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A theatrical, 90-minute tasting that pairs five guided pours with lively storytelling about moonshiners, temperance fights, and downtown gunfights. Join whiskey expert Cary Ann Fuller at Big Machine Distillery - Downtown for history, humor, and well-timed pours.
A theatrical, 90-minute tasting that pairs five guided pours with lively storytelling about moonshiners, temperance fights, and downtown gunfights. Join whiskey expert Cary Ann Fuller at Big Machine Distillery - Downtown for history, humor, and well-timed pours.
Book with Big Machine Distillery
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Big Machine Distillery · Nashville, Tennessee
Step into downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States, and you’ll find a tasting that reads like a history book with a hangover. VolunTOLD: Nashville's Wild Whiskey History Tasting Experience is a 90-minute guided show and tasting at Big Machine Distillery - Downtown led by Cary Ann Fuller, whiskey expert and Founder of Straight Up 615. It pairs five curated samples with theatrical storytelling to trace 250 years of Tennessee whiskey rebellion, from backcountry moonshiners to temperance clashes and downtown gunfights. The experience centers on whiskey as cultural landscape: charcoal-mellowing, charred white oak barrels, and recipes shaped by migration and conflict. Cary Ann’s narration turns labels and glassware into characters—bootleggers, reformers, and scorned distillers—while each tasting punctuates a historical beat. Expect robust Tennessee whiskey, notes of charred oak, vanilla, and caramel, and a mix of modern distilling craft and outlaw lore. The venue itself, Big Machine Distillery - Downtown, is part of Nashville’s expanding craft spirits scene and sits amid brick facades and music venues that give the city its restless energy. What makes this tour special is the blend of performance and provenance. Rather than a sterile lecture, the class stages choices, invites audience votes, and times samples to dramatic reveals. It’s an ideal pick for visitors who want historical context served with personality: couples, small groups, history buffs, and whiskey fans. Practical details are crisp: arrive ten minutes early; classes begin promptly; participants must be 21 or older. Beyond the tasting room, the walkable downtown neighborhood rewards exploration. Look for historical markers, basements that once hid illegal stills, and the live-music venues that kept Nashville awake through prohibition and beyond. Cary Ann’s local knowledge points to lesser-known stories and connects the distillery’s modern operations to a lineage of craft and contraband. This experience also carries a responsibility: drink mindfully and respect the material culture you encounter. The tasting is a compact primer on how whiskey shaped local economies, migration patterns, and social movements. Practical booking note: the 90-minute session costs $100 per person and typically starts at 2:00 PM at Big Machine Distillery - Downtown; arrive ten minutes early to settle in. The host, Cary Ann Fuller of Straight Up 615, sources local narratives and frames samples within distilling techniques like charcoal-mellowing and aging in charred white oak—details that reveal why Tennessee whiskey tastes distinct. Reserve in advance via the tour’s booking page; small group sizes keep the experience intimate and conversational. Perfect for spirited curious travelers.
The experience runs 90 minutes and includes five guided tastings paired with storytelling.
Check-in is at Big Machine Distillery - Downtown; arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
The session is listed at $100 per person.
Yes—participants must be 21 or older and present valid photo ID.
The event is led by Cary Ann Fuller, whiskey expert and Founder of Straight Up 615.
Cancellation and rescheduling policies should be checked on the booking page at the time of purchase.
Big Machine Distillery is a Tennessee craft spirits producer with distilling operations and visitor experiences in Lynnville and downtown Nashville. Founded to celebrate traditional whiskey-making and local flavors, the distillery operates a scenic 28-acre farm property in Lynnville, TN and a downtown Nashville tasting and tour venue. Guests can choose from guided experiences that highlight the distillation process, barrel selection, and curated tastings. The Lynnville Tour takes visitors across the farm grounds and through hands-on explanations of fermentation, distillation, and aging on the rural property. The Nashville Tour offers a 45-minute behind-the-scenes visit at the downtown distillery with samples of award-winning craft spirits and brand stories including Borchetta Bourbon and All Mighty Moonshine. For focused tasting, the Single Barrel Deep Dive presents hand-selected barrel samples led by expert stewards in a 30-minute session that emphasizes barrel character and flavor development. Big Machine Distillery emphasizes transparency in production and hospitality in tours and tastings. The venues provide guided education about Tennessee whiskey styles, local sourcing, and small-batch techniques. Reservations are recommended for organized times and limited tasting sessions. The distillery’s combination of a pastoral Lynnville campus and an accessible Nashville location delivers both scenic immersion and downtown convenience, making it suitable for visitors seeking craftsmanship, history, and taste-driven experiences. Guided experiences use trained stewards to explain mash bills, yeast choices, maturation influences, and tasting vocabulary so guests gain practical understanding of spirit-making. The mix of curriculum-style tastings and scenic settings suits both casual visitors and dedicated spirits enthusiasts seeking deeper knowledge.
Book with Big Machine Distillery