Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1025306
september 2018 / the tasting panel / 73 le Smoky transported a little bit of east Tennessee to New Orlean's French Quarter this July, completely transforming its Tales of the Cocktail tasting room into The Holler, the brand's flagship moonshine distillery in downtown Gatlinburg. In the converted space at the Hotel Monteleone, guests could get a taste of the Great Smoky Mountains firsthand through a miniature distillery experi- ence complete with live bluegrass music, a photo booth, and, of course, an extensive lineup of Ole Smoky flavors and cocktails to indulge in. As the world's most-awarded moon- shine, the brand found it fitting to bring the world's most-visited distillery to the largest global cocktail networking event, according to Ole Smoky's Vice President of Marketing Meg Bruno. "Since opening the doors at the Holler in 2010, we have created countless moonshine flavors, added whiskey to our lineup, and opened two additional distilleries in east Tennessee," Bruno says. "With all this success, we wanted to show guests at Tales of the Cocktail where it all started." The Holler is expected to play host to more than 2 million visitors this year, with an additional million anticipated to pass through The Barn—Ole Smoky's distillery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee— and The Barrelhouse, located just down the street from The Holler in Gatlinburg (a fourth facility is being built in Nashville). According to President of Retail and Operations Cory Cottongim, Ole Smoky's distillery was intentionally designed to handle this jaw-dropping amount of foot traffic through its large, consumer-facing retail outlet. Given Ole Smoky's tourist-friendly location, Cottongim says retail emerged as the brand's primary focus at its inception. "The Smoky Mountains get approximately 12 mil- lion visitors a year, and we knew there was a retail opportunity at their base in Gatlinburg," he adds. Founded after moonshine produc- tion was legalized in Sevier County, Tennessee, Ole Smoky opened The Holler's 2,500 square feet of retail and distillation space the following year. "People said we were crazy to manufac- ture downtown where the costs were so high, but we stayed true to our retail direction, and it has introduced us to a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to experience our products," Cottongim says. The risky tactic paid off for the brand, and after just a year of operation, The Holler started to take over the outdoor area adjacent to the distillery. It's now home to dozens of rocking chairs, where Ole Smoky's visitors can sit and listen to live music daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Production, meanwhile, unfolds at The Holler, The Barn, and The Barrelhouse virtually every day, giving guests the opportunity to see the cooking, fermentation, and distillation processes up close via self-guided tours. "The distillers are happy to chat about their work as long as they're not busy," Cottongim says. Tastings serve as one of the dis- tillery's biggest draws, with visitors encouraged to sample quarter-ounce pours from the brand's ever-expanding portfolio, including core flavors like Ole Smoky Hunch Punch Lightnin', White Lightnin', Blackberry, Apple Pie, Peach, and Moonshine Cherries. Guests can also taste Ole Smoky's new and sea- sonal flavors, which currently include Pumpkin Pie, Oatmeal Cookie, Banana Mudslide Cream, and Dill Moonshine Pickles. "We try to have something new each month to guarantee a fresh experience for our returning custom- ers," Cottongim says. The retail outlet and its built-in taste-testing component function as a daily focus group, giving Ole Smoky immediate feedback on new flavors. They also help the brand determine which products will perform well in its wholesale markets. "Customers vote with their wallets at The Holler," says Cottongim. "We listen and we develop our 'greatest hits.'" Cory Cottongim is Ole Smoky's President of Retail and Operations. Inside The Holler, the walls showcase a veritable rainbow of moonshine. Guests can watch the spirit as it runs off the still, taste through the lineup at their leisure, or browse a wide range of retail goods related to the brand. PHOTO: VAN GALLICK PHOTO: RACHEL WEBB O le O le Smoky O Smoky a O a little O little bit O bit of O of east O east of east of O of east of Orlean's O Orlean's French O French completely O completely transforming O transforming completely transforming completely O completely transforming completely the O the Cocktail O Cocktail tasting O tasting Holler, O Holler, the O the brand's O brand's