Spirits seem as old as Appalachia itself. The first settlers to cross the Appalachian Mountains came from Scotland and Ireland, and they brought with them equipment, knowledge, lore, and traditions necessary for distilling homemade liquor.

As these pioneers spread across East Tennessee and southern Appalachia, so did homemade spirits.

Most every farm had its own still, and spirits and moonshine were a basic homesteading requirement. Most frontier families lacked access to medicine, so they used spirits for everything from sore throats and spring colds to toothaches and anesthesia. Later, spirits offered a means of survival during tough economic times. People made a living off it.

Spirits and Moonshine epitomizes the ingenuity of Appalachia and its denizens. It speaks of fierce independence and self-reliance. It’s a part of our history, and now we get to partake of its rich history… legally.

The Sevier Distilling Company traces its roots all the way back to the genesis of Sevier County. The first non-native settlers in this region had names like Kerr, Catlett, and Hodges. These families were our kin, and the friends and neighbors of our kin. We can follow the branches of our family tree back to these families. The Sevier branch goes all the way back to a patriarch, “The Immigrant” Valentine Sevier, and his son, “Col.” Valentine Sevier, brother of the first Governor of Tennessee, John Sevier.

The distilling techniques and recipes that we use today are the same ones our forebears used in 1790. We’ve just added a few new flavor profiles and started selling the whole kit-and-caboodle to the general public. Chris Yett, owner of The Sevier Distilling Company, has brought the traditions and deep-rooted history spirits to a legal distillery setting. From the beginning, his goal was to honor the art of distilling and to change as little as possible. Certain things don’t need fixing.

Some distillers buy alcohol wholesale from other sources. Not us. We are a non-GNS distillery. We make every single drop of what we put in our jars. Every sip of Sevier Distilling Co.’s spirits are fermented, distilled, and bottled or at our production facility located on the Yett Family Farm, which is home to our 1000-gallon still, nicknamed “The Colonel” after Chris Yett’s great-grandfather, Col. Valentine “Val” Sevier.

These recipes, perfected by our great-great grandparents, well, we proudly stand behind them, or in front of them, as it were.

You’ll see my signature on every jar. That’s my pledge to you that Sevier is setting a new standard for spirits. I want you to taste real craftsmanship, and to join me in paying homage to those that came before.Sincerely,