Nearest Green: The Slave Who Taught Jack Daniels About Whiskey

“If you want to appreciate jazz, you better know who Louis Armstrong was. And if you want to appreciate American whiskey, you should know who Nathan Nearest Green was.” Actor Jeffrey Wright’s remarks come in a short documentary made about Nearest Green, a slave turned master whiskey distiller.

And Wright’s right. Remembering Nathan “Nearest” Green should be one of the first things done when coming across the Jack Daniels brand. The freedman taught a slightly younger and white Jack Daniel the art of making his now signature whiskey blend. Green and Jack both worked for Dan Call, a preacher, grocer, slave-owner and distiller. He believed Jack had the business acumen to run his business, and Green, the master distilling skills to produce a respectable libation. Although Green started his work as a slave, historians have noted that he was employed and willfully paid to remain with the company post emancipation.

Journalists, historians, Jack Daniels parent company and even Jack Daniels himself have confirmed Green’s influence. Despite the racial tension you’d expect to find in 1800s Lynchburg, Tennessee, Green maintained the respect of his peer and generations of his descendants have worked at the distillery over the past 150 years. Even today, you’ll find at least three of Green’s relatives employed by the company.

Like so many important African-American contributions to the American story, Green’s tale is widely unknown. But one thing no one seems to dispute is how much Jack honored Green’s contributions. “When (Jack and his descendants) owned the distillery, everyone knew who Nearest Green was,” author Fawn Weaver told TODAY. “After the last of his descendants to run the distillery, Reagor Motlow … died in ’78, the story disappeared immediately after. I could not tell you how or why. The only thing I know is it didn’t happen under Jack Daniel’s watch.”

“We just need to know stories like this because it smashes the lies,” Wright said, later adding, “you have this… great iconic American brand, and… this thing that is representative of something that sits in our soul that’s created by the coming together of two families… an unlikely partnership.”

Weaver, would take the former slaves story and turn it into a modern day empire. In 2017 she launched Uncle Nearest, a bottled whiskey made from the recipe Green perfected, and a portion of the proceeds from the spirit went to Green’s descendants. The move made the best-selling author the country’s first female and the first person of color to operate a major spirit brand. Today it has grown into so much more. Weaver has built Uncle Nearest into the largest African American owned Spirits company in the world with sales that have eclipsed 100 million dollars. Plus Weaver has erected a 323 acre, $50 million dollar distillery about 45 minutes outside of Nashville has become a huge tourist attraction. It features a Speakeasy, soundstage, Eateries, and so much more.

In 2023 Uncle Nearest expanded into Cognac and built the worlds largest bar on the grounds of the distillery. The 518 ft. bar, which is inside the Humble Baron has 17 different stations that feature beer and craft cocktails.

If you are in Nashville, it is worth the effort to make the trip and spend an afternoon exploring the distillery and tasting one of the most awarded whiskey brands on the planet. There are several companies that offer group trips and private excursion to Shelbyville, where the brand is housed. Best part, you can book a trip right here on SEPI.