January 16th & 17th, 2027

Tennessee Whiskey & Moonshine Distilling Class

$775.00 per person

Two-Day Hands-On Distilling Experience

📍 Old Tennessee Distilling Company
3605 Outdoor Sportsman Place
Kodak, Tennessee 37764

📅 January 16–17, 2027

👩‍🏫 Instruction led by Amanda Bryant

🍽️ Lunch provided both days

🥃 Hands-on whiskey making, distillation, proofing & tasting

This isn't a class where you sit in a chair and listen to someone talk about making whiskey.

You're going to make it.

Join us in Tennessee for two full days inside Old Tennessee Distilling Company learning the history, science, and hands-on craft behind Tennessee whiskey and moonshine.

From developing a mash bill and cooking grain to fermentation, running a still, making cuts, proofing spirit, and understanding the finished whiskey, we'll walk through the process together from grain to glass.

Class size is intentionally limited so everyone has the opportunity to get involved, ask questions, and work around the equipment.

Day One: Mash, Fermentation & the Foundation of Tennessee Whiskey

We begin in the distillery tasting room with introductions before getting straight into the foundation of every great whiskey: the mash and fermentation.

Each student receives a detailed course handbook, and then we start building your understanding from the ground up.

Topics & Hands-On Work Include:

• What defines whiskey and what makes Tennessee whiskey unique

• Tennessee whiskey and moonshine traditions

• Mash bill development and grain selection

• Cooking a whiskey mash from start to finish

• Temperature control, timing, and technique

• Understanding gravity and fermentable sugar

• Enzymes, conversion, and saccharification

• Yeast selection and propagation

• Fermentation strategy

• Creating the ideal fermentation environment

• Troubleshooting common fermentation problems

Throughout the day, we'll also explore the history of moonshine and American distilling, from early American whiskey production through Prohibition and into today's legal craft-distilling industry.

Lunch is provided midday.

We'll continue through the afternoon with fermentation work, demonstrations, discussion, and plenty of time for questions.

Approximately 5:00 PM — Day One Wrap-Up & Open Discussion

Day Two: Distillation & Spirit Development

Day Two moves from fermented mash to the still.

You'll spend the day learning the mechanics and techniques of actually running a distillation while we follow the spirit through the entire process.

Topics & Demonstrations Include:

• Distillery and still safety

• Copper still design and function

• Preparing mash for distillation

• Heat sources and managing a run

• Understanding the vapor path and reflux

• How temperature, proof, aroma, and flavor change throughout a run

• Tour of Old Tennessee Distilling Company and its Moonshine Museum

Then we get into one of the most important skills a distiller can develop:

Making the cut.

We'll work through:

• Foreshots, heads, hearts, and tails

• Recognizing changes throughout the run

• Nosing, tasting, and sensory development

• Making cuts by aroma, flavor, proof, and experience

• Blending and shaping the finished spirit

• Proofing and tempering

• Reading the bead

• Barreling and maturation

• Tennessee whiskey traditions and charcoal filtration

You'll experience the run from the first heat through the tails, with opportunities for hands-on participation, observation, and questions throughout the process.

Lunch is provided during the run.

The Tennessee Experience

This class isn't only about learning how equipment works. It's about understanding the traditions and skills that built Tennessee's whiskey and moonshine culture.

We'll finish the experience with a private tasting at Old Tennessee Distilling Company, connecting what you've learned during the weekend to finished spirits in the glass.

And when possible under the distillery's production and compliance requirements, you'll have the opportunity to help make and take home a bottle connected to the class experience.

What's Included

• Two full days of hands-on distilling instruction

• Whiskey mash and fermentation demonstrations

• Hands-on distillation experience

• Lunch both days

• Tour of Old Tennessee Distilling Company

• Private tasting experience

• Printed Amanda Bryant Distilling course handbook

• Certificate of Completion

• Proofing and sensory training

• Take-home class spirit/bottle where permitted

• Continued access to guidance after the class

• Invitation into our growing community of distillers and students

Who Is This Class For?

Beginners are welcome.

You do not need previous distilling experience to attend.

The class is designed for everyone from whiskey enthusiasts who have never touched a still to experienced hobbyists and people considering entering the professional distilling industry.

We intentionally keep our classes small so instruction can be personal, questions can be answered, and students can actually get their hands involved in the process.

Travel & Accommodations

Participants are responsible for their own lodging and transportation. The distillery is located in Kodak, Tennessee, convenient to the Knoxville, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Great Smoky Mountains areas.

Nearby lodging recommendations can be provided to registered students.

Reserve Your Seat

Seats are extremely limited. Once they're gone, they're gone.

If you've ever wanted to understand what really happens between a bag of grain and a glass of whiskey, come spend the weekend learning it firsthand.

Come learn the tradition.
Come understand the science.
Come run the still.
Come make Tennessee whiskey with us.

January 16–17, 2027

Old Tennessee Distilling Company — Kodak, Tennessee

$750 per person

Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.