Gatlinburg Moonshine Trail — Distillery Guide & Tastings

Moonshine is Appalachian history in a jar — and Gatlinburg has turned it into a tourist attraction. The downtown strip has multiple distilleries offering free tastings, and the history of moonshining in the Smoky Mountains is more interesting than you might expect.

Ole Smoky Moonshine — The Original

Ole Smoky’s Moonshine Holler on the strip is where most people start. Free tastings of 15+ flavors — from traditional corn whiskey to apple pie, cherries, and sweet tea moonshine. The distillery floor is visible from the tasting bar. Live music on the porch. The gift shop is enormous. It’s touristy, but the moonshine is legitimately good and the free tastings make it impossible to leave without buying a jar.

Sugarlands Distilling Company

A more refined experience than Ole Smoky — craft cocktails made with their spirits, guided tastings with explanations of the distilling process, and a higher-end product line. Their Appalachian Sippin’ Cream (moonshine cream liqueur) is dangerously drinkable. The cocktail bar is the best place to try moonshine in mixed drinks rather than straight shots.

Doc Collier Moonshine

Named after a legendary Smoky Mountains moonshiner, Doc Collier focuses on traditional recipes and mountain history. The tastings here lean more toward education about moonshine’s role in Appalachian culture. The corn whiskey is closer to traditional moonshine than the flavored versions at other distilleries.

Tennessee Shine Company

A smaller operation on the strip with a focus on creative flavors — key lime, salted caramel, root beer. Good for people who want the sweetened versions rather than the traditional burn.

Moonshine History

Moonshining in the Smoky Mountains wasn’t a hobby — it was an economy. Before the national park was established in 1934, mountain families made corn whiskey because it was the only way to transport their corn crop out of the steep terrain profitably. One bushel of corn yielded 3 gallons of whiskey worth $12 — versus selling the corn for 50 cents. Revenue agents and moonshiners played cat-and-mouse for decades. Some of those family recipes are what you’re tasting today.

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