BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — It may look like a concrete slab now, but soon construction along the Little River in Townsend will be home to the Company Distilling's first storefront.
“We absolutely love Townsend,” said Jeff Arnett, Master Distiller of Company Distilling. “We became familiar with this location by doing the “Grains and Grits Festival every year for about five or six years.”
The foundation will be a 4,000 square foot tasting room and restaurant. It’s one of Company Distilling’s two locations in Blount County.
“We will have a small-scale steel," Arnett said. We'll be able to do distillation for Vodka and maybe a little bit of whiskey here, but primarily this Townsend location is going to be a fairly light manufacturing footprint for us.”
Company Distilling’s headquarters spanning 31 acres in Alcoa will be the primary distillery.
“That's where we'll do all of our bourbon and whiskey manufacturing," Arnett said.
They'll begin developing the Alcoa site complete with a restaurant, brewery, tasting room, and outdoor venues after the Townsend location opens.
WATCH: Jeff Arnett shows 10News Anchor, Beth Haynes, what will be Company Distilling's headquarters in Alcoa, Tennessee.
In addition to samples, the Townsend location will include merchandise, a kitchen, and a variety of spirits.
“We will have a cocktail bar with windows that look into production," Arnett said.
Company Distilling has merged with gin maker, H. Clark Distillery in Thompson Station.
“So, we can send bourbon to Thompson station, and we can bring gin from Thompson station here," Arnett said.
Company Distilling is already selling its first bourbon product.
“It's a wheated bourbon and actually has three different components in it," Arnett said. And, it's been maple finished.”
Company Distilling started distribution in Tennessee in November and hopes to expand to Georgia early next year.
“We have acquired liquid from three different states and put it together," Arnett said. As we have product available, we’ll start to move out into other states.”
Arnett says it will be at least four years from the time Company Distilling’s headquarters opens before they'll be able to bottle bourbon and whiskey in Alcoa.
“I think, as people get to know us a little bit better, they'll begin to realize that we're going to be a really good addition to town, and we'll be a great community citizen," Arnett said.
Company Distilling hopes to open the Townsend tasting room around the first of May and its Alcoa headquarters in 2023.