Tennessee Hills Bristol project aims for June completion

Murry Lee
·2 min read

JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) – After Tennessee Hills was added to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, founder Stephen Callahan said the brand is looking to its future in Bristol.

Tennessee Hills’ flagship location in Jonesborough was added to the trail in February, which Callahan said coincides with the distillery’s goal for the area.

Photo: Tennessee Hills founder Stephen Callahan says being added to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail helps Northeast Tennessee as a destination. (WJHL)
Photo: Tennessee Hills founder Stephen Callahan says being added to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail helps Northeast Tennessee as a destination. (WJHL)

“I feel like Tennessee Hills, our mission is to be an economic driver in the region, and being a part of the trail was another piece of that puzzle,” Callahan said.

Tennessee Hills joins other distilleries as member of Tennessee Whiskey Trail

According to Callahan, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail has a multi-billion dollar economic impact in Tennessee, drawing millions of visitors each year since it was founded by the Tennessee Distillers Guild. The trail features more than 30 distilleries across the state.

“Hopefully, the more people we attract, the better off the local hospitality folks will do,” Callahan said. “You know, we want to make East Tennessee, Northeast Tennessee a destination.”

Photo: WJHL
Photo: WJHL

In addition to the Salt House location in Jonesborough, Tennessee Hills also operates its “brewstillery” in Johnson City and has been working toward opening a new distillery in Bristol, Tennessee.

On Wednesday, Callahan said Tennessee Hills hopes to be fully operational and open its doors in Bristol by the middle of June.

“When you walk in the door now, you can actually start to visualize what the customer is going to experience, and so our team is working really hard to develop those experiences and really see what the facility is going to have to offer,” he said. “Cause we really want to be very experiential and become a destination.”

Callahan told News Channel 11 that the timing for the Bristol opening will line up with several key events, such as the planned completion of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Bristol.

“We’re hoping to work hand in glove with the Hard Rock opening in June,” Callahan said. “Of course, we have the Bristol race. I think we’re going to barely miss that window, but there is a lot of great things that are happening in Northeast Tennessee right now, and the timing for us to open in Bristol is perfect.”

Tennessee Hills will begin accepting applications for the Bristol distillery in March, Callahan said.

Callahan told News Channel 11 in December 2023 that the Bristol distillery is expected to produce roughly 3,000 cans of beer and ready-to-drink cocktails and 1,000 bottles of whiskey per day.

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