Love and Whiskey Atlanta – The Atlanta Voice
“We wanted this to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Victoria Eady Butler, Uncle Nearest’s master blender, as she stood alongside her CEO Fawn Weaver at the Atlanta stop on Weaver’s book tour for “Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Unlikely Rise of Uncle Nearest.”
The third stop on the tour took place on Friday, June 21, at the Hotel of Hope, the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta, and chronicled Weaver’s journey to founding Uncle Nearest. The book, which went on sale June 18, pays tribute to the first known black distiller, Nearest Green, who was Jack Daniel’s mentor.
You could have heard a pin drop as Weaver told her life story: how she ran away from home at 15, her suicide attempts and her subsequent fearlessness in the boardroom. She spoke of the challenges facing new entrants in the spirits industry, explaining how conglomerates have long controlled the alcohol market in the U.S., making it difficult for new entrants to gain a foothold. Weaver recounted a civil war within Jack Daniel’s parent company Brown-Forman that centered on her story. Half the company viewed the stories of Nearest Green and herself as positive developments, while the other half wanted to suppress them. “You literally have to get involved no matter what,” Weaver explained.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Weaver strategically acquired significant assets, including the original Jack Daniel’s distillery, the house where Jack Daniel grew up, and the 313 acres on which the company was founded, cementing her position and ensuring that her history could not be ignored.
Speak with The Atlanta VoiceWeaver said, “The story of Uncle Nearest is more important than ever in the context of America in 2024 because it is a story of hope.” She stressed the need for unifying narratives during an election season reminiscent of 2016 and 2020, when race was a divisive issue. “We need stories that remind us that we are stronger together. We need a book like Love & Whiskey to remind America of its best self.”
Attendees came from all over the country and even the world, including one woman who flew in from South Africa just for the event to soak up the knowledge Weaver imparted. Tables were filled with enthusiastic attendees eager to learn more. One of those attendees was Kyle Thomas Smith, a 23-year-old from Boston, Massachusetts, who now lives in High Point, North Carolina. “I know I’m young, but I’m very into bourbon. I think my taste buds are older, and I really started to develop a taste that started with small distillery tours,” Smith said. He was skeptical of Uncle Nearest at first, but his appreciation grew the more he learned about the brand. “After tasting a few more, learning more, and comparing it to other stuff, I realized I actually liked it,” Smith continued.
Smith’s trip to the event was driven by a desire to surround herself with successful professionals and learn more about the brand. “This was an opportunity to be in a place with someone who has been successful and to be able to make a real personal connection with someone who can encourage someone my age,” Smith explained. “The second thing was to learn more about what makes Uncle Nearest special. I had never heard a story like that before, and after hearing her talk, I really fell in love with the product,” Smith continued.
“And then the house went quiet,” said Butler, who is also Nearest Green’s great-great-granddaughter, as she led attendees through a tasting of a reduced-alcohol single barrel and other whiskeys made especially for the event. As she described the alcohol content and finish, the audience reacted with awe when she announced the ABV as 95 proof. There was an open question-and-answer session in between the tasting event.
During the session, Weaver addressed industry and personal questions and detailed her experiences, such as the acquisition of Martel and the early days of Uncle Nearest.
In attendance, couple Derek and Patricia Nobles shared their passion for Uncle Nearest. Derek, who is originally from Detroit but now lives in Atlanta, said, “I’m a fan of Uncle Nearest. I go there every year and when they had this event here, I couldn’t pass it up.” When asked what attracted him to Uncle Nearest, Derek said, “Just the way it came about, who Nearest Green was. When we were at the distillery, it was fascinating. It’s fascinating. And that part of the story is what made me a fan.”
Patricia, his wife of 32 years, attended the event to support her husband’s interest. “I’m not a huge whiskey fan,” she admitted, “but because he loves it and everything he loves, I support him. His favorite thing to do this time of year is to go to Uncle Nearest, so we always make sure that happens.”
In 2017, Weaver founded premium whiskey brand Uncle Nearest, becoming the first Black woman to lead a major spirits company. Notably, Uncle Nearest was also the first American spirits brand with an all-female leadership team.
The book is already making history as it currently holds a Guinness World Record. Weaver stated that she signed 500 copies of the book this week, stressing that a special red signature on the front of a book indicates that it is a pre-ordered copy. Weaver revealed that she had initially committed to signing 10,000 pre-ordered copies by March 3, but due to overwhelming demand with pre-sales of over 10,000 copies, her publisher advised her to sign 25,000 books to ensure that every pre-order is fulfilled. Determined to keep her promise, Weaver set a goal of signing for 24 hours straight, beating the previous record of 6,908 books signed in one sitting, which had been set in India.
By 2018, the brand had expanded into 12 countries and became the best-selling black-owned spirits company of all time. In 2019, Uncle Nearest celebrated another milestone with the opening of its first distillery on a sprawling 270-acre ranch in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
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