Our Story
Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee has long stood among the world’s great whiskey-producing regions, alongside Scotland, Ireland, and Kentucky. That heritage runs deep... in our soil, in our story, and in the spirit of the people who first settled these hills.
Many of Middle Tennessee’s earliest pioneers were of Scots-Irish descent, traveling west through the Cumberland Gap and across the Appalachian Mountains with little more than determination, faith, and the whiskey-making traditions they carried with them. Stills were packed alongside tools and provisions. Whiskey was more than a commodity, it was craftsmanship, community, and livelihood.
That same spirit of independence, perseverance, and self-reliance is the foundation upon which Leiper’s Fork Distillery was built.
Prohibition & The Locke Family Connection
The Locke family’s roots in the village of Leiper’s Fork trace back to 1805. A seventh-generation Williamson County family, their story is deeply intertwined with the history of this land.
During Prohibition, that history took a dramatic turn. Sam Claybrook Locke served first as a local law enforcement officer and, in December 1924, became a federal prohibition officer. In just three months, he assisted in the discovery and destruction of 73 illegal stills throughout Williamson County, significantly disrupting the operations of what was known as the Williamson County Whiskey Ring.
On March 7, 1925, at the coordination of leaders of the ring, Sam was ambushed and shot at the gate of his family farm on Hillsboro Road, succumbing to his injuries.
Today, a historical marker at the intersection of Hillsboro Road and Sneed Road in Franklin, Tennessee stands in his honor, a solemn reminder of both our family’s history and the complex legacy of whiskey in this region.
Resurrecting
a Lost Art
Founder and Chief Distiller Lee Kennedy’s fascination with history and whiskey began early. At just 18 years old, he built his first still in his mother’s basement, a sign of the passion that would end up shaping his life’s work.
After more than two decades as a dedicated home distiller, Tennessee law changed in 2009, making it possible to legally pursue the dream of opening a distillery. Lee then spent three years working to amend Williamson County law, paving the way for a new era of distillation in the county.
Inefficient by Design
Founded in 2016, our mission has remained singular and steadfast: to resurrect the lost art of authentic, small-batch Tennessee whiskey. Since filling our first barrel, we have committed ourselves to honoring the craftsmanship that once defined whiskey making in the hills of Middle Tennessee.
We are a family-owned, award-winning distillery producing whiskey on a deliberately small scale. Inefficient by design.
Our low-volume, low-impact approach allows for uncompromising attention to detail at every stage of production. Each drop of our whiskey is 100% mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled by our own hands, to our own exacting specifications. Producing approximately 25,000 gallons annually, we are, by definition and by choice, a true small-batch distillery.
Using quality local grains, pure limestone-filtered water, and time-honored techniques, we craft premium whiskeys with a distinctive sense of place.
In a world increasingly driven by mass production and fleeting trends, we remain steadfastly authentic, guided by tradition, fueled by passion, and focused on quality above all else.
From grain to glass, we pour our heart and soul into every bottle, proudly carrying Tennessee’s whiskey legacy forward for the next generation.
Watch from Grain To Glass
