You’ve probably heard the incredible story of Nearest Green, the former slave who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. If you have, I invite you to dive deeper into the story, the history, the mission and the legacy, guided by Fawn Weaver, Founder and CEO of Grant Sidney, Inc. (GSI), a privately held investment company, which owns Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Uncle Nearest is currently the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history. A brand she founded with her husband in 2016 and has since made her mark on history, culture and the spirits industry. After learning about Uncle Nearest, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make Tennessee whiskey, Fawn was on a mission to solidify, or as she says, cement the legacy of Nearest Green. Uncle Nearest as he was referred too, was the first known black master distiller, which up until that point when Fawn started this journey, was sadly lost in history and less known by a wider audience. Fawn and her husband purchased the 300-acre farm in Tennessee, where Nearest taught Jack how to distill and has since been on a mission to bring this legacy to life through the bottle, its award winning liquid and incredible story. As actor Jeffrey Wright (a passionate consumer and collaborator of Uncle Nearest) who you’ll know from popular series and films like Westworld, Shaft, The Batman, James Bond No Time To Die and many others, says…”its a story that unifies us.” There was a deep love and respect between Jack Daniel and Uncle Nearest. This is a story of love and respect, not a story of a successful historical white man taking advantage of a black man. But just like Uncle Jack, as he’s known in Tennessee, Uncle Nearest’s legacy deserves to stand on its own and to never be lost again. Fawn and her team are ensuring people will be telling the story of Uncle Nearest for generations to come, but also uplifting and supporting so many other brands along the journey. Please enjoy the conversation with storyteller, serial entrepreneur and sprits industry innovator Fawn Weaver.
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