Good Company along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail
You know you’re in good company when you walk
through the door of Company Distilling in Townsend, Tennessee.
Founder and Master Distiller, Jeff Arnett
Folgers coffee. Duncan Hines cake mix. Pringles. Hawaiian Punch and Sunny Delight. Jack Daniels.
The common denominator?
Jeff Arnett. More specifically, his nose and mouth.
In the mountains of Western Tennessee, Arnett was destined to be a third-generation railroad partner, that is, had he chosen to take the path of his father and his father before him. Instead, he took his dad’s advice: “Don’t work for the railroad.” A college degree and professional interests took him to the Folger Coffee Company in New Orleans where coffee - and its sensory lab - opened his olfactory senses. Years later, when the only brand for the company left standing- as it existed at that point in time - for the company was Pringles, Arnett decided it was time to head back to Tennessee to figure out his next step.
A Nashville headhunter received Arnett’s resume and shared a job opening at Jack Daniels. Being a fan of the brown elixir, he applied, was hired, and became the quality control manager. For five years, he led the whiskey making process, everything from water to grain to distillation, even the customer comments which included a few complaints.
“Everything was bottled in Lynchburg,” said Arnett. Jack Daniels shipped to the world, and common sense dictated that for every million bottles, there would be an opportunity for a defect. “They say that for every two or three that complain, there’s a factor of 20 who might have wanted to but didn’t know how to or take the time.” Taking his craft very seriously, he said, “I spent my time making it better, as best I could.”
When Jack Daniels’ 20-year master distiller Jimmy Bedford decided to retire at 70, Arnett was offered the position in 2008. Master distiller at Jack Daniels - from Pringles to Jack Daniels.
“I never really thought much about it,” said Arnett. “I was the first master distiller who did not grow up in the shadows of the distillery in Lynchburg. It was a very small, tight group of people that had ever been entrusted with that. I was only the seventh person [distiller] in the history of the company when I was announced, Jack being the first. It was a good time to be a master distiller there because I got to do more, [create] new products, more than I could have ever imagined.”
That was then; this is now.
Townsend, Tennessee, became a favorite distraction of the Arnett family. “I always enjoyed the time over here,” said Arnett. “You felt like your blood pressure dropped when you drove into it.” Their Grains and Grits Festival during the first weekend of November was always a draw for the family; the area was beautiful and peaceful, and it [whiskey] was his jam.
Combining mountains and whiskey and reality was only limited by Arnett’s imagination.
“During the pandemic,” said Arnett, “I had some time to consider that I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was like the hamster that got a chance to get off the wheel for a moment. It was nice to have the security of a big company. We were selling more than we’d ever sold because people were running into stores, grabbling the biggest bottles they could find.”
However, there was an opportunity. Do I want to build my own distillery, my own brand, try to have a legacy that I can leave my kids, for posterity? Wanting more than simply his face on the distiller wall in Lynchburg, he could see a clear path. The jump with a monumental risk was eminent.
In 2021, Company Distilling was born.
Purchasing an old building in Townsend that proved to be a sentimental purchase, they straightened the beams, surefooted the foundation, and still had to knock down the building but retained the grandfathered footprint. In the middle of the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies,” Company Distilling, after about 10 months, sat roadside, on the banks of the Little River, sharing spirits crafted by a master distiller with a million-dollar peaceful smile.
Detour before The Great Smoky Mountains
Company Distilling has two locations, the first in Townsend and the second, south of Nashville called Thompson’s Station.
“We’ve got a small still here,” explained Arnett. “We had to design this place to operate off electricity and a septic tank. We were limited by that. We were not going to build our national brand out of Townsend, but we liked the fact that two million cars go through here annually on their way into Cades Cove. It gives us the exposure to the eastern half of the United States, and that’s largely who comes here. It’s an easy place to come if you’re east of the Mississippi.”
Building the Townsend location on the inspiration that brought him here in the first place, Company Distilling is a destination. As Arnett speaks of his venture, his engineering mind moves faster than the words coming out of his mouth. Bocce ball, kid’s area, professional play, waterfront seating, beer garden, commercial kitchen, merchandise - the sky is the limit for what the future holds, and it becomes obvious, he doesn’t stop dreaming.
Using his experience with Jack Daniels as a blueprint - a thoughtful range to cover all tastes, Arnett is building his brand. “We’ve done three different whiskey products,” said Arnett. “I do an applewood finish Tennessee whiskey, a maple wood finish urban and a cherry wood finish dry. Different proofs, different flavors, but I hope that one of these is going to speak to most people if they’re a brown spirits lover. One should hopefully hit the mark.”
However, it’s the bourbon that is the flagship product and has the most appeal. He loves the flavor of the maple barrel, and although it is more labor intensive, the maple wood finish is extraordinary. He found sourced options that would provide the quantity needed, that would produce the level of sweetness, and then, he refined the process.
The bourbon does a good job, he explained, of being approachable for people. ‘It’s meant to be a little bit softer” with a slight sweet heat with a drop in proof. And then, as the proof elevates and the recipe changes, the lineup becomes a more personal selection.
“Whiskey as good as the company you keep.”
A warm weather destination
As the warmer months arrive - beginning with the March spring break season, Townsend brings thousands of visitors to the mountains, and for certain, Arnett plans on reeling them into his corner of the world.
“We’re excited now that we’re kind of getting our feet up underneath us, so that we can go ahead and finish the vision of what we have here,” said Arnett. “People aren’t coming here, just hammering drinks. We have a premium price. It’s all about what we promised this community, that we would keep it peaceful. A place that they would be comfortable to bring out-of-town family members.”
Being part of the community was as important as producing a good product. “I think we have been a good community citizen,” he said. “I think most that were concerned have come to me and said, ‘You done what you said you would do. You delivered on your promises.’”
As the community continues to embrace the project, the multiple acres that Arnett has in Townsend will continue to be a hub of activity.
“I didn’t leave Jack Daniels thinking that I would ever compete on that scale,” he explained. “I don’t want international and global headaches at this point in my life, but I’d love to see the brand grow. As long as people are enjoying it, we feel good about what we’re doing. I’ll accept the growth that comes from that.”
Join the Trail in Townsend, Tennessee
Pick up the Trail Passport at Company Distilling
Plan your trip to the Peaceful Side of the Smokies in Townsend, Tennessee,
“Gateway to Cades Cove.”
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Peaceful Side Social
Explore Townsend
Company Distilling
Townsend, TN | Open Tuesday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thompson’s Station, TN | Open Wednesday, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
