Jack's Birthday trip to Nashville

Due to a courthouse fire that destroyed all public records, nobody knows exactly when the real Jack Daniels was born, but every September, Lynchburg Tennessee celebrate Jack's birthday and his legacy.

This year, as part of Jack's Birthday celebrations, we were invited to Nashville to attend the JD Set concert at the distillary, which is about an hour from Nashville itself. In a memorable four day visit, we experienced a whole lot of good old Southern hospitality as well as a smattering of music, cowboys and sippin' whiskey!

Day 1 - Nashville
Arrival in Nashville we stayed at the all-suite Downtown Hilton. Right opposite the Country Music Hall of Fame and a stone's throw from all the music bars of Broadway, it's was the perfect place to refresh before a night on the town.

Nashville is called Music City USA and we can see why! From a band playing in the airport to speakers churning out country music on street corners, you're never more than 6 feet away from the strains of some twanging gee-tawr and some good old country tunes.

Our first night on the town was a trip to The Stockyard restaurant. A former cattle stockyard, it's now a restaurant serving some of the biggest steaks and lobsters we'd ever seen. A warren of different dining rooms make for a unique dining experience. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, freindly and proud of the restaurant's heritage and the guitarist who serenaded us with a bit of Willie Nelson just added to the atmosphere.

Highlight of the evening was chatting to a Jack Daniels historian, who entertained us all through dinner with stories and facts about the whiskey and it's heritage. Another round barman!

We doubt that the population of Lynchburg really is 361, despite what it says on the label of Jack Daniel's Old No 7, the best selling whiskey in the world. Maybe it was when Jack Daniels won its first gold medal in 1904. We learn all these facts and more from the amazing Ron who spent the day with us at the Jack Daniel's Distillary, about an hour's drive from Nashville.

We've all seen the adverts and it's really like that! You wouldn't imagine that millions of bottles of whiskey are produced in a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere. The tour guides look exactly as you expect them to and probably have a double life as Father Christmas come December!

All Jack Daniels in the world is made in Lynchburg and they're pretty self-sufficient. They make their own charcoal, their own barrels and they use only water from their very own spring! The charocal mellowed whiskey is ages in oak barrels before being bottled and sold. You can buy your own barrel for $7000 and for that you get your name on a plaque and probably enough Jack to keep you going through a few Christmases.

The other surprising thing about Lynchburg is that you can't buy any booze! It's a dry county, and as such, no alcohol is for sale, apart from the Jack Daniel's gift shop! The town itself is a textbook small town American dream; Town Square, drugstore, diner, all touched by a little JD hospitality. Don't miss Miss Mary Bobo's boarding house for lunch. It's quite an experience.

Saturday began with another trip to Lynchburg, this time to the Jack Daniels Homestead for a tasting session with the Master Distiller himself. Jeff holds the most prestigious job at Jack Daniels and we were lucky to have him on hand to talk us through the process that gives us the Jack that we know and love.

There are three types of Jack Daniels. Old No7 (the regular one), Gentleman Jack (twice filtered) and Single Barrel (does that need an explanation?). The differences were easy to spot and I, like millions of people in the world, prefered the Old No7 blend - well it is the world's best selling whisky.

In the evening we moved to Barbeque hill in the distillary for a barbeque and the highlight of the weekend - the Jack Daniels JD Set Birthday Concert. In beautiful setting in an open barn we were treated to performances from Hugh Cornwell, Roisin Murphy, House of Lords and Tim Wheeler, all accompanied by the resident Silver Cornet Band. If this is how Jack Daniels always celebrates his birthday, I want to go every year!

On our final day we had time for one last flying visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame. A legendary museum where you can see anything from Dolly Parton's dresses to a montage of stuffed squirrels owned by Hank WIlliams. For fans of country music it's a brilliant place with lots to see. If you're a fan of legends like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, make sure you have plenty of time for things like song writing workshops, audio tours and talks.

There's also a great shop with not only gifts, but a huge selection of music and books so you can stock up before catching a plane back to London.

Thanks y'all!