Sazerac Acquires Tennessee Distillery To Boost Whiskey Production

Sazerac Co., the second-largest spirits marketer in the U.S. by volume, according to Impact Databank, has acquired a distillery located in Newport, Tennessee. The purchase price was undisclosed. All employees of the distillery—including master distiller John Lunn and master blender Allisa Henley—will be retained. Sazerac intends to use the distillery to produce Tennessee whiskey using the Lincoln County process, in which liquid is filtered through charcoal chips before entering the barrel. The company is set to begin investing in the East Tennessee distillery—which will be up and running for Tennessee whiskey production beginning early next year. Lunn was formerly master distiller of Diageo’s George Dickel before taking the same role at Popcorn Sutton Distilling in 2015. Sazerac’s acquisition includes only the Newport distillery, not any brands.