OLE SMOKY WELCOMES RECORD 4.1 MILLION VISITORS IN 2018
OLE SMOKY DISTILLERIES WELCOMED A RECORD 4.1 MILLION VISITORS LAST YEAR
Ole Smoky Holler is the world’s most-visited distillery and Ole Smoky is the world’s best selling moonshine.
GATLINBURG, TN (February 6, 2019) — According to on-premise traffic counters, Ole Smoky's three East Tennessee distilleries welcomed 4.1 million visitors in 2018. The Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler in Gatlinburg welcomed over 2 million visitors; Gatlinburg's Ole Smoky Whiskey Barrelhouse welcomed over 900,000; and the company's Pigeon Forge distillery, The Barn, welcomed 1.1 million.
By comparison, Ole Smoky entertains more than twice as many guests as all of Scotland's distilleries combined. According to publicly available data, Scotland's 74 whiskey distilleries saw 1.9 million attendees in 2017. Ole Smoky's 4.1 million visitors is also more than three times the 1.2 million people who visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's 10 distilleries each year.
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 over twice that of its nearest competitor.
"Our impressive visitor numbers speak not only to the attraction of the greater Smoky Mountain area, but also to the focused attention we've placed on the entire distillery visitor experience. From the quality and variety of our moonshine and whiskey products, to our attractive merchandise and live music, we want visitors to experience the full spectrum of our 'C'Mon Live a Little' motto," explains Robert Hall, CEO of Ole Smoky Distillery LLC "It's great to see people visiting and enjoying Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. We look forward to introducing even more visitors to the Ole Smoky experience when our Nashville location opens later this year."
About Ole Smoky® Distillery LLC:
Ole Smoky is the leading distiller of premium moonshine in the world and the first federally licensed distillery in the history of East Tennessee. Founded in 2010, Ole Smoky's roots can be traced to the Smoky Mountains' earliest settlers, families who produced moonshine with enduring pride and Appalachian spirit. In 2009, Tennessee laws changed, and suddenly, it was legal to make, distill and sell the infamous and illicit moonshine the region had become known for — and Ole Smoky was born, with products crafted from a century-old recipe. In 2016, Ole Smoky debuted its line of premium whiskeys, many of which have been launched nationally.
Today, Ole Smoky retails globally and offers more than 25 creative moonshine flavors and 17 inventive whiskey flavors. Ole Smoky can be found at the company's distilleries, online, in grocery and liquor stores nationwide, as well as in on-premise establishments, including some of the biggest music and sporting venues in the country. The Ole Smoky product line also includes a wide array of branded apparel, gifts, accessories, plus whiskey- and moonshine-flavored food items, including barbecue sauces, hot sauces and dips.
Ole Smoky distilleries are the most visited in the world. Each year, more than four million people visit Ole Smoky's three famed East Tennessee distilleries: The Holler, The Barrelhouse and The Barn. In 2019, Ole Smoky will open a fourth location in Nashville.
For more information, please visit www.olesmoky.com and follow Ole Smoky on social media @olesmoky.
Shine Responsibly®
©2019 Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC. All Rights Reserved. OLE SMOKY, OLE SMOKY TENNESSEE MOONSHINE, OLE SMOKY WHISKEY, and SHINE RESPONSIBLY are registered trademarks of Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC.
Media Contact
Stephanie Warner
Ole Smoky Distillery
858.752.1345
