frank Sinatra was perhaps known as much for his music as he was for his love of Jack Daniel's. He famously described the Tennessee whiskey as the "nectar of the gods" and was a loyal friend of the brand throughout his life. On this episode, we talk with writer and producer Charlie Pignone and Jack Daniel's brand historian Nelson Eddy about the deep relationship between Frank Sinatra and Jack Danie...

One of the great things about a legacy that goes back more than 150 years is that there always seems to be one more story to tell. In 2016, one of those stories captivated the world. It was the story of Jack Daniel and Nearest Green, an enslaved man who taught Jack how to make whiskey. Jack and Nearest had a lifelong friendship that spawned Jack's famous Tennessee Whiskey and connected two local f...

With a supply chain as complex as Jack Daniel's, the opportunities for things to go wrong are plenty. Add in the fact that you must anticipate some of those challenges years before they happen, and you're left wondering how any whiskey makes it to the shelf, particularly one as popular as Jack Daniel's. In this episode, Larry Combs, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Jack Daniel's G...

Passion and energy for your life's work is hard to manufacture. You either have it or you don't. And when your job puts you in front of millions of people who share a similar passion, you better be ready to turn that energy dial all the way up. On this episode we talk to Marty Smith from ESPN about the importance of mentorship, how his work life has changed while live sports take an unforeseen pau...

On this episode of Around the Barrel, host Lucas Hendrickson and Jack Daniel's brand ambassador Eric Tecosky talk about how at-home whiskey cocktails can be approachable by everyone and the secrets for using Tennessee Apple in classic recipes.

As the world struggles to learn more about COVID-19 and how to effectively combat it, companies much more attuned to creating a certain kind of product find themselves needing and able to pivot towards joining the global fight. On this episode, we talk with Master Distiller Jeff Arnett about what the distillery is doing to accelerate its ability to join that fight, not only at home, but throughout...

Observing, writing and speaking about the spirits world is a very serious business, at least some of the time. On this episode, we talk with Dan Dunn, an author, comedy writer, podcaster, pundit and professional imbiber for the past two decades. He tells us what it's like to have part of your life turned into a situation comedy, how circling back just causes more traffic jams, and how to order a p...

Words, images, physical objects – these things help tell stories every day. And for a company well into its second century, these stories form the core of how best to shape its future, but it never hurts to take a look into its past. On this episode of Around the Barrel, we talk with Jack Daniel's historian Nelson Eddy about a new series of products that reach back into the company's archives, bri...

At Jack Daniel's, we have a deep appreciation for those who serve in our nation's military and strive to provide support whenever we can. When we learned that many active duty junior-enlisted service members could not afford to travel home for the holidays, we wanted to do all that we could to help. In 2011, we launched Operation Ride Home in conjunction with the Armed Services YMCA to provide the...

The word "icon" probably gets thrown around a little too easily these days. It takes time, effort, skill and talent to move something into the active role of icon. It doesn't happen accidentally or overnight. Mark McCallum knows a little something about working with a true icon. As part of the leadership team at Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel's parent company, Mark has played a pivotal role in establis...

From its labor-intensive creation to its bold, fiery flavor, whiskey has a reputation for being masculine, a man's drink. However, more women than ever are joining the world of whiskey – not just as consumers, but also as makers. On this episode of Around the Barrel, host Lucas Hendrickson sits down with Lexie Amacher and Jessica Hartline, two Jack Daniel's employees with can-do attitudes and an e...

"Every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can." Mr. Jack's motto isn't just about whiskey-making, it's about doing everything the best way possible, including protecting the environment and being a good steward of our community. On this episode of Around the Barrel, Master Distiller Jeff Arnett and our host Lucas Hendrickson dive into the many sustainability efforts Jack Daniel's has taken...

Cocktails are best enjoyed in the company of good friends. Too often, the idea of playing host can feel overwhelming and we lose sight of that simple truth. On this episode of Around the Barrel, lifestyle and entertaining expert Maureen Petrosky sits down with host Lucas Hendrickson to share her tips and tricks to hosting a fun and relaxing gathering, and reveals the secrets to a perfectly stocked...

On a recent trip to Tennessee, longtime spirits writer and fellow podcaster Noah Rothbaum made his first visit to the Jack Daniel Distillery, and it was everything he had hoped it would be. Join us in a conversation with Noah about his inaugural Lynchburg experience, his path into the world of whiskey, and where he sees that world heading.

Creating something new is a magical process. It can also be the hardest thing you'll ever do. In this episode of Around the Barrel, host Lucas Hendrickson talks to singer-songwriter Jerrod Niemann about the art and mystery of songwriting, how parental approval isn't always the best thing when it comes to growing as an artist, and how an important realization about our service members and their fam...

Whiskey making, when done right, is all about the process of capturing time in a barrel, then a bottle. But that doesn't mean there's not room to play around with that process from time to time. In this episode of Around the Barrel, Assistant Master Distiller Chris Fletcher sheds some light on how Jack Daniel's continues to innovate at 153 years, the ongoing work of the brand's Master Taster panel...

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Squire Association dates back to February 1956 when it was formed as a short-term solution to an unexpected whiskey shortage at the distillery. Join us in a conversation with Goose on the origins of the program, his role, and some of his favorite stories.

The Jack™ is an annual BBQ competition that draws in teams and judges from around the country and around the globe. Considered by some to be "The Olympics of BBQ," The Jack brings about more than 25,000 visitors to Lynchburg over the competition's three days. On this episode of Around the Barrel, we take a behind-the-scenes look and talk to those who made the journey down to The Jack.

On the last episode of the season, Debbie Baxter joins us to talk Miss Mary Bobo's, an international destination for a family-style southern meal shared with family, friends and strangers.

NBA legends Robert Horry and Muggsy Bogues made a trip to Lynchburg for the NBA Legends Camp and stopped in for a conversation on this episode of Around the Barrel.