OLE SMOKY WELCOMES NEW RECORD 4.5 MILLION VISITORS IN 2019
GATLINBURG, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ole Smoky Distilleries were once again the most visited distilleries in the world in 2019. According to on-premise traffic counters, Ole Smoky’s four Tennessee distilleries welcomed 4.5 million visitors in 2019, up from last year’s 4.1 million. Ole Smoky Distilleries craft both moonshine and whiskeys and feature tastings for visitors every day of the week.
Ole Smoky’s The Holler in Gatlinburg welcomed 2.1 million visitors, The Barrelhouse in Gatlinburg welcomed nearly 1.1 million, Pigeon Forge’s distillery, The Barn, welcomed 1.1 million, and the company's newest distillery in Nashville, 6th & Peabody, which opened last fall, welcomed over 200,000 visitors.
"2019 was a growth year for our brand and our distilleries. We continue to introduce innovative and appetizing new products and opened an impressive 30,000 square-foot entertainment complex and distillery in the heart of Music City, Nashville. Now with four locations, we provided memorable ‘see it made’ distillery experiences to 4.5 million visitors last year. From the quality and variety of our moonshine and whiskey products, to our attractive merchandise and live music, distillery tastings and tours, our visitors experience the full spectrum of our Ole Smoky brand," explains Robert Hall, CEO of Ole Smoky Distillery LLC.
By comparison, Ole Smoky entertains more than twice as many guests as all of Scotland's distilleries combined. According to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), Scotland's 68 whiskey distilleries saw 2 million visitors in 2018. Ole Smoky's 4.5 million visitors is over three times the 1.4 million people who visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's 17 distilleries in 2018.
Each Ole Smoky distillery location includes working stills and fermentation tanks and an expansive visitor experience, including self-guided tours, tastings, live music, and large retail shops featuring Ole Smoky moonshine, whiskey, apparel, accessories and food.
Named the largest craft distiller in the U.S. by the IWSR, Ole Smoky Moonshine is also the No. 1 selling moonshine brand in the world and Nielsen indicates that Ole Smoky’s market share is more than three times that of its nearest competitor. In 2019, Ole Smoky introduced more than 20 exciting new varieties of moonshine and whiskey across its distilleries including the incredibly popular Moonshine Pickles. The company begins the new year with plans for even more exciting new products and eyebrow raising flavors that are sure to attract even more visitors in 2020.
Media Contact:
Paul Lindsley
Paul.lindsley@phase3mc.com
615.585.3487
