Ole Smoky Distilleries see twice as many visitors as all Scottish distilleries combined

 

Ole Smokey Distilleries are must-see destinations for many visitors who come to the Great Smoky Mountains ... and it shows.

Ole Smokey's four destinations — two in Gatlinburg, one in Pigeon Forge and the newest location in downtown Nashville — welcomed 4.5 million people through their doors in 2019. For reference, that's more than double the number of visitors to all of Scotland's famed distilleries combined.

The company is saying it has the "most visited distilleries in the world."

Ole Smoky Distilleries was founded just a few years ago in 2010 and has seen explosive growth thanks to its creative flavors, distilleries in tourist hotspots, wholesale strategies and aggressive marketing campaigns.

Here's the breakdown of visits, according to the company:

    Ole Smoky’s The Holler in Gatlinburg: 2.1 million

    The Barrelhouse in Gatlinburg: 1.1 million

    Pigeon Forge’s distillery The Barn: 1.1 million

    Nashville's distillery 6th & Peabody 200,000 (this location opened in the fall)

Scotland, for example, drew just over 2 million distillery visitors in a year, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

So what's it like to visit one of the Ole Smoky Distilleries? Depending on the location, there are tours, music performances, shops, events and, of course, tastings of more than two dozen flavors of moonshine and whiskey.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, by Sarah Riley

The East Tennessee Economic Development Agency markets and recruits business for the 15 counties in the greater Knoxville-Oak Ridge region of East Tennessee. Visit www.eteda.org

 

Published February 7, 2020