Key Stats
Founded: 1866 (registered) / 1875 (documented establishment)
Headquarters: Lynchburg, Tennessee, USA
Master Distiller: Chris Fletcher (since October 2020)
Parent Company: Brown-Forman Corporation (since 1956)
Global Sales: Over 14 million 9-liter cases (2022)
Jack Daniel’s is an American brand of Tennessee whiskey produced at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Founded by Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel in the 1860s, the brand has grown to become the best-selling American whiskey in the world. The distillery, first registered with the U.S. government in 1866, holds the distinction of being the oldest registered distillery in the United States and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
What distinguishes Jack Daniel’s as a Tennessee whiskey rather than bourbon is its charcoal mellowing process, known as the Lincoln County Process. Before aging, the whiskey is filtered drop by drop through ten feet of sugar maple charcoal, a technique that gives Jack Daniel’s its characteristic smooth, mellow flavor. The whiskey then ages in handcrafted charred American white oak barrels in Lynchburg’s hilltop warehouses. All Jack Daniel’s products are made using iron-free cave spring water from the distillery’s own Cave Spring Hollow.
The Brown-Forman Corporation acquired Jack Daniel’s in 1956 and has since expanded the brand into a global portfolio that includes Old No. 7 (the flagship black label), Gentleman Jack, Single Barrel, Tennessee Honey, Tennessee Fire, Tennessee Apple, and Tennessee Rye. In fiscal year 2023, the Jack Daniel’s family of brands generated approximately $4 billion in net sales for Brown-Forman, though sales have faced headwinds more recently from changing consumer preferences and macroeconomic pressures.
Jack Daniel’s History
c. 1846-1850
Jack Daniel Born
Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel is born in Lynchburg, Tennessee. His exact birth date remains uncertain, with records suggesting 1846, 1849, or 1850. After his mother’s death and father’s remarriage, Jack runs away from home and is taken in by a local preacher and distiller named Dan Call.
1866/1875
Distillery Established
The brand claims an 1866 founding date, though biographers cite 1875 as when Jack Daniel registered a legal distilling business with Dan Call. Jack learned whiskey-making from Call and Nearest Green, an enslaved man who continued working with Call after emancipation.
1884
Cave Spring Hollow Acquired
Jack Daniel purchases the hollow and land where the distillery is now located, with access to the iron-free cave spring water that remains central to the whiskey’s production process.
1904
World’s Fair Gold Medal
Jack Daniel’s receives the gold medal for the finest whiskey at the St. Louis World’s Fair, establishing its reputation for quality and triggering a surge in national popularity.
1911
Jack Daniel’s Death
Jack Daniel dies from blood poisoning at age 61 or older. He had given the distillery to his nephews in 1907 due to failing health. Lem Motlow assumes full control and operates the distillery for the next four decades.
1938
Production Resumes
Following Tennessee state prohibition (1910) and national Prohibition (1920-1933), Lem Motlow leads efforts to repeal Tennessee’s state prohibition laws, allowing the Lynchburg distillery to finally reopen.
1956
Brown-Forman Acquisition
The Brown-Forman Corporation purchases Jack Daniel’s from the Motlow family, beginning a new era of national and international expansion under corporate ownership.
2020
Chris Fletcher Named Master Distiller
Chris Fletcher, grandson of former Master Distiller Frank Bobo, becomes the eighth Master Distiller in the company’s history, continuing a family legacy of whiskey-making at Jack Daniel’s.
Jack Daniel’s Founder
Jack Daniel’s was founded by Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel, whose life story has become intertwined with American whiskey mythology.
Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel
Jack Daniel’s exact birth date remains uncertain—sources cite 1846, 1849, or 1850. He was one of thirteen children fathered by Calaway Daniel, the youngest of his mother Lucinda’s ten children. After his mother died and his father remarried, Jack despised his stepmother and ran away from home as a young boy, essentially becoming an orphan. He was taken in by Dan Call, a local lay preacher and moonshine distiller, where he learned whiskey-making from Call and from Nearest Green, an enslaved man who stayed on after emancipation. Jack took over the distillery when Call quit for religious reasons. By 1884, he had purchased Cave Spring Hollow, the site of the current distillery. Jack introduced square-shaped bottles in 1897 to convey “fairness and integrity.” He never married and had no children. In 1907, due to failing health, he gave the distillery to his nephews Lem Motlow and Dick Daniel. Jack died in 1911 from blood poisoning.
Nearest Green
Nathan “Nearest” Green was an enslaved man owned by Dan Call who taught Jack Daniel the art of whiskey-making. Green is believed to have introduced Jack to the charcoal filtering technique that became the Lincoln County Process, a West African filtration method adapted to local materials. After emancipation, Green stayed on to work with Call and later became Jack Daniel’s first head distiller. His son George Green also worked at the distillery for many years. Nearest Green’s contributions to Tennessee whiskey were largely unacknowledged for over a century. In 2017, the Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey brand was founded to honor his legacy, becoming the first major spirit brand named after an African American. The brand is led by Fawn Weaver and employs Nearest Green’s great-great-granddaughter, Victoria Eady Butler, as master blender.
Jack Daniel’s Product Line
Under Brown-Forman’s ownership since 1956, Jack Daniel’s has expanded from a single Tennessee whiskey into a diverse portfolio of expressions and flavored products.
The flagship product remains Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, the black-label Tennessee whiskey recognized worldwide by its square bottle design. The “Old No. 7” designation originated as the distillery’s government registration number, which Jack retained as a brand name even after being reassigned to Number 16 in a different district. In 1987, the proof of the black label was reduced from 90 to 86, and in 2002, both the black and green labels were standardized to 80 proof (40% ABV). Higher-proof options remain available, including Single Barrel (94 proof) and Single Barrel Barrel Proof.
Premium extensions include Gentleman Jack (double mellowed through charcoal), Single Barrel Select, and Sinatra Select (created in honor of Frank Sinatra, famously a Jack Daniel’s devotee). The distillery has also launched flavored variants: Tennessee Honey (2011), Tennessee Fire (cinnamon), and Tennessee Apple. In 2018, Jack Daniel’s released Tennessee Rye, its first new grain recipe since Prohibition. The brand has expanded into the rapidly growing ready-to-drink category with Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola canned cocktails, which launched in 2023 and drove significant sales growth.
Jack Daniel’s Global Sales
Jack Daniel’s is the best-selling American whiskey in the world, with global distribution in over 170 countries. Sales peaked in 2022 before moderating amid challenging market conditions.
Jack Daniel’s Competitors
Jack Daniel’s competes with other major American whiskey brands in the Tennessee whiskey, bourbon, and flavored whiskey categories.
| Brand | Type | Parent Company |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Beam | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Beam Suntory |
| Maker’s Mark | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Beam Suntory |
| Wild Turkey | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Campari Group |
| Woodford Reserve | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Brown-Forman |
| Evan Williams | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Heaven Hill |
| Buffalo Trace | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Sazerac Company |
| George Dickel | Tennessee Whisky | Diageo |
| Uncle Nearest | Tennessee Whiskey | Uncle Nearest Inc. |
| Crown Royal | Canadian Whisky | Diageo |
| Fireball | Flavored Whisky | Sazerac Company |
FAQs
Is Jack Daniel’s bourbon or whiskey?
Jack Daniel’s is classified as Tennessee whiskey, not bourbon, though it technically meets the legal requirements for bourbon (at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, made in the USA). The distinction lies in its production method: Jack Daniel’s uses the Lincoln County Process, filtering the whiskey through sugar maple charcoal before aging. The brand has historically preferred to emphasize its Tennessee identity rather than be categorized alongside Kentucky bourbons.
What does “Old No. 7” mean?
According to Jack Daniel’s biographer, “Old No. 7” was the government registration number assigned to the distillery. When federal authorities redrew district boundaries, Daniel was reassigned to Number 16 in district 5 instead of Number 7 in district 4. However, he continued using his original number as a brand name since his reputation had already been established. Other theories exist, but the company has never officially confirmed the name’s origin.
Who owns Jack Daniel’s?
Jack Daniel’s has been owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation, a publicly traded American beverage company, since 1956. Brown-Forman is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and is controlled by the Brown family, descendants of founder George Garvin Brown. As of fiscal 2024, Brown-Forman had net sales of $4.2 billion across its portfolio of spirits brands.
Why is Lynchburg in a dry county?
Moore County, where the Jack Daniel’s distillery is located, remains one of Tennessee’s many dry counties, meaning the sale of alcohol is prohibited. While it is legal to distill whiskey there, purchasing it within the county is generally not allowed. However, a Tennessee state law provides an exception allowing distilleries to sell one commemorative product. Jack Daniel’s now sells several products at its White Rabbit Bottle Shop on the distillery grounds.
Who is the current Master Distiller?
Chris Fletcher became Jack Daniel’s eighth Master Distiller in October 2020, succeeding Jeff Arnett. Fletcher is the grandson of Frank Bobo, who served as the fifth Master Distiller from 1966 to 1988. Born and raised in Lynchburg, Fletcher started at the distillery as a tour guide while in college, earned a chemistry degree, and worked in Brown-Forman’s research and development before returning to Jack Daniel’s as Assistant Master Distiller in 2014.
