Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey

The most famous American Whiskey in the world deserves a place of honor in your bar.

For hundreds of millions of people around the world, Jack Daniel’s IS American Whiskey. And it all started when young Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel ran away from home at a young age — let’s just "family issue" to save space here. He was taken in a few counties away by Dan Call — a farmer, preacher, and moonshiner. Nathan Greene was a former slave working the stills for Call, and Jack earned his keep by assisting Nathan. After a few years, Jack finally received a small inheritance from his father’s estate and when Call decided to stop moonshining for religious reasons, Jack built his first legal distillery and hired Nathan as his first master distiller.

Jack Daniel’s has been owned by Brown-Forman since 1956. It is the #1 selling American Whiskey in the world, selling more than sixteen million cases a year, 12.5 million of those cases are the signature "Old No. 7" Tennessee Whiskey.

Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey is the stuff of legends. But let’s start with the facts and figures. It’s made from a mash bill of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye and natural limestone spring water found in a grotto on site. It utilizes "sour mash" to jump-start fermentation for six days. It’s distilled and then slow filtered through ten feet of maplewood charcoal before being aged a minimum of four years in custom barrels made on site and bottled at 40% ABV.

Smartass Corner #1:
The "Old No. 7" refers to the distilling license number. Jack Daniel’s was the seventh official license to distill. He was "No. 7 in district 4." The redrew, the district lines and the registration number changed, but the iconic "No. 7" stuck with the brand.

Smartass Corner #2:
Jackie Gleeson famously introduced Frank Sinatra to Jack Daniel’s as "a man’s drink." Frank proclaimed it "Nectar of the Gods, Baby!" It was so closely associated with him that a bottle of Old No. 7 is buried with him.