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Moonshine distillery one step closer to setting up shop near Dandridge

The Dandridge planning commission unanimously approved Bootleggers Distillery's land annex request so it can open a new scenic location.

DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Jefferson County lawmakers are letting the moonshine flow. 

Dandridge officials unanimously voted to approve a land annex request, paving the way for Bootleggers Distillery to make shine at a new scenic location off Highway 139. 

The distillery hopes to serve dinner and moonshine overlooking the shores of Douglas Lake and the Great Smoky Mountains on a picturesque plot of land just past Dandridge's city limits. It would be the Hartford business' second location.

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Owner Darrell Miller, a 15th generation moonshine distiller, said the business has a lot to offer for the Dandridge community.

"We're just trying to bring an aspect to the town of Dandridge that you can't get right now," Miller told 10News back in July.

Even though the new distillery would be on the edge of Dandridge, Miller said it would benefit businesses throughout the town.

"It wouldn't just help us, it would help everybody in the downtown area, all the local businesses," Miller said. "Of course, the more tourists you get the more business you get."

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Some of the distillery's potential neighbors were skeptical of Miller's plans. In July, Sigrid Yancey of Dandridge told 10News she was concerned that the distillery would cause disruptions in the surrounding community.

"Everyone here is very concerned about the impact on our neighborhoods," Yancey said. "The surrounding areas are residential, with retirees and younger families with children. Not the place to put a honky-tonk!" 

However, no one opposed to the distillery spoke against it at the July city council meeting, and the council voted to send an annexation request to the planning commission. 

With the land annex approved, Miller said he has big ideas for the new distillery. He's hoping to maybe add a restaurant and 'a little beach area' at the lake. Back in July, he said he was even thinking about the possibility of building a hotel.

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