Around the Barrel with Jack Daniel's

Even when you have two great things that go great together, bringing them together is rarely a simple process—especially when both things carve out massive places in the environment in which they operate. Then again, sometimes, things work out just right. On this episode we talk with two of the key figures in bringing the iconic combination of Jack Daniel's and Coca-Cola into a single package about how now was the right time to combine forces on a project like this, about the unique properties each brand brings to the world of ready-to-drink adult beverages, and about how a cocktail known the world over benefits from the chance to go into a can from Around the Barrel.

Working with a spirit of innovation involves a constant process of unlearning and relearning. You want to refine what has worked in the past and trim away what is not needed within your new process. When you lay that new template over the business of whiskey production, you also have to factor in the idea of "hurry up and wait" before you can make more changes and move a new product into its final form. On this episode, we talk once again with Master Distiller Chris Fletcher about the brand-new global travel retail (GTR) product American Single Malt finished in Oloroso sherry casks, about how the word "single" doesn't always correlate with the word "simple," and about how this new endeavor just might bring about a new set of frequently asked questions, Around the Barrel.

As much as tradition is a component of what comes out of the Jack Daniel Distillery, the motto "Every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can," absolutely encompasses using new tools as they become available. On this episode, we talk with Melvin Keebler and Donna Willis, two key leaders on the Distillery's operations team, about new technology the company is using to continue its sustainability climb, about how opportunities for changing processes can still benefit long-time partners who have been comfortable with the way things currently are and about how the wide world of whiskey needs geeks of all kinds, Around the Barrel.

Our enjoyment of so many things in this life tends to come about as a result of happy accidents. Then again, the creation of so many things, like whiskey, came about the same way. They can also emerge from putting aside one pursuit only to pick up another. On this episode, we talk with Matt Porter of the popular YouTube channel, ADHD Whiskey, about how putting down the fishing pole led him to picking up a tasting glass, about how chasing flavor isn't always the key to enjoying a new whiskey and about how he's still not entirely certain Lynchburg, Tennessee, isn't a theme park dedicated to all good things Around the Barrel.

Regardless of the industry you're in, there are many factors behind how much you enjoy the gig. When you're working with your biggest fan, though, it goes a long way into making every day a joy. On this episode, we talk with Lexie Phillips and Josh Phillips, the Jack Daniel Distillery's current "power couple," about the new set of limited-edition Distillery Series products that bear their names, about how family got them both to the Distillery and remains a big part of their day-to-day work there, and about how their good-natured rye-valry has kept them both laughing about the long-term project that emerged from Around the Barrel.

When a company has decades of history and millions of friends, it needs caretakers dedicated to keeping the story straight. Or at least interesting. Thankfully, Jack Daniel's has had two of the best. On this episode, host Lucas Hendrickson talks with Goose Baxter and Randall Fanning, the two people who have been in charge of keeping the home fires burning for Mr. Jack's most ardent admirers – the Tennessee Squires, about how frying catfish can lead to a very long career, how what you leave out from a set of instructions can be more important than what you put in, and about how you could possibly encapsulate a lifetime of memories living and working Around the Barrel.

For everything we know with rock-solid certainty about Mr. Jack Daniel and the distillery that bears his name, a thousand more myths have popped up over the years. It's to be expected when the famous square bottle and iconic black and white label, not to mention the whiskey inside, have touched the farthest reaches of the globe. On this episode, we talk with Nelson Eddy, the distillery's longtime writer and historian, about the questions he gets posed as the keeper of the distillery's legend, about the true significance of the Old No. 7, and about how what was true in Mr. Jack's day largely remains true today when it comes to what's made in and around the barrel.

For far too many in this "new is always better" world, the word "innovation" tends to mean "blow everything up and start from scratch." When you're stewards of a brand with more than 150 years of experience and expectation, that definition simply will not stand. But that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't make those adjustments that open up a world of new opportunities. On this episode, we talk with current Jack Daniel Distillery team leaders Chris Fletcher and Lexie Phillips about how looking through the lens of innovation not only clarifies the past, but also reveals the future; how one year on Coy Hill can make a big difference in completely unforeseen ways; and how taking things up a notch yields spectacular results.

If you want to get better at something, sometimes all you have to do is pay attention. This is especially true when it comes to understanding the complex world of distilled spirits. If you pay attention to every drop of liquid that passes under your nose, over your palate, and into your being, you'll begin to compile the knowledge and expertise that can only come through experience. On this episode of Around the Barrel, we talk with Kenny Coleman, co-host of the Bourbon-focused podcast "Bourbon Pursuit," about the path he and his cohorts took to gain that knowledge, how listening to their audience encouraged them to share even more of it, and the centuries-long rivalry that can inform interactions between Kentucky and Tennessee gets erased when you're sitting and sipping Around the Barrel.

It has always taken a fair amount of time to craft a product like Jack Daniel's Old No. 7. It also takes a lot of experience, talent, and of course, patience, to find opportunities to develop a new form of excellence within those toasted white oak barrels. On this episode of Around the Barrel, we talk with Jack Daniel's Master Distiller Chris Fletcher about Jack Daniel's 10-year-old Aged Tennessee Whiskey, the new yet old-school offering from the Distillery, as well as how teamwork helped make this expression a reality and how honoring the legacy of Mr. Jack sometimes requires one to just hurry up and wait.

Lexie Phillips didn't set out to be a trailblazer, role model, or pioneer. But when she was named Jack Daniel's Assistant Distiller in the fall of 2020, she ended up as just that. On this episode, Lexie returns to Around the Barrel to talk about her path from part time job to leadership position, and how following her passion resulted in a giant leap forward for the women of Jack Daniel's and the spirits industry at large.

The story of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey has been told for years, but for the first time, it will be told through film. Chasing Whiskey: The Untold Story of Jack Daniel's, directed by Greg Olliver, is available to stream beginning April 9. On this episode of Around the Barrel, Greg shares his experience chasing Jack Daniel's around the globe.

The popular saying "a rising tide lifts all boats" is perfectly suited for the distilled spirits industry — when one of us does well, either as an individual or as a company, we do what we can to help others. On this episode of Around the Barrel, we talk with Melvin Keebler, Vice President and Assistant General Manager at the Jack Daniel Distillery, about the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, the latest way Jack Daniel's is helping those with less opportunity. Through collaboration with Uncle Nearest Inc., the initiative offers education, training and support for minorities looking to succeed in the distilled spirits industry. Melvin takes us behind-the-scenes of this impactful program and discusses Jack Daniel's diversity and inclusion efforts while shining a light on the path of progress ahead.