Sugarlands Distilling on the Parkway is Gatlinburg's other moonshine anchor — the Roaming Jawns' house: the standard tasting flight (a dozen pours at the bar, no sharing, strongly enforced), a back porch with a live stage, the Cocktail Kitchen, and — new in 2026 — The Stave, a speakeasy through a hidden door. USA Today has ranked Sugarlands' tasting experience No. 1 in the nation in its reader voting (as the venue reports), and the films here treat it as the category's Gatlinburg benchmark.

Watch: first looks

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

The Best Distillery Tasting Experience in America | Sugarlands Distilling

Brewzle

Brewzle's deep dive into Sugarlands Distilling: the tasting USA Today voted the number one tasting experience in America, plus the VIP tour - the stills, the 25-gallon barrels, and the bonded and cask-strength editions of the Roaming Man whiskey program, with DK guiding.

Key takeaways
  • USA Today voted Sugarlands the number one tasting experience in America
  • The standard tour is cheap; the VIP tour adds the deep whiskey program
  • Roaming Man comes in bonded and cask-strength editions from 25-gallon barrels

A Gatlinburg Experience Most Visitors Don't Know About | Sugarlands Distillery | Smoky Mountains

Melissa and Wes

Melissa and Wes go inside Sugarlands' hidden speakeasy, The Stave (new in 2026): the secret-door entrance, a guided Roaming Man whiskey tasting and history lesson, then filling, corking, labelling and wax-sealing their own bottle of the Infinity whiskey to take home.

Key takeaways
  • The Stave is Sugarlands' hidden speakeasy, new in 2026, entered through a secret door
  • The experience ends with filling, corking and wax-sealing your own bottle
  • The Infinity was the room's middle-of-the-road pour - and the favorite

We're Touring Gatlinburg's Newest Speakeasy!

Brace Yourself!

Brace Yourself tour Sugarlands' two premium experiences in 2025: Behind the Stave and the Roaming Man whiskey tour - a behind-the-scenes walk of the distillery with guided whiskey and cocktail tastings, filmed when both tours were about six weeks old. (Its only caption track is an auto-translation; loads as watch content.)

The tasting, honestly described

The planning guide is the strictest film on the page: what the flight includes, the no-sharing rule in practice, moonshine etiquette, plus the food order that pairs with it (chicken wings and a burger got the highest marks). The seasoned-tasters film takes the rum and rye whiskies as seriously as the shine — including an honest account of last-call pours that turn the 'shine' part down. The Stave film walks the 2026 addition: a concealed entrance, a sit-down speakeasy list, the room as an evening rather than a flight.

Full tours

The Moonshine Bandits tour covers the distillery floor, the working operation and the Back Porch Stage in one long look. One touring-musician-turned-distiller profile gets the people behind the stills. The page's films also cross the street usefully: the wider Gatlinburg craft-drinks picture (cider, wine, the Holler) is on this directory's food guides.

Watch: more views

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

Sugarlands Distilling Co. In Gatlinburg, TN Walkthrough

Midways & Miles

Midways & Miles walk through the Sugarlands Distilling store on the Parkway in 2023 - a quick tour of the retail room and tasting bar. (No usable caption track exists for this film; it loads as watch content.)

Gatlinburg - Sugarlands Distilling Co moonshine tasting (July 28, 2019)

Revbat

A 2019 seat at the Sugarlands tasting bar with Revbat: the full guided flight run by the distillery's wisecracking hosts - recipe tips (the Bloody Mary mix ratio), the rye they say tastes like a Girl Scout cookie with peppermint, and the room's running comedy act.

Key takeaways
  • The tasting hosts are performers - the guided flight is half comedy show
  • Bloody Mary shortcut: one part shine to two parts mix, per the host
  • Arrive ready to participate; the bar runs on audience energy

MOONSHINE TASTING IN GATLINBURG TN | SUGARLAND DISTILLERY CO.

Just Nicole

Just Nicole's 2021 Sugarlands tasting, start to finish: the game-show-style guided flight from 40-proof fruit shines to the 80-proofs, the green-apple 'nasal appraisal' ritual, and the apple pie shine verdict.

Key takeaways
  • Flights run left to right, 40-proof fruit shines up to the 80-proofs
  • The ritual: smell it first (the 'nasal appraisal'), then toss it back
  • Apple pie shine is the crowd benchmark

The structure of a Sugarlands visit

Flight first (12 pours is a serving not a sample for the math), food alongside, back porch after; The Stave for the grown-up round. Timed entry to the bar is the practical note on every film.

Sources: the 9 videos on this page, filmed at Sugarlands Distilling in Gatlinburg.

Watch: the full set

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

SUGARLANDS DISTILLERY GATLINBURG MOONSHINE TASTING REVIEW 2023 #gatlinburg

We Review U

We Review U's 2023 review of the Sugarlands tasting: the 12-shot guided flight (dark blue label down to teal), the no-sharing rule, and serving ideas from the hosts - apple cider slushies and Hot Tamale candy pairings included.

Key takeaways
  • The standard flight is 12 pours - and sharing your cups is the one house rule
  • Hosts hand out serving ideas: cider slushies, candy pairings
  • A repeat-offender crowd is normal - locals come back

Sugarlands Distilling Co FULL Moonshine Tasting at Distillery - Gatlinburg | #Tennessee 5

Mochilazo

The full Sugarlands guided tasting filmed in 2023, carried by tasting host Thomas's stand-up patter through the whole flight - the rules of the bar, the smell-then-shoot ritual, and the crowd work that makes the Sugarlands bar a show in itself.

Key takeaways
  • The Sugarlands bar runs on its host's patter - cover your glass to skip a pour
  • Training-wheels pours are available on request
  • Gatlinburg, in the host's words, 'sucks sober unless you're eight years old'

GUIDE TO TOP RATED MOONSHINE TASTINGS IN GATLINBURG, TN | OLE SMOKY & SUGARLANDS | EARTHQUAKE RIDE

K&E RV TV

K&E RV TV's January 2025 guide to Gatlinburg's top-rated tastings on an empty winter Parkway: Sugarlands first (their favorite, and the most organized), then the Ole Smoky whiskey tasting, then a spin on Earthquake The Ride to finish the night.

Key takeaways
  • January weeknights mean an empty Parkway and walk-in tastings
  • Sugarlands is the couple's favorite for organization
  • Pair a tasting night with Earthquake The Ride for the full Parkway evening

More Gatlinburg essentials

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