<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. — </p>
<p>The former top distiller at Jack Daniel’s announced on Tuesday that he and several partners are setting up shop for a new whiskey distillery near the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.</p>
<p>Company Distilling will first open a 4000-square-foot (3,712-square-meter) tasting room and restaurant in Townsend, Tennessee, former Jack Daniel’s master distiller Jeff Arnett and his partners said in a news release. A 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-meter) main distillery in Alcoa and a tasting room in Thompson Station, closer to Nashville, will follow next year.</p>
<p>Arnett is teaming up with former Tennessee Distillers Guild President Kris Tatum; construction businessman Corey Clayton; founder of H. Clark Distillery Heath Clark, and Clayton Homes CEO Kevin Clayton. The initiative is expected to include a $25 million investment and provide 50 to 60 jobs.</p>
<p>Company Distilling’s locations will be geared toward the outdoors. The 31-acre (13-hectare) main distillery location in Alcoa will include a tasting room, restaurant, brewery, retail store, a live music venue, cornhole, pickle ball courts, bonfire pits and open access to greenway trails, according to the news release. </p>
<p>The Townsend location will be along the Little River with the Townsend Greenway in the front of the 13.5-acre (5-hectare) property, offering access to cycling, running and nearby mountain biking and hiking trails. </p>
<p>The distillery will make straight bourbon whiskey finished with maple wood “to produce a sip like no other,” Arnett said in the release. </p>
<p>In late 2020, Jack Daniel’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/48243bbc19c22a241d345ff4750cefa4"> announced Arnett’s departure</a> after a nearly 20-year stint with the powerhouse whiskey maker, including 12 years in which he led production.</p>
